2019 Letter re Air Command

Letter to the editor of Hallmark

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.

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

For starters the headquarters and officer's houses of Air Command are not in Walters Ash.  They are in our parish, which ends at the Bradenham Hill Road.   It could be argued that it should be Air Command, Lacey Green.

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.

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

Maybe, something that does not occur to us, is the effect it has on our schoolchildren.  I can only speak as I found when I was a School Governor in the 1970's and 1980's (we were called Managers then). Being in our parish the officers’ children came 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.  They started coming to Lacey Green School about 1953 and as far as I know, still do.  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.

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.   Email joan.west1939@.gmail.com or ring Rosemary on 01844 345863. 

Sincerely,    Joan West