John Smiths Pic's
Site 7, Early 1960's
RAF Bentwaters

John & Bev Smith at
Ft Huachuca Museum, AZ
Do they look like tourists..or what!

(Click on Pic for Original Image)
pic 1 pic 2 pic 3 pic 4 pic 5

pic 6 pic 7 pic 8 pic 9 pic 10

(Click on Pic for Original Image)
(Hold Curser on Pic for Pic Number)
  • Pic #1 - Site 7 Cook Out. (l to r) Back Row: J Smith, F Atkinson, B Powell. Front Row: J Barton, G Donnon, S Krulin, Edmonds
  • Pic #2 - Site 7 Latrine/Showers on right, Orderly Room on left
  • Pic #3 - Self-explanatory
  • Pic #4 - Remember the cold nights and no heat. Fill the barrel then pump it into your barrel
  • Pic #5 - Fire Dept, Rescue
  • Pic #6 - Looking from Site 7 toward the Chow Hall. I can hear the groans already. Going from this parking lot you should come to the intersection at the Base Library, maybe. That should be near the water tower. I was standing between the last two huts on the Latrine side of Site 7. On the other side of the Chow Hall were the six barracks (with four guys to a room, how cozy). That station wagon was from Motor Pool. Some lucky devil bought it from Motor Pool. Such a deal! I think they had to tow it away.
  • Pic #7 - This picture was difficult to get. I had to wait a long, long time to see any fog on Bentwaters. (Ha Ha). This photo is Site 7. Where else? On the left from front to back is Hut 253B and Hut 252B. I know for sure, for 353B was mine. Just to the left and behind Hut 252B was our old bomb shelter. Straight ahead was a small hut used by an English gentleman who painted the signs for the Rec Center and three clubs. On the right centre, is the picnic table from an earlier shot. a cold night (or day) that path was a long walk to the showers. My hut was 352B which had the picnic table outside the door...Jim Tansey
  • Pic #8 - Once a month there was a "Fire Prevention Committee" that met at the station. There were representatives from all the Squadrons. At the head of the table is Maj Reisinger and his cigar. On the left side with his hands folded on the table is Capt Korzep. On the right, next to the Major, is SMSgt Barron. On the left looking down at the table is MSgt Bailey, former B/W Fire Chief and representing Woodbridge. The man with his back to the camera is MSgt Smart, B/W Fire Chief. Photo taken in the dining room of the B/W fire station. That big box on the (right) wall hides the Dart Board, I'm sure you really need to know that.
  • Pic #9 - B-47 that was at Bentwaters for the May 1963 Air Show. I thought they were going to have to turn that baby around in Woodbridge Town.
  • Pic #10 - I am not sure of the date it must have been 1962 when Republic restored a P-47 and sent it around on tour of English Bases.

    		•

    Crash Map, RAF Bentwaters/RAF Woodbridge

    L to R Laying down Amn Atkinson (CE) Sgt Barnet (CE) Amn Donnon (A shift) Sgt Robinson (Fire Prevention) #4 Amn Barton (CES-OR Clerk) leaning on the car Amn Smith (AR). ).

    (Click on Pic for Original Image)
    Think it was 1963. The base had to stand a formation. I remember we marched on the taxi strip between the 91st hanger and the Control Tower. The reason? I think it was the change of Command. It may have be a change form 17th Air Force to 3rd Air Force, or the other way around. After the formation we all went to the intersection of the inactive runways to have this photo taken. This was the only time I saw this many 81st Civil Engineer Sq personnel in Blues. The background (from l to r)has the refueling rigs, and a British Lorry. The white block building was shared by POL (they drove the tankers) and the Fire Prevention personnel (Sgt. Barron's office). All the way in the back is Gate 2. To the left is the LOX plant. Some Rocket Scientist long, long ago decided to place it next to the Fire Station. To bad this stuff isn't in colour.

    (Click on Pic for Original Image)
    Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. Armed Force Day, May 23, 1964. You might find "Ban the Bombers", nervous High Ranking Air Force personnel, British Bobbies, AP's, RAF AP's, OSI, MI5, and maybe Zed Cars. We were so worried we might be invaded by The Ban the Bomb types that off duty AF personnel wore dress blues. There were so many on the roof of the Tower it is lucky it did not cave in. I remember seeing civilians at the bus stop/taxi stand with cameras and telephoto lenses taking pictures of the VA Area. They could look right in the hangers across the 08 end of the runway. Broken Arrow
    For those of us who served in the Fire Department this wasn't just a C-124 Globe Master, it usually was another night of interrupted sleep. These things usually were classified as a "Hot Cargo Aircraft". There loads were designated for the weapons area. This may have been a special delivery, due to the fact it is daylight. The plane is on the inactive runway right by the control tower. Under the left wing is the Alert Area hangers. The two closest to the 08 end of the runway. Under the right wing is where the inactive runway intersected with the other end of the VA Area. The trees behind the A/C are the one the C-47 plowed in to. Cartoons from book called "More Madness". The artist is Donald J.(Jack) Feagan. He is from Boyne City, MI. The book is from 1963, his third hitch in the Air Force. It was printed by J.W. Nunn Co, of Colchester.
    Cartoon Picture hanging in John's Office. The painting depicts both Bentwaters and Woodbridge Air Bases. The black runways are clear. The dates are 1951 1993. The aircraft and flying off into the sunrise. The only thing missing is a 78th F-101. The artist is Geoff Pleasance, the painting was done in 1992. www.scaleaero.com/avarthead.htm This site gave a biography of him and the types of media he works in. www.avart.co.uk displayed his art work under Galleries.
    Chief-1, the Fire Chief's pickup. Front of the 81 Air Base Squadron, Orderly Room, Site 7. When we changed to 81st Civil Engineering Squadron, the Orderly Room moved to the CE Yard. The hut behind the car was one with no wall in the middle. It was the first hut I was assigned to with nine other guy's. Boy! was that one ever drafty. At one time after that it was used as a supply hut.
    Once upon a time it got cold as hell in East Angela. It was the winter of 1961-62. It got so cold. How cold was it?...the water mains on and off base froze up. We would take the tanker to the base veterinarian and have him check the water. When he said OK we would take off and me the English equivalent to Public Works. Then we would go around and fill bath tubs, garbage cans or anything that would hold water. We got to meet a lot of grateful people. On base the water mains froze also. If my memory is right we used a 40k gallon tanker, from the trim pad after normal hours. If we had had a fire it would be our source of water. Remember those crazy fire hydrants in the ground. The yellow and black H that told you how large the main was and how far from the H the hydrant was. Backdraft showed what happens when you park next to one in the states. Guess it's a bigger problem when someone parks on top of one in England.

    (Click on Pic for Original Image)


    Clik for story
    		 The Base C-47 (Goony Bird)(c1962).
    Crashed into the woods between the runway and the VA Area, March 4, 1963.
    3 & 4 shows it's final fate, in 1964.

    (Click on Pic for Original Image)
    Dance at the Rec Centre (c1962). No idea who the dancers are. The only guard I ever saw in Site 7 (c1962). At least someone found a use for the helmet they issued everybody in case of the big one.

    (Click on Pic for Original Image)
    Does anyone remember what Bldg 194 was? It was the Airman's Club. You who were members of the other Clubs are excused. I'm sure we all have memories of our time spent in the clubs. I'm sure we all have some we would like to forget. How about July 1, 1963. Ah! Free steaks, reduced prices on drinks (with a paid up club card of course), and a visit by the Fire Department. You guessed it's the night the club caught fire. The crews reported difficulty dragging the fire hose through all the people who evacuated the building and sat down on the grass to finish their steak.

    Sorry guys you will have to work on the dates for these, how about 1963? It wasn't long after both of these that we were awarded the 2nd Outstanding Unit Citation. The text should speak for itself. That formation is the most F-101's I remember seeing at one time in the air. There was a mass take off at one of the air shows, that was only 12 aircraft.

    Click for picture and story about Michael Smallfence

    At some time in 1962, SMSgt Barron had two photos taken. This one at RAF Bentwaters, and one at RAF Woodbridge. This will pull out all the stops on the old memory. I was amazed at how many I remembered. The real test is to remember who isn't there because they were on their day off (including me). Right down in front sitting on the ground is SMSgt. Barron. First row seated - SSgt Beal, MSgt Monhoff, SSgt ____, SSgt Coleman, Mr Timms, Mr Copeland, Mr Tibbins, L/F Aden, Mr ____, Am Cooks (?), Am Fletcher, Am Boller, Am Hatcher, Am Deal, Am Conley, Am Smallfence, Am Hensley, Am Johnson, Am Masini, Am Goodman. Second row standing Am Krulin, Am Belfield, Am Woods, Am Sntonastasi (Spelling is right), Am Hamilton, Am Moore, Am Harrison, Am Duncan, Am Westerguard, Am Shives, Am ____, Mr Smith, SSgt Scott, TSgt Duffy, SSgt Austin, Am Bates, Am Moyer, Am Saunders, Am Harris, SSgt Febig, SSgt McGuire. In the back ground Rescue 4 (54L949) and Rescue 2 (54L939).