Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History RAF West Kirby

The decoy field is half a mile from the nearest corner of RAF West Kirby, its not that close. That's assuming the decoy has the correct NGR, quite a few other are over quarter of a mile wrong!

I tried to go down that road (Carr Lane) the other day but there were a load of cars and people parked in it.

My dad was in a simlar photograph to the one above but in 1953
he then served at stafford.

is this easy to get to and freely to wonder around this lands?.... would like to visit!

It's perfectly easy to get to and public land so fill your boots lee. It's a cracking walk.

The paths are public right of way, the woodland is private - not that anyone will notice or care

thanks, how do i get there?? postcode??

Just type in "Saughall Massie Road" in google maps, where google pinpoints the road "red A pinpoint", the entrance to RAF West Kirby is the next junction to the left (west) of the pinpoint.
If you look closely at the map you can still see the inprint of the demolished buildings.
Sure you could make you way there with the map bearings.

Fascinating. Haven't walked in the woods myself, but friends tell me there's a good growth of wild orchids somewhere in there - would like to see them flowering. I had my first taste of driving on the old camp roadways back in the 60s - but my Dad wasn't very clear about telling me the relationship between the accelerator and the clutch! Ouch.

My Dad was Adjutant at RAF West Kirby in the later '40s. We were living in Brynmoss Avenue Wallasey at the time and he used to com home quite often, not always officially as I believe it.
In the early '60s I used to drive my Willys Jeep on the old roads in the station. All the huts were there at that time as the station had not long shut.
It's really odd to stand on the edge of the parade ground theses days and to think of all the misery that must have resulted from arrival there (all "green" conscripts first time from home). Now its all green and hard to believe it was so full of people.

When you bump in to old sweats who did their time at West Kirby they always speak well of the place and the locals, it must have been ok.

It was probably not too bad, considering what it was there for. However I remember well how miserable I was when I first left home, and also my Son and Nephew and Niece when they first left home to the Forces.
My Dad always used to talk of the Conscripts as they were first 'marched' from West Kirby Railway Station to RAF West Kirby.It was not enjoyable, many were totally unused to the darkness and the countryside.
However I am not saying that conscription was a bad thing, for the country, for youth training or for unemployment.

Were conscripts really marched from West Kirby station? Surely Meols was the nearest station.
I was never there myself; I did my basic training at R.A.F. Bridgnorth in 1956.

Hoylake Station would be the nearest, both as the crow flies and by road (Carr Lane). Meols would be the furthest of the three by road I think.

West Kirby had a large goods yard which may have been the reason, plus a good march up Grange Road may have been a pleasant intro

If recruits were marched from a station, how would they have got there at the same time, assuming they were from all over the country, train connections etc.? Would it not have been easier to report to camp on a certain day, perhaps Chris can remember how he got to RAF Bridgenorth.

Is it certain a plane never landed at West Kirby? according to the website the pic above was taken at West Kirby, would they take a plane in kit form and assemble, for what reason?

oops, totally wrong about Meols then Bert; when I joined in 1956, the first place you went to was Cardington in Bedfordshire. There, you were sworn in & kitted out. There were probably about 20 of us. After a couple of days there, we were allocated to our basic training camps & given rail warrants. We were sent to different camps; I think 3 of us went to Bridgnorth. The final leg of the journey was from Kidderminster along what is now the Severn Valley Railway. We were collected from the station by coach. The camp was about a mile from the station.