Comments on: Ipswich Autovon Exchange

By: Gerry Gratton

Gerry Gratton — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:04:22 +0000

Hey Philip! Now that is a list of names I remember! Would you believe I still have some of my Autovon tech school notes?

By: Luther Thompson

Luther Thompson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:17:51 +0000

I was stationed at Martlesham from Sep. 83-85 and this brings back old memories. I. Was in Telecom switch maintenance. I remember Doug Slaton Alan Thomas Bobbie Spigigner and others. THANKS EVERYONE. LUTHER

By: Philip Anderson

Philip Anderson — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:50:24 +0000

I was stationed at Raf martlesham Heath from May 1985 until May 1988. I met a lot of good people there. Some of the people I was stationed with were Chuck Girton, Chris Murphy, David Texierra,Randy Hackett, Gary Bee and Wito Mercado. It really makes you feel old to see the site in such bad condition. I have alot of fond memories of the place and people.

By: Marcel

Marcel — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:30:46 +0000

The receiving disches in hook of Holland are stil there maybe someone who can tell more about this Autovon site,
http://kazil.home.xs4all.nl/antenne_hvh.html

By: Larry Wildman

Larry Wildman — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:11:06 +0000

I am retired from Defense Contract Management Agency of the Dept of Defense, but I did have a tour of duty at our Northern Europe Office near High Wycombe from Sept 97 to July 2000. I lived on a US Navy Base at RAF Daws Hill which was known to you and me as “High Wycombe Air Station” and a Radio Relay site during our days.

I felt a little sad when I last saw M/H from the road in the late nineties, and even worse when I went to the Control Tower and Radio Relay hut at Woodbridge. Both are also legacies of WWII as well. I am heartened however, that some in England are trying to preserve what they can because of the history of such places. There were some mornings that I would go outside at Martlesham as the sun was coming up and could sense some of its past. I have read a couple of books by Gordon Kinsey and found that it was an aircraft research and development centre before World War II. The development version of the Spitfire was tested there.

I have found little information on the building which housed our TRC-27 and Tropo gear. I remember the patch and switch panel being located in a rather large room and that a glassed in portion was inside it as well. I remember the blast wall that surrounded the building separated by just a few feet. I have a photo of myself with my MG at one of those large steel doors and perpendicular to the blast wall, because I drove it into the room to install the safety belts in order to get it registered on base.

This room, and the entire older part of the building I felt, could have been some type of control centre during the War. Both British and later American flying units were based at Martlesham during the War.

I got in contact with Richard Flagg who has photographed several older bases in Great Britain and viewed his website on Woodbridge. He clued me onto a site that had photos of Woodbridge and the testing of trenches of flame on both sides of it’s runway in an experiment to disperse fog during WWII.

Best regards, Larry Wildman

By: Bill Hamilton

Bill Hamilton — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:01:04 +0000

Larry, I was the passenger in the flying Spitfire. Joel was showing me around the area as I had only recently arrived and I guess got a little carried away with his new car. You and I worked shift together for a short while before you rotated. It wasn’t that long afterwards that we got your letter reporting Don Coulter’s death while at Keesler.
I did visit the Rock as hoped. the other day. There is a small museum in the power production diesel shed now, but the rest of the area is fenced off. Once they knew my history, however, they kindly let us look around. The place is a mess but still recognizable. So much vandalism. They (the Suffolk Aviation Heritage Group) are hoping to continue to restore what they can but there’s a lot to do.
Six bypasses is a lot, hope you are okay for it. I know about sciatica and walking, it’s no fun.
PS Still married to a Woodbridge girl after 45 years … snap!
Cheers, Bill

By: Larry Wildman

Larry Wildman — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:52:23 +0000

Bill: I had an e-mail several years ago from Joel Becton and he confirmed that he was the guy that tried to make a Triump Spitfire fly in Feixstowe. I am sorry to hear of his passing. I am trying to remember you. I had 6 bypasses last year and am doing ok except for siatica which is inhibiting my long distance walking. Still married to an Ipswich girl after 45 yrs. Drop me an e-mail if you can. Would love to hear from you. Larry

By: Bob Santmyer

Bob Santmyer — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:58:16 +0000

JT,

Spread Eagle Bungalow, where I was one of the residents for a while. What wild times back then!

By: Bob Santmyer

Bob Santmyer — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:55:33 +0000

Wow! What a walk down memory lane. I was there from 1981-1983 too. I remember Mitch Silva, Steve Main, and many others. I was a Tech Controller working along side the AUTOVON techs. It’s a real shame to see the site like this. I have some great memories from there.

By: Bill Hamilton

Bill Hamilton — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:31:20 +0000

Stationed at det3 1965-67 in radio relay maintenance. After a tour in the State, we moved back to the UK. We have lived here in Suffolk for many years but never seemed to find the time to stop by and see the site. So we are hoping to visit the Rock tomorrow.

I remember Larry Wildman but don’t see any other names on this site that I recognize.
Sadly I have to say that Joel Becton died in December 2010 at his home in N Carolina. He worked at MAM in 64-65 and then at Bentwaters Comm Center until 66.