This page contains various 'flight' and other group photos sent in and will also contain also a few found by me. The caption is above each photo. If you send any in please try not to be too rude about your instructors!
Brian Gough was in B1 Flight September 1958 and writes: "I was posted to RAF Wilmslow in August of 1958 for 8 weeks basic training and attach photo's of my entry and signatures of the other guys. I hope you will post this onto your site in the hope that some of the others in the entry will be interested enough to make contact for a chat about lifes experiences post Wilmslow.We were all very young then and ready for whatever life would throw at us,good times remembered with them." Brian is front row, right hand side.
Symond Lawes sent in this photo of stepfather Allan Bingham (he's third row from the front, at the left hand side as you look at it second man in). There are some signatures on the back of the print: Michael 'Wilber' (Fechal?), (Mazy) Bacon, F Garrett, K Barrett, Brackworth, J B Beighton, Ken Bray, L (Aggeth? or Aggoth), Allan H Cole, G S (Coyeton?).
Allan says he had some great times there in 1954, but there were 20 men to a hut, they werent allowed to go anywhere near the waaf's or would be put on a charge. The wooden huts were single skin and very cold and they used to stack the burners up until they were red hot to gain any heat, which today would be completely against any sort of health and safety act.
Bill Brown writes: "Only two Englishmen in the whole flight,both named Brown, Bill and John. I am Bill, end of back row right, and third from right, second row from back in the other picture. The rest of the flight were Scots. Great bunch of lads. Happy days, Bill Brown."
Derek Smith's son Christopher sent in the picture below. "My father was based at RAF Wilmslow. I have a photograph (attached) and his details are given as 'C' Squadron, 2 Wing. I have no idea when the photograph was taken other than it would have been the late 40's. His name was Derek Albert Smith and he is 4th from the right in the back row (the tallest one). I wonder if you could post the photo to your website as a point of historical interest in the hope that somebody may not only recognise him but may also recognise themselves?"
Bill Darling sent in this one. "Attached is a picture from my “square bashing” days at Wilmslow. I have it as G1 Flight, No. 4 Squadron, Hut Nos. 432, 433, 434 and 435 and it was taken in the first week of August 1958. I am 2nd from the right in the back row. The Drill Instructor corporal was the aptly named 'Robbie Wild' ".
This picture (below) is of my billet at Wilmslow in July 1958. It is of Hut No.433 G1 Flight No.4 Squadron. Left to right Back Row: Ron Cartwright, Roger Coombs, Jock Drysdale, Bernie Crapper, Nobby Clarke and Ted Collins Centre Row: Mick Cundy, Harry Alexander, Paul Coddington, Bill Darling, Colin Evans, Earle Chen, Curly Embleton Front Row: Pete Ellis, Gordon Evans, Cpl Robbie Wilde (our D.I.), John Cain, Mick Constable.
Mrs K Cargan writes: "I have attached a squadron photo which belonged to my mother who is now deceased. She is on the middle row but I don't know anything about it as to what date or anything as its something she never talked about though I would be facinated. The print at the base of the photo reads No.6 FLIGHT 1 SQUADRON No. 31.S. of W.R.T. R.A.F - WILMSLOW."
Dave Pexton sent in the 1956 photo below and wrote: Please can you help me!?.......I am on this photo and would very much like to know what happened to the 3 N.C.O's and the Officer. " It's labelled (for the benefit of people trying to Google it) RAF Station Wilmslow, D2 flight, No. 1 squadron, No. 1 Wing September 1956; Corporal Lehane, Pilot Officer Mc'Ardle, Sergeant Brown, Corporal Wharton.
Jeffery Glasser sent in pictures of his late sister-in-law, then Carol Silsby from Bournemouth taken when she was at R.A.F. Wilmslow in 1958. In the small group below she is at the centre rear. In the larger group below she is third from the left, again in the rear. He's happy for anyone to contact him regarding the photos, and of course anyone who might have known her.
Derek Smith 2588992 sent the picture below and writes: "I joined up on the 22 April 1953 so it would be just after that I was at Wilmslow. The thing I remember most about my time there was we lined the route for the Queen and Prince Phillip at Rhyl in North Wales on their tour of the UK after the Coronation of the Queen. I then went on to RAF Woodvale and RAF White Waltham. A great and enjoyable experience. I am on the top row right hand end."
David Lockyer writes: "Have attached a photo of my flight that was at Wilmslow from June until July 1954 some of those in the photo: Colin Duncan Aberdeen, Bob Little Fife, Dennis Halpin Romford, Bas Morris Oxford, James Goldie Kilmarnoch, Bill Dalton Rainham, Rodney Jenkins I.O.W., Pat Garrison Warwick, Jim Kennerley Newcastle, Dave Edmunds Ponypridd, Dennis Evans Bolton, Bryan Morgan Cardiff, myself David Lockyer Bournemouth. Drill Instructors were Cpl Hodgeson, Cpl Wood, Cpl Delany. After leaving Wilmslow went to RAF Compton Bassett for a 6 Months trade training to become a radio operator after finishing this course then went to RAF St Eval Cornwall and now produce two newsletter each year for RAF St Eval."
Stephen Kilby's father, Frederick John Kilby, was in No# 1 Flight "D" Squadron 2 Wing Wilmslow and wrote: My Father, who recently past away, served in the RAF and based on his 1949 Squadron pictures was stationed at Wilmslow before being transferred to a Flight Squadron in Singapore."
Below is an enlarged version of the centre of the picture above.
John Nicholson wrote: "My name is John Nicholson, I was stationed for basic training at RAF Wilmslow in 1959." He sent in 2 pictures:
The names of the people, in order for the picture below, are: (back row) N Imeson, J Winn, G Rowling, M Blindell, D Dickinson, A Harris, J Nicholson, M Roberts; (front row) D Thornton, J Lewis, P Williams, Cpl Payne, J Wheeler, P Ward, R Williamson.
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All pictures on this page are copyright of those who supplied them.
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