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RAF Cardington
RAF Cardington is near Bedford. it began life during The Great War and was home to the R100 airships.
Cardington was home to No 2 Recruitment Centre and No: 1 Balloon Training Unit. Today only the two huge airship hangers remain today.
Squadrons stationed at RAF Cardington
- No 1 Balloon Training Unit
- No 2 Recruitment Centre.
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have served at RAF Cardington during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Bower Herbert . Cpl.
- Keer. Norman .
- Kerry Lillian. LACW.
- Leeks. Harry Edward .
- Murch Arthur Lionel. ACM.
- Smith Pearson Watson. LAC.
- Todd Joyce. LACW.
- Willmore. Thomas James .
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
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Norman Keer. I volunteered for the Royal Air Force (the Brylcreem Boys) in May, 1942. Having waited to be called up for a number of weeks, I wrote to remind them. The next thing I knew, they sent my call up papers. They must have thought I was very keen, as they invited me to attend a medical at Poplar Walk, Croydon. Well with a specimen here, and a cough there, I was passed as fit. There was only one snag-as a parting gift they gave me a dose of flu. My calling-up papers invited me to report at RAF Cardington in Bedfordshire on October 8th 1942. Grandpa came along to East Croydon to see me off.
Then it was on to Yarmouth for our initial training. We were allocated a billet at a house in Wellington Square, where we set about making ourselves comfortable. Life at Yarmouth was OK, that was until the Nazis paid us one or two flying visits, usually at breakfast time. They came whizzing down the High Street, with machine guns blazing: I suppose they were after the "E" Boats, or our bacon and eggs. There was a rumour that a Wellington Bomber had been shot down and was found to contain bodies of Germans. They were probably trying to discover our defence secrets - Radar etc - as they were set up on the East Coast.
Anyway the passing out parade went off OK and I was posted to Hull as I had volunteered for the RAF as a Radio Mechanic. Near my billet was a school which we attended for instruction and also the technical college - now Hull University. It was a most interesting course, originally at least a two and a half year course, now condensed into six months.
March 1st 1943 was half way through the course and the exam seemed to have gone OK. However, on April 4th. I was called, asked some technical questions, and was told that I was on the list for CT (Cease Training). I can only say that it was a terrible blow, and the worst shock I had ever had, up to that time. I felt that I had been punched in the stomach, and the feeling lasted for about a week.
So next stop was to RAF Sutton on Hull. After that I had to consider the opportunity of remustering to another trade in view of my recent failure. For this remustering, I had to go to a distant RAF station for a trade test as I had decided to go for a Radio Operator, as I had learned the Morse code in the Home Guard. Well, having gone through the trade test, the examiner's eyebrows shot up, and was so amazed at my result, that he went over to his assistant, then came back to me and said that had passed the test with 98% pass which was marvellous and usually unobtainable. So I was good at something - that's news. My training with the Home Guard had paid off. Next stop a spot of leave.
I was then posted to RAF Blackpool and put on a Morse code course over Burtons the tailors. After a week or two of this I used to get headaches as the Morse speed was so slow. If and when you maybe fail the course, they said that you "had gone for a Burton”.
While at Blackpool, we unfortunately found we had bugs in the billet. So we had to have all our kit dealt with at the local hospital. You never know where they may have crept to.
Anyway we were-on parade as usual one day, when the WO called out a list of names, and said “Report at the orderly room at 10.30, you have volunteered for the Navy”. Well it was a bit of a surprise, what next I wonder? I reported and went home on 7 days’ leave.
Having left our RAF kit at Uxbridge at 11.15 a.m. on October the 8th I arrived at HMS Royal Arthur at 5.45 p.m. the same day.
The changeover from RAF to RN was not really to my liking, although I probably would not have travelled to such exciting places had I stayed in the RAF. The RN uniform is a bit peculiar to get used to, and although I suppose it was looked on as being “tiddley" as they say, it was really not very practical when compared with other service uniforms. The uniform was rather thin, and I caught a chill in the kidneys. While I was there I had to stand to attention in respect to a rating who had just died of meningitis. Was the RN not a very healthy place then? I would find out.
There was one occasion when we were being given a lecture by an RN officer. There was some talking and larking about. He said that if we didn't shut, he would give us a bottle. What on earth was he talking about? It sounded like a load of rubbish to us ex RAF lads. I must say that the RAF seemed to be a fairly gentlemanly service and what were we to make of the RN practice of waking the lads by banging on their door with a wooden truncheon with a metal end? I suppose it was an updated version of a rope's end used in the days of Captain Bligh.
Of course there were duties to be done. Guard duty was on top of the water tower via a vertical ladder, past some pumping machinery. As it was November, it was a frosty night, so we made some cups of "pussers kye": a form of special chocolate grated into boiling water. Lovely but very hot.
November 11th, basic training completed, and I was posted to the Isle of Man. Of course I was not alone, there were quite a few WT operators who came over from the RAF and the Army. So on the train to Fleetwood in Lancashire where we arrived at about 6.30 in the morning, brrr. Unfortunately the sea was rather rough when we went on board M. V. Snafell and had lunch. It was O.K. but I had my eye looking out of the porthole at a boat in the harbour that was bobbing about like a cork. The trip was rough and mal-de-mer was top of the menu.
On arrival on the Isle of Man, I was billeted at a house on the front in Douglas, and we had another course of instruction. This time RN morse, working up to a speed of 22 words a minute (Army and RAF speeds were 18 words p.m.) also transmitting and receiving procedures.
Well I passed the necessary tests, and became a Wireless Telegraphist. My posting came up and I went to HMS Mercury, the RN Signal School near Petersfield, Hampshire. More courses. Some of the lads would lose all their pay on playing cards. We learned many things, including RN codes. It was very interesting.
Well there was a most beneficial tradition in the RN, it was the rum ration. There were three grades: UA - Under 20 years of Age; G for Grog (i.e. rum issue); and T - Temperance. Well some kind sailor gave me his ration while I was underage. The ration was usually "two and one" i.e. two of water and one of rum. There are also "Neaters" which I hope is self explanatory. After that tot of rum I went and lay down, and slept for two hours.
While at the signal school, there were physical events in which we all had to take part, like an assault course. In our class there was a thick b---er who came from Dunmow. We were supposed to climb along a rope between two poles. It was a matter of doing it slothwise, head first, feet trailing. Well he was ahead of me, and although he was a large chap he was abysmally slow, in spite of him being shouted at loudly. I was behind him, had just got onto the rope and was looking upwards, when out of a clear blue sky comes a thumping great boot on my nose. It wasn't a great shnozzle before, but became rather swollen. I let go of the rope with my hands, and hung upside down by my feet. A wash in cold water helped a bit, and washed away the blood so I was really not too bad. And do, you know, that lout never even apologised.
Well time and training went on. l was one of the "Jim Crow's" party who had to go round the main building, checking for all blackouts to be drawn. I was just checking the WRNS' floor and opened a loo door (unlocked) and found a young lady sitting on the pan. Another door opened on to a bedroom with a number of young ladies therein partially clothed (scream) they didn't even invite me in.
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LACW. Joyce Todd I joined in Sept 1942 and went to Insworth Camp Gloucester for Square Bashing then on to Cardington for training as Barrage Balloon Operator.
My balloon posting was Yeovil, Somerset for about 1 year until there were enough men to take over.
I then went to RAF Weeton to retrain as a motor mechanic, then posted to Stanmore.
While there, one of the men in the workshops pestered me to write to his brother-in-law Tom who was serving in Italy. He eventually wore me down and I began writing. We wrote and got to know each other and when the war finished we met up in London and he asked me to marry him the first time met. We married on the 4th Jan 1947 and remained married until his death in January 2005.
Joyce Todd.
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LAC. Pearson Watson Smith No. 56 Operational Training Unit My father, Pearson Smith (born 1920), was from Sunniside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and enlisted in the RAF on 21st of November 1940 at Padgate. He initially mustered as an ACH/W.Op., then became an ACH/GD, and finally a Maint/Asst. He was demobbed on 15th of July 46 at RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire, having reached the rank of LAC.
He went to 10 Signal Recruit Centre, Blackpool, in Feb 41, then moved to No. 3 Signals School (RAF Compton Bassett, Jun 41), 51 OTU (RAF Cranfield, Aug 41), 55 OTU (Oct 41 and Mar 42, RAF Usworth and RAF Great Orton), 16 RC(A) (May 42), hospital at RAF Kirkham (Jul - Aug 43), 56 OTU (RAF Brunton, Jan 45) and No. 95 Maintenance Unit (RAF Lords Bridge, Cambridge, Sep 45) before demobbing at RAF Cardington (102 PDC 'A') on 25/5/46.
He also did several 'Alt Backers Up' courses, though it's not clear from his service record what these were. However, an article on the BBC website WW2 People's War may shed some light on this as the correspondent says ‘The Backers Up’ course consisted mostly of football, arms drill, firing on the rifle range, route marches and physical training.
The only other possibility is that, as the term 'Backers Up' was used by the Pathfinder Force to describe crews whose job was to add coloured markers to target flares to maintain the aiming point during a raid, is that he may have started as a maintenance assistant on radios but later changed to explosive ordnance, hence how he came to be at 95 MU. I think this unlikely as he joined 95 MU after the war ended and prior to that had been at OTUs, none of which had aircraft used by the Pathfinder Force.
I never met my father, as my parents separated when I was a child and he died in 1992. I would be interested in any stories or information about the places he served, especially at the time he was there, and also about the 'Alt Backers Up' courses mentioned on his Service record, as well as information about 16 RC.
Notes:
- RAF Compton Bassett was a training establishment for ground trade radio operators and radio mechanics.
- 51 OTU at RAF Cranfield (Bedfordshire) in 1941 operated the Beaufort, Mosquito, Wellington, and Hurricane.
- 55 OTU at RAF Usworth (Co. Durham) in 1941 operated the Hurricane X.
- 16 RC (A) - no information, but possibly 16 Radio Course, location unknown; the 'A' denotes attachment to 55 OTU as parent unit.
- 55 OTU at RAF Great Orton (Cumberland) in 1942 operated the Hurricane, Typhoon and Master.
- RAF Kirkham (Lancashire) was the main armament training centre for the RAF from Nov 1941 and had a military hospital, probably the closest one to RAF Great Orton where Pearson was based at the time.
- 56 OTU at RAF Brunton (Northumberland) in 1945 operated the Typhoon 1b and Tempest.
- RAF Lords Bridge in 1945 was an Air Ammunition Park and Forward Filling Station for mustard gas munitions.
- RAF Cardington (Bedfordshire) in 1946 was a Personnel Despatch Centre (for demobilisation). The 'A' denotes 'A Class' demobilisation category.
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ACM. Arthur Lionel Murch No. 215 Squadron    My dad, Arthur Murch, served with 215 Squadron in India and the Far East during WW2. He was born in Bristol on 24 November 1919, and died as a result of a hit-and-run incident in Shrewsbury, Shropshire in 1970.
He enlisted at RAF Cardington on 11th of October 1940, and then went to RAF Blackpool for training. He is down on his RAF Record of Service as W/Mech, initially on Wellington Bombers. He was admitted to Weavins Home, Poulton on 29th of January 1941 and discharged on 17th of February 1941 (it’s difficult to discern the writing on his record for this). He joined 215 Squadron sometime in 1941 and was posted to the Far East on 12th of February 1942. He was again admitted to BMH Asansol on 24 July 1942, and discharged on 29th July 1942. He was then admitted to BMH Lucknow and BGH Calcutta in 1943. Following this, he was then admitted to hospitals at Innsworth and Cranwell in 1945.
I have only recently requested his service record and I am awaiting any information regarding awards from the MoDMO. I hope to do further research in the near future.
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LACW. Lillian Kerry Lily Kerry served in Baloon Coomand. Postings as detailed in Lilian Kerry's service record, records she served at RAF Hornchurch (Romford) was as an Aircrafthand Cook.
During World War II RAF Hornchurch was a Sector Airfield of RAF Fighter Command's 11 Group, covering London and the south east of England during the Battle of Britain in 1940. By this time, its command centre was in Romford, and a satellite station (an advanced attack outpost; RAF Rochford) was unpopular with the Hornchurch crews sent there from time to time because of the canvas accommodation.
She was posted to RAF Innsworth This station opened in 1940, the first unit based there being No 7 School of Technical Training who trained engine and airframe fitters and mechanics. More than 2,000 officers and men were based at Innsworth by the time training began in earnest in 1941, this being delayed due to the arrival of 1500 RAF evacuees from Dunkirk.
In December 1941, No 2 WAAF Depot was opened at Innsworth and from then on the Station became increasingly associated with the Women's branch of the service. By the end of 1941 the strength of the Station had risen to more than 4,000 including trainees. Eventually it was decided to reserve the Station almost exclusively for WAAF training, including barrage balloon training amongst other vital roles.
A notebook page of Lilian Kerry in her own hand, records the correct way to lay her kit out. She was from No. 31 W.A.A.F. Recruit Centre, Morecombe as an Aircrafthand Cook) ACH Cook in December 1942. Morecambe, like all other coastal resorts, very entertaining when the sun was shining, so we were very much unimpressed when greeted with torrents of rain. But we forgot this in the excitement of unpacking our newly acquired kit and sorting ourselves out in the boarding house, which was to be our billet. A rather small but neat comfortable and adequate room, furnished in the sparse but usual RAF manner. This was to be our 3 weeks training period at the end of which each one of us would know where our ultimate job would be.
On 14th of January 1941 she was posted to No: 2 Recruitment Centre), RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire. In 1936/1937 Cardington had started building barrage balloons and it became the No 1 RAF Balloon Training Unit responsible for the storage and training of balloon operators and drivers. In 1943 until 1967 it was home to the RAF Meteorological research balloons-training unit, undertaking development and storage
11th of Feb 1943 Lily was an Aircrafthand Cook at No 2 Personnel Despatch Centre, Wilmslow. The station was used for training new recruits. The recruits would learn about living RAF procedures and other information for a period of weeks then would be transferred to their operational station.
In March 1943 she was posted to No 8 School of Technical Training at RAF Weeton. It ran conversion courses for Flight Mechanics and Flight Riggers, and there were many instructional airframes on the ground to practice on.
She was promoted to A.C.W.2 as a Cook on 21st of April 1943 while serving at No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group Auxiliary Air Force, RAF Chigwell. The Balloon Centres were responsible for maintenance and supply to the Balloon Squadrons in its area as well as balloon repair and flight control.
The Balloon Barrages proved to be an effective method of protecting strategically important areas against air attack, in that should enemy aircraft fly into the winch cable the damage inflicted would almost always result in destruction. Should enemy aircraft attempt to avoid the cables by flying above the Barrage Balloons then they could not bomb their targets with accuracy. RAF Chigwell was the only aeronautical location to hold the name correctly, was set up as the recruiting station for No.909 Balloon Unit and opened in 1938. With a new war clearly looming, a new formation was set up to operate a variant on the Great War defensive balloon and the observation kite balloon of the Western Front. Largely concentrated on a site to the east of the River Roding it lay in between the area of its title and Buckhurst Hill. The site was mainly concentrated in an area to the north of Roding Lane but there were a number of minor satellite-works, including some which encroached upon the site of the former civil airfield of New Barns Farm to the south and across Roding Lane to the east.
On 1938-08-04 No.4 Balloon Centre was established there, with No.30 Barrage Balloon Group, the local operational army being based there in 1940. The site is best remembered as the home of the Central Test Board assessing airmen for ground trades.
On 15th of December 1945 Lily was at RAF Cheddington, her trade is recorded as Cook, Character Very Good, Trade Proficiency A Stat.
On 24th of May 1946 Lily was at RAF Cottesmore with >No 16 Operational Training Unit when she was awarded a Good Conduct Badge. Her final posting was to await demobilisation was to
RAF Wythall, No 105 Personnel Despatch Centre (WAAF) Wythal which handled the release of servicewomen from all types of air force work.
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