Thornhill Air Base
Takover from RAF, 1955

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Back : Yorkie Fitch, Reg Lohan, ?, Basil Lederboer, ?, Jock Stewart, ?
Centre: Jack Rowe, Alan Bradnick, Mike Saunders, Ken Edwards, Doug Whyte (as Sq.Ldr. CO)
Mick McLaren, Basil Myburgh, Chris Hudson, Peter Cooke
Front: ?, Rob Schley, Roy Garnham, Cliff Booth (TBC), Geoff Proudfoot

Mick McLaren was to rise to rthe rank of Air Marshall.
Goofy Proudfoot was the first apprentice to achieve 20 years with the force.
Christopher Hudson was the Station Adjutant from March 1957.
Peter Cooke was the first RRAF to be ATC trained.
Ken Edwards was OC 4 Sqn - then preparing for the arrival of 9 SSU.
Mike Saunders was later to become OC 1 Sqn when the Hunters arrived.
Jack Rowe was OC Tech.
The remaining pilots were his instructors (other than PDC who was ATC.)

Peter Petter-Bowyer remembers:
"The most colourful old timer in our force (at any time) was Basil Lederboer. He was first SWO Thornhill.

Christopher Hudson remembers:
"It is indeed Basil Ledeboer in the middle at the back - he of “Uno for the roado” fame. What a splendid SWO he was, when I was a cadet and thereafter.
I was indeed the first Stn Adj at Thornhill when we re-opened it after it was evacuated by the RATG. Doug Whyte and I went down to Gwelo before anyone else and I remember having a complete married quarter all to myself. The grass outside was, in “Oklahoma” words, “as high as an elephant’s eye”, all there was in the place was 1bed, officer for the use of; 1 chair, officer for the use of; and that was it. We lived out of our suitcases. No curtains – mind you there was no one around to peer in – quite spooky really.
I don’t recollect being Stn Adj was very onerous and I was also doing normal flying training duties. I was reminded of those days when I read the piece the other day about Bernard Miles (?) refusing to let Frank Mussell into the Milton Buildings because he didn’t have his pass on him. I was once refused entry into the ammunition bunker at Thornhill when going around as duty officer – admittedly only a Flt Lt and not an AM, by the guard on duty who knew me perfectly well but I didn’t have the requisite pass. A very good show. We had a great crowd of chaps."

Mike Saunders remembers:
"The RATG left an almost fully useable base complete with a housing complex, several messes – one of which had become a school – a complete airfield and hangar complex, even a control tower.
4 squadron was moved to Thornhill to set up the BFS for the first Provost Course.
Doug Whyte was Base Commander
Ken Edwards was OC
Mick Mc Laren was Flight Cdr
Alan Bradnick and I were Instructors.
Peter Cooke was ATC
Chris Hudson was Station Adj.
The Ground crew were as shown in the pic.
Jack Rowe was Chiefy with Jock Stewart.
Reg Lohan was caterer
Basil Ledeboer was SWO
It was a brilliant time in anyone’s career, we worked 0600 to 1300 and had lots of time in the pm for squash, golf, rugby – we soon had a team in the league and Ken and I built the field. The messes hummed !!
Quite soon the new runway was started and the new control tower and radar. There was always lots of construction going on and PB will recall being made to run over truckloads of landfill with a parachute attached to his tail for some disciplinary failure one day."

Full credit to Eddy Norris (founder of ORAFs) who collated these great recollections.
Photo provided by PB

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