Just a little more information about the Patrington Reunion.
STUDENTS COMMISSIONED TO CREATE SCULPTURAL FORM TO HONOUR
RAF PERSONNEL STATIONED AT A FORMER EAST YORKSHIRE RAF BASE
Students aged 15/16 from South Holderness Technology College in Preston
East Yorkshire have been commissioned to design and create a piece of
Sculpture to honour RAF servicemen and women stationed at a former RAF
base that played a significant role in the Second World War and Cold War
with Russia, RAF Patrington at Patrington Haven, Patrington in Holderness,
East Yorkshire. It was classed as a Master Radar Station, responsible for the air
defence of the United Kingdom and Western Europe and linked to Fighter
Command and a squadron of lightnings based at RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire.
The former RAF base which opened in 1942 as WWGCI Radar Happidrome
was developed into a domestic camp at Patrington Haven, accommodating
up to 600 service personnel with the technical radar facility six miles to the
east at Holmpton. The camp at Patrington Haven closed in 1975 with over
16,000 service personnel having passed through its gates. The technical
radar control centre ceased operating at Holmpton in 1974. Today the
Hompton site with its massive underground bunker, RAF Holmpton, is
open to the public, an award winning unique visitor centre run by the RAF
Holmpton Preservation Society.
The former RAF Patrington camp at Patrington Haven was sold at auction by
the MOD in 1985 to private enterprise. The forty acre site was acquired
by the Sparkes family from Hull and developed into the multi award winning
five star Patrington Haven Caravan and Leisure Park.
The Sparkes family have commissioned the students to design and create
the piece of sculpture. This will be unveiled at a RAF Patrington reunion
being held on the leisure park on Sunday June 23rd 2013. A parade on the
Park followed by a service of dedication and blessing of the Sculpture has
been organised on the morning of the reunion followed in the afternoon
with a Gala Reunion Mid-Summer Proms Concert featuring The Humberside
Police Concert Band and guest artistes with the proceeds going to military
charities.
It is possible that commissioning and creating a piece of sculpture to honour
ground radar operators / technicians and associated trades will be a first,
establishing military history for our servicemen and women at Patrington.
Patrington Haven Leisure Park, the organisers of the RAF Patrington reunion
would like to hear from former servicemen and women stationed at the camp
interested in attending the reunion and unveiling of the sculpture in their
honour. They should contact Geoff Barry on 01964 562490 .
Two of the original buildings from the RAF camp have been retained on the
leisure park though they have been reclad. The guard house at the entrance
has been redeveloped into the reception area and the former cells are now
offices, the MT shed is still recognisable. The Horizon Club/NAAFI/RAF mess, many local bands and groups will remember appearing there, was
demolished to make way for the recently opened Lakeside Country Club
with a gym, spa, indoor swimming pool, restaurant, bar, games room and
golf simulator.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a private company organising this so attendees will need an Invitation to attend.
To get an invitation those wishing to go must contact Geoff Barry on 01964 562490, who will require Name, Address and Telephone number of ex service personnel that were based at RAF Patrington, also email address and years that you served there.
Geoff Barry can also be contacted by Email with the above information at :
gbmedia77@hotmail.co.ukPLEASE in Emails make the Subject:
RAF Patrington Reunion