Barry sent this email on Jun 16 2023. He describes his association with RAF Shinfield Park
- Hi Andre,
- The following are a few notes about me and my connection to the RAF at Shinfield Park.
- I was born in a cottage that was surrounded by fields that lay below the woods where the RAF built their camp. The cottage was the family home from 1713 to 1971 and was shared by my grandparents, my parents and aunt Joan who worked at the camp from its first construction to its final closure. She was the private secretary to all the CO’s. My father was in the RAF but worked in Radar during the war.
- The fields that surrounded the cottage were acquired by the RAF and were where the Officers quarters were constructed. In consequence of the new housing the ancient elm trees that surrounded the property had to be taken down. The roads were named after previous CO’s. During the war some of the land around the cottage was cleared by Italian Prisoners of War who were given apples by my grandfather.
- I moved house in 1949 to Whitley Wood Road. The property lay opposite the Warrant Officers Quarters. Over the following years many of my friends were the sons of RAF personnel so I spent a lot of time playing in the woods of the camp and even acted as a scorer at cricket matches that were played on the land in front of the officers mess where there was a pavilion and tennis courts.
- I moved to Tilehurst in 1971 but still maintain a connection to Shinfield through the Shinfield and District Local History Society and Spencers Wood History Society.
- Best Wishes
- Barry
The pdf below is a piece that Barry wrote about the camp.
