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 When off duty, the men played cricket and football on camp. They walked to the village of Goldsborough and to Kettleness and down to the beach at Runswick Bay. They went boating at Ruswarp and visited Hutton le Hole in an old Standard Eight car. They got to Scarborough and Durham as well. Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  Meanwhile, the construction of Fylingdales Early Warning Station was going ahead. Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  While they were working at Fylingdales the Defence Minister, Julian Amery, visited with an American Officer. Image and details courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  Conditions on the moor could be bad. Geoffrey recalled one Friday afternoon when their truck ran off the PSP (perforated steel plate road) into a bog. Another vehicle was sent to take the men. The RL three ton Bedford disappeared into the bog over the weekend. Constant bogs required desperate measures, this Land Rover was fitted with tracks. Image and information courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  Geoffrey won’t forget the winter of 1962/63. He had never seen snow as high as a double-decker bus before. It was so cold and all they wanted to do was keep warm. On one occasion they were stranded on the moors and had to stay on the site with the builders in their accommodation block. There was a near riot after three days of baked beans. Image and information courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  Following the interest in the story of his time at Fylingdales; Geoffrey Powell has kindly sent us these photographs of the ”golf balls” being built. Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  Fylingdales Ballistic Missile Early Warning Station became operational on 17th September, 1963. After completing their work at Fylingdales the RAF men based at Goldsborough were sent to RAF Holbeach in Lincolnshire. Image and information courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.  Geoffrey fell in love with our area and the people while he was stationed here and comes back on holiday now and again. This photograph of him outside his old Billet with his ’constant companion’ was taken on a visit. As an update; Geoffrey Powell has now advised: “Since this photograph was taken I am sorry to say and truly devastated to tell viewers that I lost my wonderful Black Labrador dog Alfie. He accompanied me and my wife on a number of occasions to Goldsborough camp indeed he went everywhere with us taking in the surrounding district’s. He is sadly missed and we are truly devastated at his passing. he died in 2015. It is to painful to visit the North York moors again without Alfie so we will not be visiting again. Sorry!” Image and details courtesy of Geoffrey Powell. |
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