Sammy And Ralph Were Snowmen

[Twyla Plack]

Iwas stationed at SRAFB from 1957 to 1959and was attached to the 7520th USAF Hospital at the base. The hospital was located in the extreme left corner of the base perimeter as one faced the main base entrance. (sorry don't remember directions). Up from the hospital was a line of barracks. My outfit was originally in last barracks (furthest from the hospital), but moved to either the first or second barracks in the row.

Seems as through the base headquarters was on the main street as one entered the base. As this was a headquarters base there was no flight line as is obvious from its location.

The base housed a movie theater, BX (Base Exchange) which also included a small grocery store, liquor store, gymnasium, a bank, and a if memory serves me correctly a small golf course was located at the back of the base. Not sure whether this course belonged to the base or belonged to the city.

Again if my faulty memory is correct, living on the base precluded you from purchasing groceries, liquor, or beer at the base stores. Don't know why this restriction was in place, but the word was to prevent the resale of such items to the local population. Not very credible as the locals surely had access to these items at there local markets. Also if you lived off base either married or single, you could purchase from these stores.

Script (looked like monopoly money) was issued in lieu of the regular U.S. Greenbacks. The script was used to purchase items on the base. Script was converted to pounds, shillings, etc. at the base bank. Don't recall the exchange rate at the time. I believe script was used to keep U.S. currency off the black market. I do remember that the script was changed every so often. The timing of this change was bizarre. The change was never announced except at the moment it occurred. The moment was usually early in the morning when everyone was deep in sleep. Someone would go through the barracks loudly waking everyone telling them to report to a certain building and to bring their script. Exchange for the new would occur at that time. Again, I guess this was to keep the black-marketeers off balance.

Jim

1.You got in through the front gate which was manned 24 hours a day by USAF AP's(air police) at night, the base was patrolled by British Air Ministry constables and their dogs. If you were American military you had access 24 hours a day, British employees, there were many, had access when they were working, no matter the time of day.

2.The function of the base was administrative due to it being the Third Air Force H.Q. Commanded by Brigadier General Puryer, but the real function of the base was as a communication center with a sister base at a RAF site in Hillingdon.

3.There was a large hospital there, it was well staffed and I remember it to be a fully commissioned acute care facility capable of handling all emergencies. There were barracks for the lower rank enlisted blokes both male and female, there was a large dining hall,a large gymnasium, a club for the non commissioned officers and a beer bar for the lower ranks. Officers used the Douglas club in London, there was also a large cafeteria and a post office (South Ruislip was designated APO 125 for postal purposes) .

4.In the sixties we used American money on the base but had to exchange it for pounds sterling to spend off base, in 1964 the exchange rate for one pound was $ 2.80 prior to 1960 script money was used on the base, I think it was like Monopoly money it was printed and distributed by the USAF.

6.Yes if you were stationed there you worked there or at Hillingdon or at another base in Denham. The base in South .Ruislip was like a very small town it had every thing it needed. Lord I wish I was 22 years old again and back there.............................

Between 1954 and 1957, our family lived in Pembroke Road, Ruislip, while my father was stationed at USAF High Wycombe. The USAF base in South Ruislip then was Headquarters, US Third Air Force. It had close ties to auxiliary bases at Eastcote and Bushy Park, as well as High Wycombe, Lakenheath, Burderop Park and Brize Norton. I do not know if the South Ruislip base existed until the newer base in West Ruislip that you mention. Local to Ruislip during the time we were there, there was only the South Ruislip base and its auxiliary in Eastcote.

Via the No. 158 bus, we frequently visited the base in South Ruislip for USAF dependents' activities, such as medical and dental examinations at the USAF hospital, movies, using the base library, Post Exchange and commissary, base chapel, and attending sports events. In 1955, my youngest brother was born, and, in 1956, my next youngest brother had his appendix removed at the base hospital there. I earned my "Eagle Scout" award while a member of the American Boy Scout troop at the base and at Denham Commons.

I was stationed there from 65-68. Lived briefly on base, then moved off base to Pinner. Today I couldn't tell you where except it was on main street and just down the road from the police station.

One of my roommates who also was stationed at the 7520th worked at the West Ruislip annex. I remember that the airman's club was there but that the NCOs club and officers club was at South Ruislip.

I know that everyone had ration cards for cigs and booze. Script money was over with when I was there. The hospital itself was I believe 120 beds and was quite busy and had many doctors. Even had a flight surgeon and several specialists and a pharmacy.

There was a pub there called the Clay Pigeon that we used to go to that was near. Though I went to a pub/dance hall in Uxbridge that was closer to someone that I cared for and fancied at the time.

I was stationed at South Ruislip from 1958-1960. I was in the Air Police and there was a tight knit group of people there. I have spent years trying to locate personnel there when I was. About 3 years ago it all started coming together and there are now seven of us who has found each other. I worked at both the main base and Hillingdon. I have been back over a few times only to find the base closed and gone the last time.

I am now in touch with bill "Rube" Ruppenstein, Utah "Mac" McIntosh, Chuck Watson, Max Brickey Schoenrock, Nathen Hall (Horace Pope) deceased last year and I am Oren "Don" Campbell. We would love to hear from anyone else who knew any of us.

I have a few photos from the base and will post them to this site later when you think it may be ready. (These are the ones on this page - ROL) Don Campbell

Thanks so much for getting in touch, it seems the Base at South Ruislip is some what of a mystery, My partner and I have what we feel a very interesting web site, @alliesinwar (may not now be a valid web site) covering many subjects about all the services. Our idea was born by the fact I as many English girls married Americans from the South Ruislip Air Force Base, and they employed mostly English people from in and around South Ruislip. The hospital there, had quite a few children born there, so anything you can do to help us would be great.

For myself I was thrilled to find the Ruislip Lido on your site, and my now grown up children are enjoying seeing the place their Mother went to, as a child is still there and seems to be going strong.

We are hoping people will tell us their personal funny stories In the case of my husband and I it was sharing one bathroom, with four other couples in a large house on the side of Roxeth Hill Road that had been made into bed sitters where we all learned a brand new wait your turn dance (laughingly known as the The Wait your turn waltz), and our landlord became very concerned about the amount of bath water we had in our bath tub, and suggested we should do all our bathing at the base, We all learned to love that old house, during the time we were there ,and even our (make a different rule every day landlord) for the young couples that lived there.

One rule we still laugh at, he only rented to Officers so it wasn't long before the Airman loaned out their uniforms, in order to get by his renters interview leaving their name tag off. He never did catch on he didn't have four Base Commanders renting from him, but for us it was fun and gives us a lot of fond memories.

As far we know the buildings were put up in 1949 and we believe that the buildings were originally intended as warehouses. The Americans took the site over we think in 1950.

My sister worked on the base and she said that the buildings were awful - no windows in the blocks (this would confirm that the building were intended as warehousing).

A later addition was a tunnel under the railway line into the fields on the other side, which were used as sport fields for the American Service men.

Another later addition was the hospital that the Americans built at the side.

As to why they came to South Ruislip I assume it was the close proximity to Northolt Airfield. The Americans (USAF) had offices on the Southside of Northolt Airfield - (Post BEA). Later still they moved from Northolt to the 4MU at West Ruislip.

I worked for the Civil Service MOD and for the USAF at Northolt in the drawing office (1956). At this time they were developing the many airfield sites around the country like Alconbury, Mildenhall, Lakenheath and High Wycombe.

An interesting side step to this is that the English built all the dependant housing for the American - we called them tobacco housing - the Americans gave us tobacco and we paid for the dependant housing - the agreement being when the Americans vacated the housing they reverted to the local Governments - that is why when you see ex USAF housing being sold off they are so cheap.

The USAF page brought back memories of childhood and how the presence of the Americans livened up the area! Conductors on the 158 bus used to call out "Texas!" as the buses neared the stop outside the base and I think Larry Hagman (JR in Dallas) once said he was stationed at South Ruislip.

My father-in-law was a top U.S. Air Force Top Sergeant and served several tours of duty in the U.K. On of which was at South Ruislip Air Station from September 1962 to September 1966.

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