RAF Shinfield Park

Headquarters Flying Training Command

(27th May 1940 - 1st June 1968)

Ron Matthews

Some information

Ron was stationed at Shinfield Park until 1967. He came to the 2012 reunion for lunch at the Black Boy.

He sent a couple of pictures (of WRAF personnel) of his time at Shinfield. He also sent a poem written by a colleague. These are included at the bottom of the page.

This email was sent by Alan Causon on 26th March 2020:

Dear Andre,

As a result of reading the interesting Email etc you received from Rusty Blagden I contacted Ron Matthews who is also from Swanage whom I knew before I joined the R.A.F in 1955. Ron does not have a Computer but would like to make contact with any other ex Shinfield Park personnel. Apparently he knew Rusty Blagden and his wife very well and would like to have a chat with them. .

Ron's Telephone Number is  0118 947 6596

Ron has agreed for me to pass his Telephone Number to you with the hope that you can make contact with Rusty on his behalf.

With many thanks,

Kind regards,

A telephone conversation with Ron on 21st Sept 2020 revealed the lady on the left in the red/tartan poncho is Dorothy Cook, hailing from Manchester, who left to train as a drill instructor and the lady on the right in uniform is Mary Crook. The colleague who wrote the poem was Peter Peregrine.

Ron told me that he was happy for anyone that remembers him to call for a chat.

Dorothy Cook

Mary Crook

Click any picture to enlarge

Poem by Peter Peregrine

Personnel