WoodBridge Storage Area

[John Burroughs]

I have a Question about the Woodbridge storage and F-4 alert area for Grahm. I have been able to look at the area and inside the storage area there are two areas. One of the areas has a ECP and double fence. Why the double fence and ECP there is a reason for that. Also what was on alert in the F-4 area and what were they carrying on alert. Was the U-2 ever at Woodbridge? And last but not least do you know anything about the 67th involvement in the Iran rescue attempt and the Hangor at Woodbridge that had a underground compartment?

[Observer]

John
I cannot answer all your questions but i do know that Woodbridge was considered at one time as a base for U-2 operations mainly because it was such a secluded base. I also have it on good authority that the U-2 flew a couple of test missions from WB but the decision was made to base it [occasionally] at Mildenhall for European ops. I do not have any dates on this.
I'm sure Graham can help you out on the other questions.
Obs

[ghaynes]

I have a Question about the Woodbridge storage and F-4 alert area for Grahm. I have been able to look at the area and inside the storage area there are two areas. One of the areas has a ECP and double fence. Why the double fence and ECP there is a reason for that. Also what was on alert in the F-4 area and what were they carrying on alert. Was the U-2 ever at Woodbridge? And last but not least do you know anything about the 67th involvement in the Iran rescue attempt and the Hangor at Woodbridge that had a underground compartment?

Hi John,
Got your message. Will have a look at the areas in question and check through my info.
Will get back to you ASAP.
Regards.

Graham

[John Burroughs]

Thanks Graham and OB
OB do you know what year the U-2 might have been at Woodbrige or check with your source? Graham are you sure the SR-71 never ever landed at Woodbridge. Did the KC135A Airborne Laser Laboratory ever pay a vist to Bentwaters Woodbridge or Lakenheath Mildenhall ? And did the x24c Blackstar ever end up at Woody it could be launched from the SR-71 and the 67th would have been involved in its recovery?

[Observer]

John
Re the U-2, it was a remark by a friend who was a plane spotter and lived in the Rendlesham area. He thought it was in the early 70's that a couple of flights occurred at Woodbridge but cannot remember the dates.
Obs

[ghaynes]

John
Re the U-2, it was a remark by a friend who was a plane spotter and lived in the Rendlesham area. He thought it was in the early 70's that a couple of flights occurred at Woodbridge but cannot remember the dates.
Obs

Hi Obs,
Think your friend may have got confused with the U-2 deployment to Wethersfield in the summer of 1975?

Graham

[ghaynes]

Thanks Graham and OB
OB do you know what year the U-2 might have been at Woodbrige or check with your source? Graham are you sure the SR-71 never ever landed at Woodbridge. Did the KC135A Airborne Laser Laboratory ever pay a vist to Bentwaters Woodbridge or Lakenheath Mildenhall ? And did the x24c Blackstar ever end up at Woody it could be launched from the SR-71 and the 67th would have been involved in its recovery?

Hi John,
U-2s were likely to be the ones that deployed to Wethersfield in 1975. I have no record of a U-2 ever landing at Woodbridge. Not a lot was missed by the aviation spotters at Woodbridge and Bentwaters (night or day), so someone would have known about it.
SR-71 only ever landed at Bentwaters on two occasions in the mid-80s, both weather diverts from Mildenhall. I have no record of one landing at Woodbridge.
NKC-135A variants have certainly visited the UK (e.g. in 1986 as there is a pic of one landing at St. Mawgan
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1047222/), however the ALL version (s/n: 55-3123), did not.
I have no info on the X-24C unfortunately.
Regards.

Graham

[ghaynes]

I have a Question about the Woodbridge storage and F-4 alert area for Grahm. I have been able to look at the area and inside the storage area there are two areas. One of the areas has a ECP and double fence. Why the double fence and ECP there is a reason for that. Also what was on alert in the F-4 area and what were they carrying on alert. Was the U-2 ever at Woodbridge? And last but not least do you know anything about the 67th involvement in the Iran rescue attempt and the Hangor at Woodbridge that had a underground compartment?

Hi John,
Looking at the pics that ST posted, the storage area at Woodbridge looks like a scaled down version of Bentwaters with a WSA/CAS split. The WSA layout at Woody is identical to the one at Bentwaters. Must admit, I never knew that there was a 'hot row' at Woody. I've always been told that there wasn't and the times I've been on the base, I've never seen it! Does make a lot of sense as I've often wondered how they got the weapons from bentwaters to Woodbridge! The nuclear weapons would have been removed from here when the F-4s left. The nuclear weapons remained in the WSA at Bentwaters up until closure.
The F-4s on alert would carry a single B-61 nuclear 'shape' on the centreline station.
Unfortunately, I can't find any reference to the 67th's involvement in Operation Eagle Claw. I believe the USAF contingent came direct from Hurlburt Field.
Can you let me know which hangar you mean?
Regards.

Graham

[Observer]

Graham
You are dead right about Weathersfield, is the F-100 still on the gate or has all that gone now?
I phoned my 'spotter' mate up this morning and he now says that it was only a consideration rather than it actually happened.
You just can't get the staff these days.
While on the subject of USAF aircraft, can you remember what involvement the USAF had at RAF Sculthorpe in Norfolk. I can remember seeing a B-66 Destroyer take off from there many moons ago.
Obs

[ghaynes]

Graham
You are dead right about Weathersfield, is the F-100 still on the gate or has all that gone now?
I phoned my 'spotter' mate up this morning and he now says that it was only a consideration rather than it actually happened.
You just can't get the staff these days.
While on the subject of USAF aircraft, can you remember what involvement the USAF had at RAF Sculthorpe in Norfolk. I can remember seeing a B-66 Destroyer take off from there many moons ago.
Obs

Bit of history on the Wethersfield gate guard:
53-2265: to French AF. Returned to USAF, repainted in USAF marks and 1976 to gate guardian at RAF Wetherfield, England. Removed Jan 20, 1988 and reported at the time to be destined for AMARC, to be held in storage on behalf of USAFM.

Sculthorpe was a reserve base. Usually used for CONUS-based USAF deployments. Similar to what Fairford is used for today.
Regards.

Graham

[Observer]

Thanks Graham, very interesting.
I have another aviation question for you but this time there is a connection to the RFI which i will explain later.
Can you remember or do you have any records of any French Armee de I' Air F-100 visits to either base.
Or any Super Mystere B4 which look very similar visiting? Or any jet from a French speaking nation?

Cheers
Obs

[John Burroughs]

Graham
Thanks for the update. On the KC 135A which is the NKC-135a do you know if the Airborne laser lab version ever landed at Bentwaters Woodbridge or any other base in England? On the X-24c is it that you dont know anything about what it is because silver posted a detail description about it. Or is it you had no record of it. Since it could be deployed off the SR-71 0r B-52 that means it could have been at Lakenheath Mildenhal and it was both Manned and Unmanned. I will try and get a Hangor number but it was one of the Hangors at Woodbrige by the ECP I will try and get a picture posted for that area. Have you heard anything about a hangor with a underground area under it? Is there anything else you know about ie you alsways wonder how they got the bombs over to Woodbridge but went on and stated there was no storage at Woodbrige for them. You are looked at as a authority on the 2 bases and when I stated there was that cability in earlier posting you jumped in and stated there was not. It took pictures to prove otherwise so is there anything else that we have discussed IE underground tunnels, rooms or storage areas that you have wondered about or heard somthing about on or off base? And is there any facility off base in the area that could have been involved in Laser EMP ELF or Radar testing that you know of?

[ghaynes]

Hi John,
X-planes don't really interest me hence I know nothing about the X-24.
The NKC-135A ALL never visited the UK.
Not heard anything about a hangar with an underground area.
I would like to see a ground level view of the Woodbridge 'hot row.' Having seen a different photo tonight, elsewhere I'm now pretty sure I have photographed them myself. If so, they were used for assembly and not storage. Will have to check my pics from a few years back. The mere presence of a similar facility at Woodbridge does not necessarily mean that it was used for that purpose. This area is right next to common land so it would be doubtful nuclear weapons would have been stored somewhere that was in full view of the public. The WSA at Bentwaters is very well hidden from view. An aerial photo is not evidence of the former use of the facility.
I have never wondered about underground tunnels, rooms or storage areas....I have only ever been interested in aircraft at the Twin-Bases. I would definitely like someone to show me where they are though!! It would certainly increase our visitor numbers at the museum!
It is well documented that Bawdsey saw the birth and development and radar. But this was in WWII...long before the RFI.
Regards.

Graham

Graham
Thanks for the update. On the KC 135A which is the NKC-135a do you know if the Airborne laser lab version ever landed at Bentwaters Woodbridge or any other base in England? On the X-24c is it that you dont know anything about what it is because silver posted a detail description about it. Or is it you had no record of it. Since it could be deployed off the SR-71 0r B-52 that means it could have been at Lakenheath Mildenhal and it was both Manned and Unmanned. I will try and get a Hangor number but it was one of the Hangors at Woodbrige by the ECP I will try and get a picture posted for that area. Have you heard anything about a hangor with a underground area under it? Is there anything else you know about ie you alsways wonder how they got the bombs over to Woodbridge but went on and stated there was no storage at Woodbrige for them. You are looked at as a authority on the 2 bases and when I stated there was that cability in earlier posting you jumped in and stated there was not. It took pictures to prove otherwise so is there anything else that we have discussed IE underground tunnels, rooms or storage areas that you have wondered about or heard somthing about on or off base? And is there any facility off base in the area that could have been involved in Laser EMP ELF or Radar testing that you know of?

[ghaynes]

Just noticed that the Woodbridge 'hot row' doesn't have the posts for the helicopter denial 'net.' The only posts visible are the floodlights around the perimeter and along the roadways. If you zoom into the photo of the Bentwaters WSA you will see the numerous posts that suspended the 'net.' It appears that the Bentwaters WSA had tighter security than the Woodbridge one (even considering the latter's location next to public land). I'll let you draw your own conclusions from that one.

Graham

[John Burroughs]

Lets see Graham you stated the woodbridge storage area is close to common land so they would not store weapons. Well you also said they had them on alert at Woodbridge in the F-4 area are you now saying that is not true also. What would they do with the weapons run them on convoys back and forth between Bentwaters that would be real secure. They had to have a area to secure them and they would not have flowen them in and out all of the time. Did you know they had a large K-9 section at Woodbrige that they used at night to Patrol that area and the alert area. Anybody who knows anything about security AF security not just watching planes and it seems like you guys missed a few that came in knows what a Hot row is what a double fence and tower is for. It was outdated and small and that is why they closed it down besides the F-4 leaving. And one more tibit they were getting ready at one point to update it and expand Woodbrige with F-16 on alert towards the mids 80's several of my Co-workers at Castle AFB and yes they had a WSA got orders to go there. They were going to have there own squadron seperate from Bentwaters and they would form a cop group. A overhead picture does say allot and so does people who live and work there and spent over 26 years in the military you can draw your own conclusions from that also!

[ghaynes]

Lets see Graham you stated the woodbridge storage area is close to common land so they would not store weapons. Well you also said they had them on alert at Woodbridge in the F-4 area are you now saying that is not true also. What would they do with the weapons run them on convoys back and forth between Bentwaters that would be real secure. They had to have a area to secure them and they would not have flowen them in and out all of the time. Did you know they had a large K-9 section at Woodbrige that they used at night to Patrol that area and the alert area. Anybody who knows anything about security AF security not just watching planes and it seems like you guys missed a few that came in knows what a Hot row is what a double fence and tower is for. It was outdated and small and that is why they closed it down besides the F-4 leaving. And one more tibit they were getting ready at one point to update it and expand Woodbrige with F-16 on alert towards the mids 80's several of my Co-workers at Castle AFB and yes they had a WSA got orders to go there. They were going to have there own squadron seperate from Bentwaters and they would form a cop group. A overhead picture does say allot and so does people who live and work there and spent over 26 years in the military you can draw your own conclusions from that also!

John,
Yes, you are correct. I don't know as much about security matters as you do. My Air Force career was spent working on aircraft....F-4s in fact. So, no, I didn't just watch planes!
The info I have acquired over the years has originated from former based personnel like yourself, including SP's and several high ranking officers. You are entitled to your opinions. I will stick to what I believe and what I've been told, until someone comes up with other evidence.

Think the F-16s you are referring to were destined for Bentwaters and not Woodbridge. May even have been the Aggessor F-16 unit that ended up being based there from 1988.

I have no idea why you have embarked on a personal attack or what this has to do with the RFI.
Anyway, look forward to meeting you at Bentwaters some time in the future.
Regards.

Graham

[John Burroughs]

Its not personal Graham and it has to do with someone who makes a statement not just me with inside information and then somebody else jumps in and says it not true. In your case because of your job when you make a statement people jump in and say it must be true. I watch as Puddlepirate tried to talk about underground tunnels off base and on and once again he was jumped on. I was at Bentwaters Woodbrige as the change from the F-4 to A-10 was being completed. There was a huge amount of SP departing and were talking about what they did. I was taken over to the WSA and showed around everthing was still operational. I went through the K-9 section which was a good size and ment some of the Handlers and listen to there stories about the strage things that went on and even how it effected the dogs. As far as the F-16 go I know some of them were at Bentwaters but there was going to be a huge Buildup it had to due with the cruise missle buildup it had to do with what the Russian or how the Russian might respond. We all know what happened a new treaty was signed and the Missles were removed a huge waste of money typical of the United States and then the big draw down begin everway and a huge amount of bases including Bentwaters were closed. Its simple Observer and others use your opinion as the gospel and it is only a opinion. I do look forword to someday being able to come back and I would enjoy meeting you. And taking a look around both at Bentwaters and Woodbridge.

[John Burroughs]

What I ment by operational at Woodbridge was the equipment not muntions. Ie the tower the ECP...

[Observer]

John
I value Grahams input only because he has much greater knowledge of the twin bases than i do.
Graham is an aviation expert specialising in aircraft that used and visited the twin bases and he has helped this forum out with many questions we have put to him.

If there are underground facilities at the bases, Graham was honest enough to say he was not aware of any even though he has looked around both bases in fine detail and has never found any. I'm sure Graham would be just as surprised as we would be if they were discovered.

Puddle high lighted the man hole covers etc in Randlesham forest and suggested that they could be part of the WW-2 chem weapon storage that the British government ordered along sections of the East coast.
I agree with puddle that these 'hatches' could be the entrances to these storage areas. I suggested that they could also be access points for under ground fuel pipes. If you mean puddle was jumped on which i think is because of my remark about taking a rope ladder and a torch with him next time to have a look, that was me having a joke with puddle. I still however think he is right about the chem storage.
What i don't think is that you guys were taken down one of these under ground chem bunkers because it was off base and on British sovereign territory.

John, do you have any stories to tell us about what those guys told you during the change over.
That may help in our investigation.

Obs

[IanR]

I have no record of a U-2 ever landing at Woodbridge. Not a lot was missed by the aviation spotters at Woodbridge and Bentwaters (night or day), so someone would have known about it.

So are you implying that if strange craft had been flitting around the skies of Woodbridge and Bentwaters for three nights around Christmas 1980 some plane spotter would most likely have noted them? And told all his mates?

Ian