Raf Netheravon

A Memory of Netheravon.

I was stationed here at R.A.F. Netheravon in late 1958 to do trade training for the R.A.F. Police.
I was only here for that duration, and can remember that it was quite cold.
I made friends with a chap called Mike Howard while doing our training, and on weekends he and i used to travel around by thumbing lifts from cars. We were in uniform of course and in those days almost every car that came along would give you a lift, unlike today.
Mike and I hitched lifts to Bournemouth, Salisbury, a village called Mere, and one time managed to get to Stonehenge. Back in 1958 we could walk up to the stones and wander around them. In fact that time that Mike and myself went there we sat on one of the fallen stones and had our picnic lunch that we bought with us from the camp.
On finally passing out after our training was done, I lost contact with Mike, but have very fond memories of him, as it was he that taught me to play chess. He was so good that he played other chess players through the newspapers.
I don't remember where he was posted to, but my luck was in or out which ever way you looked at it. I was posted to Cyprus for the duration of my national service, and at that time we were fighting the guerrilla war against the Greeks wanting union with Greece, called Enosis.
That was the part where my luck was out, my luck was in of course when the Geneva peace agreement was signed and we were allowed out of our camps, and found the true beauty of that island.
Kyrenia on the northern shores was my favourite place in Cyprus, and while there was stationed at H.Q.Middle East Episkopi camp.
Memories of R.A.F. Netheravon are still fond in my memory, thanks for the opportunity to write something about it

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