Former RAF Aerodrome Norton Woodseats

[Dustyjr 10]

I was stationed as R A F Norton with the RAF Police for 2 years

from 1952 to 1953 along with Corporals Peter Lowe from Liverpool,Cpl John Baines from Inverness, and Cpl Alf Seddon from Lancashire looking after the Guardroom and Station Security until being demobbed from there in Sept 1953 (after the Coronation.)

The Station Adjutant at that time was a Flying Officer Terry who was in overall charge.

During that time it was No. 3 GRSS ( Ground Radar Service )

and also a Motor Pool. I would be interested to hear from anyone

else who was stationed there around that time.

Hi there Mark I too was stationed there the same time as yourself. Was Cpl Baines known by the nickname of "Isiah" Who was the AFP Cpl who put the 303 shells in his pants to hold them down over his puttees? If you remember this you will remember me . I will tell you then who I am. If you wish to email me in case I do not enter this site too often it is dustyjr@cogeco.ca

Edited October 25, 2012 by Dustyjr
spelling mistakes

[Benbow 10]

in 1948 i used to get a lift to school in an army jeep evry day,as my father was a police officer at the camp,great times.

 

I went to a "small" school not too far from Norton Aerodrome called Gleadless High School. It took 5 - 11 year olds. I was there from 1944 to 1950.

Anyone remember this?

Brian

[don56 10]

Anyone have any photos of Morton Aerodrom, particularly the ex married officers houses still on Lightwood Lane? Thanks

[Dustyjr 10]

I was stationed as R A F Norton with the RAF Police for 2 years

from 1952 to 1953 along with Corporals Peter Lowe from Liverpool,Cpl John Baines from Inverness, and Cpl Alf Seddon from Lancashire looking after the Guardroom and Station Security until being demobbed from there in Sept 1953 (after the Coronation.)

The Station Adjutant at that time was a Flying Officer Terry who was in overall charge.

During that time it was No. 3 GRSS ( Ground Radar Service )

and also a Motor Pool. I would be interested to hear from anyone

else who was stationed there around that time.

Mark I just remembered who the Station Commander was it was

Wing Commander Mummery

[sturdle 10]

I finished my NS service there and the Wing Commanders signiature is on my demob papers.......

 

is it possible you can send me a scanned copy please? He was I/C there when i was demobbed.

Regards, JS

[Plain Talker 11]

I went to a "small" school not too far from Norton Aerodrome called Gleadless High School. It took 5 - 11 year olds. I was there from 1944 to 1950.

Anyone remember this?

Brian

 

I've hear this school mentioned before, it was in the Briarfield Ave area, wasn't it? In a private house?

[Dustyjr 10]

is it possible you can send me a scanned copy please? He was I/C there when i was demobbed.

Regards, JS

 

I don't really know what you are asking me to scan. I was just replying to a Mark B that I remembered the Station Commander's name was Mummery. I left there in November 1954 for overseas. He was the C.O. during my time there. What trade were you and when were you at Norton?

Cheers JR

[wobblybob50 10]

Hi Arthur, my Grandad was also an early member of the RFC. His name was John Hamilton and he joined The Cavalry in 1914 but they found out that he was a mechanic and transfered him to the RFC to maintain the planes engines. Dont know if he ever got to fly I never really got to talk to him as i was very young when he passed away.

[mike-s 13]

I was stationed at RAF Norton from 1955 to 1957. I was a cook. The station was then used for, as far as I can remember, the Aerial Riggers school and also 3GRSS which was to do with radar. The base was still open when I left in '57.

We used to catch the bus outside the camp on a Saturday to go and watch Sheffield Wednesday, I think the bus route was called 'The Circular'. Another favourite haunt was a pub called 'The Nailmakers' which was not far from the camp. I also vaguely remember a dance hall in Gleadless which was named 'The Azena' or something like that.

When I left the Airforce I went back to Sheffield and worked for a firm called Davies which was in Paternoster row. I was there for about 12 months before I went back to Scotland.

My fondest memory of Sheffield was when I arrived. I came in at Midland station in Pond St at about 2am and did not have a clue where to go. There was a bus garage nearby and I asked for directions. The mechanic looked at me and all my gear and he said " I don't care how fit you are but you won't get to Norton with all that stuff, it will kill you". Lucky for me he had to test a bus and he ran me up to the RAF station. When I saw how long and steep Duke St was, and the long trip down from Manor Top I realised what he meant. After that experience I did enjoy my time in Sheffield.

Hi jasdell, It's a shame you were not there a few more years, you could have caught an up and coming band called 'The Beatles' playing at the Azena ballroom!!.

[Benbow 10]

I've hear this school mentioned before, it was in the Briarfield Ave area, wasn't it? In a private house?

 

Yes it was in the Briarfield Ave area but no, it was in the building next to the house which looks like a garage - very small. I think that the pupil count was around 20+. Mrs Reynolds was the teacher and her daughter helped occasionally. Top of Smithfield Road and turn right - the road was unmade (not tarmacced) I went up it to school and back twice every weekday, I rarely stayed to dinner which was always served in the house. Delicious soup as I recall.

 

I seem to remember that there was an air raid shelter behind the school

 

I enjoyed my 6+ years there before I moved on to Eckington Grammar as Lister Crescent, where I lived, was in Derbyshire and the nearest school was outside the 3 mile limit. We always travelled to school on a Sharps Bedford coach.

 

I am still looking for ex pupils but haven't found any so far.

 

Brian

[derrek 10]

I lived on Briarfield Avenue by the genel that went down to Briarfield Rd. Mrs Reynold's school was at the end annexed to number 31 or thereabouts. It was a very small building. She had two very large dogs (red setters ?).

I walked past the place on the way to MY primary school which was the newly built Charnock Hall.

This part of Gleadless was in Derbyshire in those days. After passing my 11+, I went to Dronfield Henry Fanshawe. We were driven there and back on Booth & Fisher buses. At Dronfield I became pally with a lad called Frank whose father served at R.A.F. Norton and lived in one of the Service houses on Bowman Drive. We would take the short cut through a back gate onto the base and play tennis or explore the bunkers. We would slip into the Mess where you could get a bottle of chilled Coca Cola out of a machine for 3d (old money). To me this was quite a novelty as the Town End shops charged more and it was warm!

The week leading up to the annual open days were exciting. We would watch the aerobatic rehearsals from the school playground or even through the classroom windows - much to the annoyance of our teachers!

Gleadless in the 1950's was still a village and a wonderful place in which to grow-up. Much of the housing was still to come at Charnock, Base Green, Herdings and the Gleadless Valley. So there were fields and woods a plenty to explore and you could almost complete a game of 'togger' on Briarfield before Craig's ice cream van rolled-up.

[Manxdeedah 10]

I was in the RAF 1960-68 and was courting a girl,who is now my wife,who lived on Carterhall Road Gleadless. We came back to UK from Singapore 1966 and I was posted to RAF Scampton.I used to have a drink in the Red Lion at Townend with an ex RAF Sergeant called Reg Vasey,a Welshman who was stationed at Norton until it closed in 1965 and who was posted to RAF Finningley to finish his remaining service, but travelled from his married quarter on Bowman Drive.I taught my son at age 15 to drive on the old camp,forget how much it cost,that would have been in 1986.

 

Chris.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Manxdeedah