I bet some of the younger one's never knew we had our own RAF station on the Wirral (Hooton being South Wirral these days!).

Link to RAF West Kirby with some old photo's.

http://www.rafwka.co.uk/

Is that where the former station Rifle Range Halt got its name? I knew of somr tenuous RAF link but didn't know where.

You lost me there Stuey. Something I have never heard of. Please tell me more.

Rifle Range Halt; on the Bidston to Wrexham line, between Burton Point & Shotton I think. I do remember Hooton Park; part of Vauxhall's now. Went to an air show there just after the war. Certainly remember RAF West Kirby (at Meols actually), although I did my basic training at Bridgnorth.

Was it ever known as RAF Larton as well? Seem to remember something along those lines from the dim and distant past. I did my training at Catterick but a different coloured uniform and a lot later no doubt.

Rifle Range Halt: Was located as Chris says twixt Burton Point Station and Shotton. Actual location was just east of the firing ranges. Grid Ref: SJ308727.

Closed in 1954. Gather it was only used by squaddies, as there doesn't appear to have been any public road access.

Theres still a rifle range in use...on sealand..near shotwick...You can see it clearly from the new dee crossing near enough opposite the Shotton paper mill...

So many uniforms!! Oh My!!

dont start!!

am i the only RAF guy on here?

Probably but in my defence I did serve on an RAF station in a brown uniform for two years. Best posting ever!

which station?! and a brown uniform?! lol

I can't help it - I'm a red blooded female in my prime!!! Even better, my biological clock has no batteries

Were you a caretaker PJ?

No - it was Morseman that had the brown uniform you noodle

However, I'd gladly be a care taker of a man in uniform

oh yeah - sorry - its the meds

Wildenrath and someone had to show the blue jobs how to communicate. Perhaps I should have said green uniform to be more precise these days.

Nope; Bomber Command 1956-60

Hey Mike I was in the RAAF and as a youngster was in the Army Cadets, Ok I am going where's me coat.......

I was a Sea Cadet

COOL HAVE WE GOT ANY MORE PICS THEN PLZ

I was a bus driver (uniform???) Gettin me coat.....!

I was in the Royal Observer Corps (uniform) AND I was a tram driver (uniform) !!!!

OK... I'm leaving now..............

my grandfather did his training at West Kirby in 1939 if that's any good

RAF Sealand was RAF Shotwick, but kept getting confused with RAF Shopwick (I think that is the right one) in Lincolnshire. There are some CWWC graves in Shotwick Churchyard. The Rifle Ranges were moved out to their current location just beofre the war because the RAF wanted more space.

There is a nice little underground look out bunker at the back of Sealand (public accessible):

http://www.minwex.org/phpBB3/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=165

There was always RAF Little Sutton as well.

I have also heard (twice) of .303 guns being made in Heswall.

And below the arcades in New Brighton!

It would be interesting to have a thread for people to document what they made on the Wirral during WW2, and where.

are you the same a10694 from AiX?

And he is N10694 on NWEX etc.....

It was RAF Scopwick near Sleaford Lincs that the mix up was with. This was changed to RAF Digby (I was based there myself). The Canadians had a fighter squadron there during the war and in the Scopwick Village graveyard there is the last resting place of the Canadian who wrote "High Flight". He was killed in a flying accident. I did 23 in the RAF as well as 11 in the Andrew, glutton for punishment.

"High Flight"
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings:
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 Squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

Bandy. Thought you were a submariner. My brother was RAF stationed in Limavady, but spent time on Christmas Island too as well as elsewhere. Dad also RAF during WW2. You're a man of many faces, aren't you? but a Brylcream boy ?????

He did say he was in the Andrew as well. That's the Royal Navy to those who didn't know.

Many faces but never 2 I hope. Just went where the work was at the time, was even on Army Reserve for a year when I was a civvy, come day - go day.

Was hoping "High Flight" might have struck a chord with someone, I love it.

Bandi just loves uniforms dont you son! He would of done the army as well, sadly he ran out of years.

Not really, I ran out of ears, I'm as deaf as a post.

Did with me; I love it too.
(you missed out "hand" in the last line; now corrected).

found out !

And m10694 on my own http://www.minwex.org/phpBB3/phpBB3/ !

A friend of mine was in the RAF and spent his whole service on boats!

Alot of local garages made 9mm Sten Guns, easily knocked up with a set of plans! Sometimes you can still pick up these plans and even some unfinished components! All legal to buy!!
You can still get the ready made mags still wrapped in grease paper.

heheheh... thought so... I recognised your Thurstaston decoy map

thanks for that Chris, get carried away with the typing some times and really should check before hitting the tit.

Why would somebody want to make a Sten gun????

I know, cudnt hit a barn door at 10 paces!!!
But the war effort required it as an easily manufactured/maintained close combat weapon!
Got one in my collection, VERY BASIC!
Make one meself if that way inclined (im an engineer!)