Winter of 1962/63

(Photo’s needed)

This was the worst winter since 1947, heavily drifting snow isolated the station cutting it off for nearly a fortnight, causing some food rationing for a short period. Although less snow fell than in the ’47 winter, the ’62/3 winter was much colder. Throughout this RAF Greatworth managed to keep it’s (CAF and Met) networks ‘on air’, despite the loss of several of the rhombic arial systems and feeders!

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Winter of 1986/87

(Photo’s needed)

Something similar occurred in 1987, all the roads were closed by snow and the local shop ran out of almost everything. The station had a Landrover onto which could be attached a snow plough but on the return from one of its weekly journeys to RAF Stanbridge for rations etc. it came to a halt in a field at the far end (near A43) of Welsh Lane. After several weeks, and drifts of ten feet or more across the roads, there was talk of an air lift to supply not just the camp but also the village. Unfortunately before anything so dramatic took place, the local authorities managed to clear the roads and we recovered the Landrover and its now frozen rations.

I was posted that year and was due to move on 7th Jan when I marched out of my MQ the bath was full of dirty water because the waste pipe was frozen and the toilet couldnt be used as there was no feed to it and no waste away from it, both were completely frozen.

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