Wildenrath closedown 1992

You guys might like to see this, the mass launch of Phantoms back to the UK from Wildenrath in 1992 and some general shots of this RAFG base in its final days. Tristan Cossey forgot he had compiled this all those years ago. Of course best listened too with sound!
By his logs, the station closed on the 31st March 1992 at 1417 with the take off of XS637 Andover and a fly over by 74Sqn XV408.

[@Robin6512]

I was there in 1989. Loved the F4 sounds

[@manfredschyma9706]

Ronald - thank you so much for these great pics of this forgotten airfield. Very glad to have some useable help now to design this former base for the flightsim.

[@julianzimmermann485]

I live in Wassenberg, the town right next to Wildenrath. And it’s great to see what RAF Wildenrath looked like. Now, a part of the former airfield is used by Siemens for testing trains and the other part is abandoned. But you can still see parts of the runway and the old hangar.

[@rogerbyroncollins7204]

Thanks for posting and it brought back so many memories, My father was a Master Navigator /Co Pilot with 40 years service and was flying Pembrokes and Devons with Met Comm Squadron at RAF Northolt and was posted to RAF Wildenrath in 1964 until 1966 and was posted back to Northolt, My brother and I so much enjoyed living in MQs on the camp. and visiting the Astra Cinema every week and the family Mess 'do's' As we were in our teens and girls were important in our life every weekend we drove across the Dutch border in my MG midget to Roermond in Holland and many a good time was had, So many memories even after all these years. Happy days

[@GHOST5663]

Good to see this, I was there in '89 and had forgotten how noisy those Spey engines were. Used to be even louder at 2am when they scrambled interceptors. Shame its all gone and the Russians are making noises.

[@donxz2555]

Did a tour at RAF Wildenrath in the late 70’s great place loved it. Now it’s a railway testing track. That’s when we had a military, now we would be pushed to defend the Isle of Wight ! Besides the phantom’s 19 & 92 we has 16 Sqd with Rapier and K Troop 21 Sigs Remember the drinking routine NAAFI, Mali, 1st Post and maybe the 16 sqd or K Troop bar.

[@doctorleitz4795]

Thanks for this. I served here from late 1990 until closure. It was a fantastic station, lots of happy memories. After the closure I was posted to RAF Bruggen which wasn’t nearly as much fun. Great to see an Andover by the way, in addition to the Phantoms.

[@Mostrom]

Great film ...showing before and after when Wildenrath was empty of personel and planes....had that experience when my local base Binbrook shut down

[@alexchubbymclynn6060]

Great footage, most interesting story. Thank you!

[@patchmack4469]

brilliant video sir, great to see our XV408 strutting her stuff at her old stomping ground, ps 408 was on 92Sqn, unless it was a different toom flying with 74Sqn must show this to 92 Sqn boss

[@pjotrtje0NL]

pete mackean isn’t XV408 now at the Kbely museum?

[@nigeh5326]

@@pjotrtje0NL XV408 is at Tangmere Aviation Museum according to my copy of British Phantoms dated 2022 (a reprint of a 2017 magazine).

[@pjotrtje0NL]

@@nigeh5326 yup, you’re right, got it wrong.

[@johnnydiamondsmusic1673]

I was there as a kid my dad was stationed there 69-72.

[@Dutchie66]

Those were the days 👍

[@thomasm1964]

Used to fly into here as a boy on chartered Britannia Airways flights. I remember these buggers overflying Rheindahlen on most days when I was at home.

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

Yes me too. My Dad was based at Rheindahlen, and those charter planes were quite big, can you remind me what they were.? Have you got more experiences to share about those flights, full of us kids?

[@thomasm1964]

@@chrisboyslimuk5186 Both Britannia and occasionally Dan Air used Boeing 737s. I seem to remember Monarch occasionally supplied 737s as well but don't quote me on that. I do know that an officer was always lumbered with the job of being Officer In Command of the flight. Most of them used to cower in their seats while the kids misbehaved but now and then you would get one who - I suspect - had risen through the ranks and would bawl the kids out. I swear one of them was an ex-Sergeant-Major! The flights were never really long enough to be full of incident. You would spend the first 30 minutes in a climb and the next 30 minutes in a dive. The bugger of it was that I was at boarding school in Nottingham, used to have to catch the bus into town, a train to St. Pancras, passing Luton airport en route, lug my suitcase along Pentonville Road to a Joint Services Movement Centre (since decommissioned), onto a military bus to go back up the road to Luton airport to get on the bloody aircraft. It used to take as long to crawl out of London and drive to Luton as it did to get from my school all the way down to the Movement Centre in London.

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

@@thomasm1964 I can see why that was a bit of a bugger, going past Luton and then all the way through London and then back out to Luton. Surely it would have been better for us all to check in at Luton. We were at school in Scarisbrick, just near Southport in the NW of England. We would be dropped off by the school at Lime St Station in Liverpool, where we would catch the intercity to London Euston. It was one of the fastest trains of the time (1976 to 1981), but it still took 3 and a bit hours. The rest you know, ie checking in at the air terminal before going to Luton. Then flying to vildenrath. My Dad was a Squadron Leader based not too far away at JHQ RHEINDAHLEN. He was in charge of the flight out of vildenrath twice, and he kept quiet on both occasions!! He often had to pop back to England on RAF business. But it's nice to hear other people's similar stories. So thanks for that.

[@thomasm1964]

@@chrisboyslimuk5186 My Dad was Intelligence Corps, British Army, JHQ. Good times!

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

@@thomasm1964 yes certainly were good times. Especially as I was initially quite young and was used to the principles of what it was all about. I just got used to it. I bet like my Dad you weren't allowed to know exactly what your Dad was doing.

[@gilbertmoyes2918]

One of the Best Junior Messes in Germany (74 - 77, 431M.U. Good Eating Guide)

[@colinsmith7537]

From being the worst Mess ever to the best in 48hrs. In 1961 the Catering Officer was crook feeding the lower ranks POM 24/7 if you were lucky, night shifts starved. One day in the autumn the word went around to boycot the Mess this was duly done I ate very well at the Malcolm club. The following day at lunch we were greeted by all of the top brass that could be mustered and our reason for not eating in Mess the previous day was sought. The best reply from one wag for not eating the previous day was that "You weren't here sir". The very next day the Mess was like a new restaurant at one end was a salad bar stocked with the best salads I have ever seen and standing alongside a Corporal Technician Chef no one knew such a person existed and there were lots of contented airmen ate in the Mess that day and continued to do so during my sojourn at Wildenrath, and the Mess started providing meals in the evening for shift workers. The catering officer who had been having an affair with another officers wife funded by selling our fresh food rations to supply the officers mess while we were fed POM intended to be stored should a Berlin airlift need to be reinstated, he was Court marshalled and unceremoniously discharged. And we all ate happily thereafter.

[@xaverpindl9729]

Mehr als 1 Tag der offenen Tür dort erlebt. Aber in Tüschenbroich ist es seit dem halt wesentlich ruhiger. Halt alles 2 Seiten.

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

Anyone rember the charter flights that took off from here full of children going to Luton Airport, and on to Boarding School etc. My Dad was based nearby at JHQ Rheindahlen. Me, my brother and sister ewent to school in England, courtesy of the British taxpayer.

[@ru50deb]

Remember it well. 70-73 boarding school [ Kimbolton, with lots of other RAF kids] in UK Father at JHQ We lived in Roxburgh Drive. Happy days

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

@@ru50deb oh wow you were there earlier than my family was. Its interesting to hear from others with similar experiences. Where in the UK was your school if you don't mind me asking. Its only cos of my curiosity. I remember that RAF Rhiendalen was quite a nice place to live. I used the blue pool a lot during the summer. Neither me or my sister and bother can remember the address there. So I'm trying to find out but haven't found it yet. Its odd cos I can remember the other many RAF places I've lived at. Where did you fly to in England 🇬🇧?

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

Also check out my comments here with thomasm1964 a bit later down this list- you may find it interesting 😀

[@ru50deb]

Hi. School was in Cambridgeshire on the Bedfordshire border.@@chrisboyslimuk5186

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

@@ru50deb me and my older brother had to get the train to boarding school just by Liverpool . We started when I was 10 and my brother was 12.

[@kingozymandias2988]

5:53 what is that?

[@manfredschyma9706]

Looks like an engine test stand to me. Vamped, indeed...

[@kingozymandias2988]

Manfred Schyma plausible, thanks.

[@nigelwright1610]

De-tuner or Engine test facility.

[@kingozymandias2988]

MICK CUMMINS do you have further informations about the infrastructure of RAF Wildenrath? I'm very interested.

[@chrisboyslimuk5186]

@@kingozymandias2988 yeah so am I, also any films etc about JHQ Rheindahlen, Brugen, and other nearby bases.

[@chrishobson6431]

Xv408 was on the parade square at halton during my basic training.