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Memories of Chelveston.. from some of our
friends... ------------------------------------------------- |
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From Dennis Pell... The first airplane to land on the completed runway at Chelveston was this funny little air plane It was called a Miles Magister, a pre WWll trainer aircraft.. It landed one sunny afternoon after a malfunction had occurred.. On board was an RAF Flight Sergeant instructor and a cadet, with the reddest hair I have ever seen.. The pilot was a Polish national, in the RAF of course.. Buzz quickly went around the base that a colonel was very irate that an aircraft, not being American.. was the first to land on his newly laid concrete.. and was demanding, that it be dismantled and taken away by road.. as, letting it take off, also, was obviously against his train of thought.. but in the end common sense prevailed and it was repaired and allowed to take off.. I was on the six to two shift [ morning ] this particular day.. and my fellow electrician who followed me on the two to ten shift in the afternoon, said when the plane took off in the evening, it put on a wonderful aerobic display for the A/P's.. whose company the pilot had been in all the time during his stay at Chelveston... If there is still an A/P out there, who was every ones friend and called " Tiny". because he was a giant of a man, he will remember this, as the pilot and Tiny were always together.. |
| Dennis Pell.... dennis.pell@btinternet.com |
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I remember the engineers.. who worked
like Trojans.. relaying the concrete to re-build the
airfield.. in the '50s.. they worked day and night.. a harder working bunch of guys I've never seen.. This is a patch dedicated to them.. and given to me by Jim Costa [ Florida USA ].. |
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Harry Nicholson.. boiler man at
Chelveston [ The Bloke ] as firemen called him.. deceased now, for several decades.. he followed me to Molesworth.. and from there retired.. Like wise Jack Dickerson.. whom Patty Robinson referred to.. is also deceased... he was a barman at the Officers club at Yeldon.. which eventually was.. transferred to the main part of the base.. joining two Quonset huts together forming a new club.. Civil engineering officer at the time was Captain Brooks.. I remember Colonel Robinson very well.. no one was too low for him to speak too.. I had several conversations with him.. always about aircraft.. I suppose.. truly an officer and a gentleman.. Regarding Captain Madalena.. He was a Lt., Col., and deputy base commander... Another interesting piece for any past RB 66 crewmen.. My neighbour.. Richard Wilding.. 19 years of age at the time... was a barman in the Officers club when it was transferred from Yeldon.. after coming in from a mission.. they would say to him.. [ pull the drapes Dickie.. ] always referring to him as Dickie.. |
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I was also friendly with a guy by the
name of S/Sgt Charlie Kapelka [ spelling may be wrong
].. He was a munitions specialist .. lived on base Monday to Friday.. went home to Newmarket Suffolk.. on week ends.. Also a very good friend I did have was Captain Robert Satterfield.. he sometimes flew the C47 gooney bird.. also referred to as the DC 3.. I became friendly with him as he also doubled as the Civil Engineering officer.. I have tried to find him over the years.. but to no avail.. the last I knew of him.. he was at Alconbury.. he transferred to the 4th TAC Recon wing on the closure of Chelveston.. If anyone could tell me anything about him I would appreciate it... It was Charlie Kapelka.. Capt Satterfield and myself who carried out one of the last acts at Chelveston.. we went around together policing up all U S Government property... |
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