There were no married quarters for several
years, few off duty facilities for servicemen, so the
Women's
Volunteers Service took over the village hall and
opened a Forces Canteen as an off station rendezvous.
The hall had no electricity- as the villagers were ostracised
from the service until the termination of the war.
The Royal Air Force station opened as Number 33 Maintenance
Unit on the 18th May 1940 with no ceremonies and very
few people.
The early record books indicate station strength comprised
of 4 officers, 1 other rank and 15 civilians. Mobility
was provided by 9 vehicles - 1 staff car, 2 tenders,
1 van, 2 tractors, a mobile crane, an ambulance and
a Crossley
fire engine.
Refuelling of the aircraft was carried out with a 450
gallon tanker with 2 petrol trailers, and for the fitter
people 2 bicycles were used for transport.
Since the arrival of the airforce base the village
has grown dramatically and can now boast of having many
shops and services, as is often the case of towns near
a military base. In 1968 the C130 Hercules, built by
Lockheed, arrived and the station became home to the
RAF’s fleet of Hercules.
De Havilland Comets were also stationed here at the
same time as 216 Squadron. These aircraft were used
for transporting the Royal Family and other VIPs. One
of them, “Sagittarius”, is now the RAF base’s
gate guardian.
In the 1970s Lyneham became the main tactical transport
base for the RAF in the United Kingdom. The Hercules
have assisted in moving both troops and supplies in
times of conflict, famines or other emergencies, and
are now a common sight in the skies over Lyneham and
the surrounding countryside. They are a much loved aircraft
by pilots and locals alike being affectionately known
as “Fat Albert”. |