National Service.

You still have the camaraderie in the forces. I spent 30 years in the RAF and it was present then.

It's still evident in all the Veterans Breakfast Clubs throughout the country. Each arm or regiment will rip the hell out of each other in a good natured way but if you need any sort of support or help then everybody just comes together to do what they can.

The one I attend has a number of members with various cancers and MH problems but we all look after each other. 

• My father did his National service in the RAF and was part of the fire fighting team at RAF Colerne in Wiltshire.I have always wanted to know more about his experiences but sadly he died when I was 12.Mum told he was the disc jockey there and was good at poker.I have hardly any photographs of my dad but there is one that has been signed on the back by his friends along with the hut number.Another photo I have features him at school with one of the great train robbers.

My father signed up for the RAF in WWII as ground crew & my Mum was a PA at the Air Ministry in London.  My Dad served in Italy & Egypt & was lucky to survive diphtheria apart from bombings. As my Mum recently died we have been going through all their documents & mementoes left behind. Some fascinating reading.

When I was serving at RAF Bentley Priory I had the chance to investigate my wife's grandfather who served during WWII in the RAF as ground crew. I had access to the Air Historical Branch as I knew the people quite well. He joined up in 1939 and his first posting was to a Spitfire Sqn in Scotland. As the squadrons rotated during the Battle of Britain he moved to Debden. In 1941 his squadron moved to Palestine and in early 42 moved down to Egypt for the battle of El Alemein. The ground crew had to travel by road and one entry in the squadron F540 (this is the log of everything that happens on the squadron) that brought a smile to my face just said "stopped at (cant remember the place) for tiffin"

After El Alemein the squadron moved to Tunisia and then on to Sicily. The squadron was disbanded there and all the ground crew were remustered into the Army until his demob in 45.

Was that North Weald aerodrome, near Debden/Loughton, Essex? used to live near there and can distantly remember an air show ? late 60s/early 70s?

That's the one. 

My father did his NS in the RAF as an electrical engineer.

He trained at RAF Melksham then was posted just down the road to RAF Keevil. Co-incidentally, I live just 10 minutes from both former RAF stations. The Melksham site is now a huge housing estate known as Bowerhill where the roads are named after WW2 aircraft. Keevil is still an aerodrome with an active flying club and it has been known for the odd C130 to touch and go back to RAF Lyneham doing circuits and bumps.

After emigrating to Australia, he became the chief electrical design draughtsman for the State of Victoria government in Melbourne.My father shoved off last November, two days short of his 92nd birthday. He hated his NS and never stopped moaning about it, the miserable old sod. His Aussie mates said he gave whinging Poms a bad name!

CB

We have several old RAF stations in Lincolnshire and the street names there use old plane names, I have to say I’m not enthused by Venom Avenue and Vampire Road !

Spent 30 years living in married quarters. The roads tended to be named after Marshals of the Royal Air Force. 

Single accommodation tended to be named after VC recipients.