1980 RAF Children at Lacey Green School

Letter to the Hallmark Editor by Joan West

Dear Mike,

As a member of the Local History Group I took part in research done for the Group’s exhibition last November.  We were looking at the hundred years since 1918 when WW1 ended, the RAF was formed and the first votes for women.   We also reported on RAF High Wycombe, at Walters Ash, which was started for WW2.  Over 200 people came to the exhibition, whose support the Group very much appreciate.

RAF EFFECT. Afterwards it made me wonder what effect this RAF base, now the headquarters of Air Command, had had on the villages of Lacey Green and Loosley Row and I thought that it is probably much more than we realise.

AIR COMMAND, LACEY GREEN. For starters, RAF High Wycombe is not in Walters Ash.  The headquarters and officer’s houses are in our parish, which ends at the Bradenham Hill Road.   It could be argued that it should be Air Command, Lacey Green.

MANY STAYED. Because of the important work done there, most high ranking officers will have had a posting there when nearing retirement, so it cannot be surprising that so many have settled in the locality on leaving the service.  Fortunately, many have integrated and taken an active part in the community.

CIVILIANS TOO. The base also employs many civilians who live here, such as secretaries, cooks, cleaners and in maintenance.  The History Group has not yet looked at that aspect in detail at all.

SCHOOLCHILDREN. Maybe, something that does not occur to us, is the effect it has on our schoolchildren.  Being in our parish the officers’ children come to Lacey Green School.   At a guess there could be 40 houses on the site, so quite a few children.   Servicemen and women in the RAF are posted every two years or so, so the school intake keeps changing.

A NEW DIMENSION. They started coming to Lacey Green School about 1953. I can only speak as I found when I was a School Governor in the1970’s and 1980’s (we were called Managers then).   It seemed to me that the RAF children brought a whole new dimension to the school and probably opened the eyes of others to a world outside our own villages..

YOUR THOUGHTS PLEASE. Maybe others might like to refute or add to my ponderings.  The Local History Group always wants to know your opinions, so would be interested in any comments.

Sincerely,    Joan West