RAF Greenham Common - Update 16th September - GAMA Area

[Knife 04]

Evening guys

Left the title of this one open as will add to the thread as and when I get shots sorted out from over the years visiting the base since its closure - bits and pieces from on base and around. A big, big credit and acknowlodgement here to Mr Brian Baldwin - your enthusiasm and knowledge about the base is compelling, infectious and inspiring - I thank you!

Just the one panoramic from today's visit to the newly refurbished control tower - sadly we did not get to see 'Sally B' from the tower today - closed an hour prior to her flying by

View from Greenham Common Control Tower - Panoramic by Darren Currie, on Flickr

More to come from this base of the Cold War era

Darren

[Knife 04]

OK - a couple more this evening - Memorials - Dedicated by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne on 21st September 2012

Some history behind the memorials can be found here

https://www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/News/Ar ... am-common/

Greenham Common by Darren Currie, on Flickr

17th Airborne Division Memorial by Darren Currie, on Flickr

306th Bomb Group Memorial by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Continue Mission until Mission Complete!
501st TMW GLCM Warriors - Past & Present by Darren Currie, on Flickr

[PaulN]

Hi Darren

Nice start ,nice to see thank you

Saw G-BEDF tracking over there yesterday afternoon , only looked on radar because I could hear the drone

Cheers

Paul

[AshBailey]

Great photos, conjuring up memories of 1981 and 1983... :-)

[fender]

Interested in Greenham Common?

You may find my website interesting:

www.greenhamcommon.org.uk

[Knife 04]

Interested in Greenham Common?

You may find my website interesting:

www.greenhamcommon.org.uk

Thanks Jonathan - 'Promotion of Websites' and 'For Sale / Wanted' sections are further down the Home Page

Please feel free to comment on the above posts though

Darren

[Frank the Dog]

Fascinating post Darren, cant help wondering what the view was like from that tower circa 1980.

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to seeing more!

[Knife 04]

Greenham Common GAMA - GLCM Alert and Maintenance Area

A few shots from the GAMA. This is the area where the cruise missile flights were located on the base. Six shelters in total for Alpha to Foxtrot Flights. Each flight consisted of 4 TELs (Transporter Erector Launcher vehicles) and 2 LCCs (Launch Control Centre vehicles). Each launcher was capable of carrying 4 missiles so 96 missiles in total. In times of hightened tensions the convoys would be dispersed across the country to pre-surveyed launch sites.

One of the shelters was the 'QRA' shelter which also included sleeping / living accommodation, manned 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. The GAMA itself was probably one of the most highly secure sites in the country at the time with several fences, each topped with razor wire, guard towers and motion sensetive alarms

This area is not open to the public - the pictures from inside the area were taken during an event held inside the GAMA

GAMA - RAF Greenham Common by Darren Currie, on Flickr

GAMA - RAF Greenham Common by Darren Currie, on Flickr

GAMA - RAF Greenham Common - from airfield entrance by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Cruise Missile Shelter - GAMA RAF Greenham Common by Darren Currie, on Flickr

View through Missile Shelter, GAMA RAF Greenham Common by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Storage Bunker - GAMA RAF Greenham Common by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Inside Cruise Missile Shelter by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Missile Maintenance Building
GLCM Alert & Maintenance Area Building by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Cruise Missile Shelter, GLCM Alert & Maintenance Area by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Cruise Missile Shelter, GLCM Alert & Maintenance Area by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Cruise Missile Shelter, GLCM Alert & Maintenance Area by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Not from inside the GAMA although missile related

GLCM Alpha Flight - 'Too Hot to Handle' - 501st TMW by Darren Currie, on Flickr

GLCM Alpha Flight - 'Too Hot to Handle' - 501st TMW by Darren Currie, on Flickr

Hope you found the update interesting - more to come later

Darren

[dragonchaser]

Nice post, an area very rarely photographed.