I can’t begin to explain what this site was for. Wikipedia says the following…
The Rudloe Site was formerly RAF Rudloe Manor, which was established during the Second World War as a non-flying station for administrative and command & control purposes. It was home to HQ Number 10 Fighter Group, RAF Regional Command, Headquarters RAF Police & Security Services, No 1 Signals Unit, Controller Defence Communications Network and 1001 Signals Unit. By 1998 it had become mostly administrative, housing the RAF Provost and Security Services, which dealt with security and criminal investigation services, the Defence Communication Services Agency, while the detachment of 1001 Signals Unit of the RAF remained. It closed as an operational site in about 2000.
The base has two main buildings – a manor house and a purpose-built operations building. There are several smaller, newer buildings scattered around the site too.
Manor House
The manor house looked lovely from the outside but was sadly inaccessible. It is thought that this was used as accomodation for the officers.
Operations Block
A short distance away from the manor house is the operations block.
The block housed two operations rooms – although one has been turned into a squash court in recent years.
The operations block has deteriorated pretty badly since closure. Wires have been stripped out and windows have been smashed up. In some places, moss is growing in the corridors.
Other buildings
These buildings may be covered on a re-visit. Stay tuned!
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David Tuck try me on arpo1atwestnet.com.au
Brian
I am trying to find out anything about my grandfather Francis William George Perry. We have very little information on his working life as everything he did was kept secret and died with him. We know that he was stationed at Box on two occasions and on one of those postings he was a Flt Lt and officer commanding some signals unit 1958 to early 1960′s. We also know that he also spent a lot of time at Whitehall working in Churchills war rooms. We also know he joined the RAF as an airman then after promotion to Flt Sgt he took a commision. We have also found information showing he was in Mi5 at some time.
I was based at RAF Rudloe Manor in the late 70′s and early 80′s. We lived in nissan huts on No. 1 site which were cold and draughty, I lived in Spitfire block during my first posting there and then in the MT block in my later posting. Eventually new blocks were built to modern standards, a welcome change.
I worked with some good mates there, I especially remember Paul Hughes (Plug) MTD, Graham Bligh MT Mech and Phill Bignal MT Mech. We all had motorcycles and used to hang around together, mostly frequenting the Northerly Arms in Box and the Borough Arms in Chippenham.
There were two sites one at Hawthorn and another accessed via leafy lane across the A4, a service shuttle bus was used to convey personell from one site to another and I can remember personell waiting for the bus mostly in the rain to return to the residential site for dinner.
A few of my mates worked downstairs in 6SU signals unit and they complained about the flourescent lighting and couldn’t wait to come up to the surface. There was an MOD Policeman on duty as security in a small building above the lift shaft to 6SU and across the road was a post office and The Flamingo club, we had quite a few drunken nights in there as it was open later than our NAAFI and Astronaught Club.
Mick Phillips was a Corporal there in those days and if I remember rightly left the mob to live on Leafy Lane.
We had a Sergent called Dennis, but I cannot remember his surname and another Sergent called Roger Crapps, I think they both left and lived nearby.
HQP&SS Southern Region were situated across the A4 based in the old Manor House on No. 1 site, along with the bedding / clothes store, Sergents Mess and Officers Mess and a car club.
I was the Station Commanders driver for a while for Group Captain Graham Noyce.
A good time was had by all I think as it was very relaxed and laid back, as long as everyone did their job.
I would like to know if anyone based there remembers the good times we had.
Hi Mark, I served down the ‘Hole’ in the Commcen early 70′s and enjoyed myself, had some good mates there, weekend night shifts we drew the keys and went around the complex sometimes for hours at a time, saw that huge metal gate that the trains used to enter from the main line and wandered around the small tunnels that linked ‘Districts’ together. The ‘Districts’ were enormous and were not lit up like the small passage ways where it is said Roman soldiers are seen walking through walls, never saw them myself but the Maintenance staff have seen things such as that. These ‘Districts’ were of such a size that even with a torch you could not see the other walls it was quite scary to say the least. There is a book written about the place as far as I can remember it was called ‘City beneath Streets’ regards Dave.
As a National Serviceman, (1960-1962). Rudloe Manor was my first posting from Compton Bassett as a Teleprinter Operator and being a Yorkshireman, it was a long way from home..My living accomodation was on the Hawthorne site and was quite comfortable. Meals were taken in the canteen there and as I remember were excellent. I remember the Post Office opposite the camp and also the Ex-Sericemens Club just down the road.. I walked down Leafy Lane every day to my place of work in the tiny com-centre there, with a Corporal and a Junior Tech, both of which eventually got posted to Cyprus which left me on my own working in the small centre.. There was a PBX office across the corridor and I remember a Corporal Brian Downes being in charge there..I also remember each day the Orderly Officer visiting to inspect all the confidential documents within the safe, each visit he tried to talk me into signing on..It was when walking to or from the com centre that I was once given a lift by an airman in his new Mini and once by a Sqdn Ldr Vaquier in his Citroen car (his office was the one next to mine)..After about 8 months I was posted to RAF Gan and finished my National Service on that island..Having to complete National Service, I never regret the experience, the friends I made and the comradeship experienced..As for my time at Rudloe Manor, although I worked alone mostly I enjoyed my time there and frequently reflect on it now in my 73rd year….Happy memories.