Ian sent the email reproduced below on 14th Jan 2015. 

Dear Andre

I have just stumbled across the RAF Shinfield Park website – can’t understand why it has taken me so long.

I’m Ian George and I arrived at Shinfield in Aug/Sep? of 1962 having just completed Boy Entrant Clerk GD training at RAF Hereford – couldn’t wait to get to a proper RAF unit with ‘planes and stuff!  I had asked for a posting to Kinloss, Lossiemouth or Scotland at least, as my family were at that time in Aberdeen and when I queried why my posting was to Shinfield rather than Scotland, got the reply that there were good rail links to London and then it was only an overnight train ride to Aberdeen.

Really enjoyed three years at Shinfield working in Command Signals (in the wooden huts farthest away from the entrance to HQFTC) and later in ACHDF.

Fond (if somewhat blurred – possibly to do with alcohol) memories of good times spent in the NAAFI with the old piano on the stage and at the Black Boy. Memories too of being Duty Clerk and the only person in that part of the old, creaking wood built HQ overnight – trying not to think of the rumours about the place being haunted!

I met Juni (nee Lammas), my wife, at Shinfield although she worked at HQ 25 Group at White Waltham – you may recall that the WRAF girls stationed at White Waltham had no accommodation on site, so they lived at Shinfield together with the girls actually stationed there.  It was a tough life for young lads, outnumbered as we were by the girls!

A few of the names at Shinfield at the time who people may remember:  Dave Smart, Ken Stone, Ray Highnam and  Ken Bull – who like me were ex-Boys at their first unit.  Not forgetting Jock Ray of course – the SWO – who would lie in wait for us all on the way over to work to pull us up for haircuts and berets not worn correctly!

I finally retired from the RAF in Nov 2004 – did the full 37 and then was a uniformed Reservist for a further 5 years.  Enjoyed it all  and wouldn’t have changed much – and it all started at Shinfield Park!

Kind regards

Ian sent a further email on 29th Jan 2015. It is reproduced here.

Hi Andre

Many thanks for getting back to me.  Happy to be on the website - never know who might read it and bring us up to date with news of mutual acquaintances.

Juni has been trying for years to contact Veronica (Ronnie) Clarke who served with her at White Waltham and then went to Hong Kong in 1964/65 to marry an Air Traffic Controller - if anyone  has any news there it would be appreciated.

Kind regards

Personnel