# Bentwaters, Woodbridge, Lakenheath and Mildenhall Jul/Aug 1973 #

[Lozzagozza]

Hi, I really am hoping, on a very long shot, that some kind soul or souls can help me with my missing logs for the above.

Back when it was safe to do so, as a 15 year old boy, I went on a hitch-hiking holiday to east Anglia from Sussex. My first day was at RAF Bentwaters with a few noted, but not a full complement by any means. I then, thanks to somebody who lived and worked in RAF Woodbridge and a lenient guard, was able to get into Woodbridge, where there were lots of aircraft on base, due to there being an exercise over the North sea I was told, I spent a very happy four hours on the base logging everything. The date, from memory, was 28th July 1973. Would anybody have a log of based aircraft from around that time from Woodbridge please? I've tried to find a list of based aircraft from that date, but have been unsuccessful.

I then got a lift from Woodbridge to Lakenheath and walked around the base on 29th July. I got to Mildenhall that evening and spent the next 2 weeks in a tent by the perimeter fence in Beck Row alongside two like-minded lads with a car who very kindly took me with them back and forth between Mildenhall and Lakenheath when anything interesting was moving.

I know I logged all based Woodbridge and Lakenheath aircraft in those far off days, I'm also pretty sure I logged all based aircraft at Mildenhall, so if somebody could help out with based aircraft at that time, I'd be very grateful. Also any movements from Mildenhall and Lakenheath from 29th July-12th August 1973 would be useful too.

Thanks very much in advance

Lawrence

[grahamdevizes]

Hi Lawrence, I attended the show in April 1972 at Bentwaters and this is a list of the F-4's I potted that day, as opposed to logged, as well as the other USAF aircraft there that day so hopefully that will give you a decent idea as to what was based there back in those days. There is also a list of participants over on the Scramble website for the 1973 show at Bentwaters. I freely admit that I am not as such a military buff so there are no doubt members on here who can probably add to the list or say for certain that particular aircraft were NOT based at Bentwaters. I will also check my logs for the other bases on your list

Log : BENTWATERS
Apr 1972 Bentwaters

63-7421 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 358 United States Air Force
63-7479 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 472 United States Air Force
63-7492 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 492 United States Air Force
63-7530 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 553 United States Air Force
63-7537 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 564 United States Air Force
63-7542 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 572 United States Air Force
63-7549 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 582 United States Air Force
63-7562 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 603 United States Air Force
63-7582 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 634 United States Air Force
63-7605 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 680 United States Air Force
63-7620 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 704 United States Air Force
63-7625 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 713 United States Air Force
63-7637 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 731 United States Air Force
63-7646 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 748 United States Air Force
63-7766 Lockheed C-130E Hercules 3832 United States Air Force
63-7784 Lockheed C-130E Hercules 3851 United States Air Force
64-0695 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 939 United States Air Force
64-0696 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 940 United States Air Force
64-0772 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1072 United States Air Force
64-0789 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1100 United States Air Force
64-0812 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1138 United States Air Force
64-0818 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1148 United States Air Force
64-0841 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1191 United States Air Force
64-0888 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1298 United States Air Force
64-0889 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1301 United States Air Force
64-0890 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1304 United States Air Force
64-0891 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1307 United States Air Force
64-0911 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1365 United States Air Force
64-0918 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1387 United States Air Force
64-0919 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1390 United States Air Force
64-0923 McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 1403 United States Air Force
68-10368 Sikorsky HH-53C Jolly Green Giant 65198 United States Air Force
69-5797 Sikorsky MH-53M Jolly Green Giant 65276 United States Air Force

[Lozzagozza]

Thank you Graham, that was a quick reply.

It gives me a starting point for Bentwaters, from memory the aircraft from both Woodbridge and Bentwaters were both tail coded WR weren't they? As I said in my post, I was only a fresh faced 15 year old, but they grey cells are letting me down nowadays.

Thanks again

Lawrence

[Ranger]

I believe in those days every squadron had it's own code. For the 81st TFW it meant WR, WS and WT. Later all aircraft had one wingcode. For 81st TFW it became WR.

Cheers,
Ranger

[graham luxton]

I believe in those days every squadron had it's own code. For the 81st TFW it meant WR, WS and WT. Later all aircraft had one wingcode. For 81st TFW it became WR.

Cheers,
Ranger

The change from squadron letters to that of a wing only system commenced in mid -'72.

[grahamdevizes]

Hi Lawrence, the closest I can get to your dates for Woodbridge is the 1976 show there, these are the US aircraft logged that day

Log : WOODBRIDGE
Sat 07 Aug 1976 Woodbridge
54-2194 North American F-100D Super Sabre 223-74 French Air Force
58-0095 Boeing KC-135T 17840 United States Air Force
62-4518 Kaman HH-43B Huskie 144 United States Air Force
62-4535 Kaman HH-43B Huskie 161 United States Air Force
65-0217 Lockheed C-141B Starlifter 6068 United States Air Force
65-0638 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1620 United States Air Force
65-0658 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1668 United States Air Force
65-0667 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1690 United States Air Force
65-0681 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1712 United States Air Force
65-0684 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1716 United States Air Force
65-0687 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1722 United States Air Force
65-0694 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1732 United States Air Force
65-0702 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1743 United States Air Force
65-0710 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1756 United States Air Force
65-0711 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1757 United States Air Force
65-0714 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1762 United States Air Force
65-0716 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1766 United States Air Force
65-0736 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1795 United States Air Force
65-0754 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1819 United States Air Force
65-0759 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1826 United States Air Force
65-0763 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1831 United States Air Force
65-0767 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1836 United States Air Force
65-0772 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1842 United States Air Force
65-0778 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1850 United States Air Force
65-0780 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1853 United States Air Force
65-0781 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1854 United States Air Force
65-0962 Lockheed TC-130H Hercules 4102 United States Air Force
66-0261 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 1926 United States Air Force
66-0423 McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II 2172 United States Air Force
66-7610 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 2173 United States Air Force
66-7644 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 2221 United States Air Force
66-7656 McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II 2240 United States Air Force
67-15608 Bell AH-1F Cobra 20272 United States Army
68-0006 General Dynamics F-111E 175 United States Air Force
68-0015 General Dynamics F-111E 184 United States Air Force
68-0044 General Dynamics F-111E 213 United States Air Force
68-0060 General Dynamics F-111E 229 United States Air Force
68-10368 Sikorsky HH-53C Jolly Green Giant 65198 United States Air Force
68-15868 Boeing-Vertol CH-47D Chinook M.3267 United States Army
69-5785 Sikorsky MH-53M Jolly Green Giant 65264 United States Air Force
69-5820 Lockheed MC-130P Hercules 4367 United States Air Force
69-5826 Lockheed MC-130P Hercules 4375 United States Air Force
69-5827 Lockheed MC-130P Hercules 4376 United States Air Force
73-1648 Sikorsky GCH-53M Jolly Green Giant 65386 United States Air Force
74-1059 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II 4846 United States Air Force
74-1060 McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II 4847 United States Air Force
74-1061 McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II 4848 United States Air Force
74-1620 McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II 4849 United States Air Force
74-1622 McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II 4852 United States Air Force
74-1623 McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II 4853 United States Air Force

Will check my logs for Mildenhall and Lakenheath for your dates

[grahamdevizes]

Lawrence, rather than take up a load of space on the page here, if you go to https://www.scramble.nl/showreports/united-kingdom and scroll down to Lakenheath and Mildenhall, you will find comprehensive show listings for Lakenheath for 1970/1973/1975 and for all of the 70's for Mildenhall

[Lozzagozza]

Thank you for that Graham, I had already tried on Scramble, with some success, but I was wondering if there was a comprehensive list of based aircraft, rather than trying to piece together from show reports. Thanks again, Lawrence

[iainpeden]

Interesting list but those last ones wouldn’t have gained the Q prefix until much later.

[grahamdevizes]

Well, I pulled the logs off of my Planebase so if that's the case, then it must be wrong. Scramble also lists then as "Q's" so looks like they're wrong too.

[rh226]

It's what they ended up as, Graham.

Having been in AMARC as F-4Es, they were converted into drones (QF-4Es) and subsequently expended.

[iainpeden]

I assume the F-4Ds were based there but to have so many Es suggests a deployment or a really good weekend jolly from Spain and/or West Germany.

(I have just checked the Scramble show report and apparently they were in storage awaiting delivery to USAFE bases in Germany.)

[graham luxton]

The 81stTFW operated at least 107 F-4D's over the years resulting from replacement of its F-4C's, gaining attrition replacements and a reshuffle of D's between Lakenheath, Hahn and Bitburg in late '73.

The combat strength of the Wing was 72 F-4's but each squadron had a couple of extras to cover those that would always be away on overhaul at Getafe AB in Spain.

In July'73 the following were on strength with the 78thTFS at Woodbridge: 65-0681, 687, 692, 696, 702, 710, 711, 712, 714, 721, 731, 736, 738, 739, 748, 749, 756, 759, 765, 767, 776, 788, 66-0227, 261, 272 and 66-7487.

Besides those on overhaul in Spain it should also be taken into account that not all F-4's would be visible from outside. Apart from those hangared for maintenance a portion of the wing would be armed with tactical nuclear weapons and tucked inside `Victor` Alert barns at both Woodbridge and Bentwaters. There was a constant rotation of a/c in/out of alert and together with those on overhaul several visits would be required before all of them would be seen.

[Wolf51 Flt]

Thank's for that Graham very usefull

Do you have a list for (EGVJ) Bentwaters, I only first visited in 1976 and became a member of BARG in 76
most base list's were reported pre 76 due to the mass new deliveries of F-4E's to Europe, some via the U.K.
and the three new TFS one at EDAH / EDAR F-4E's and hand me down F-4D's at EDAD "480thTFS"

Thank's again

Best wishes Wolf51 Flt

[grahamdevizes]

Hi Wolf, I've sent you a PM

Cheers

[fatherfaff]

A bit later than you want but..... I somehow managed to wander onto Bentwaters base by accident and got ushered off by a heavily armed female guard on 3/8/77. My log for there and Woodbridge on 3/8 and 4/8/77 had "WR" coded F-4Ds as follows:

65- 0638/658/689/694/702/710/711/712/714/716/736/763/772
66-7466/520/559/560/588/605/606/607/615/619/623/629/633/656/667/669/676/702/711/712/714/720/735/747/751/754/755/759/781
66-8689/824

[fatherfaff]

Actually looking at my original log I wasn't too sure about 755 and 606 so those two may be misread.

[rh226]

66-7606 was w/o 14/08/1973 when with 405TFW and 66-7755 was a Nellis 474TFW bird. So, yes, both of those are suspect.

Also, 66-7781 does not exist. Try 65-0781 which was a WR machine.