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#5 - 23 March 1993 Gary Parsons remembers a particular day in March Ten years ago, 23 March was a double-whammy for the aviation enthusiast - not only did Vulcan XH558 make her last flight from Waddington to Bruntingthorpe, but also the last A-10s left RAF Bentwaters in Suffolk, closing the curtain on forty years of USAF operations from the twin-base complex that included Woodbridge a few miles away.
Down at Bentwaters
USAFE had opened its doors to the general public for a low-key send-off
for the remaining Thunderbolts, 81-0982 and 82-0655,
both with their 'WR' tailcode removed ready for the transit to the 52nd
Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem in Germany. A brief ceremony was followed
by the two aircraft taxying out through the washing-down water spray before
taking off for the last time. Such was the relaxed atmosphere that many
had migrated to almost the A final formation flypast and they were gone - as was Bentwaters, a particularly charismatic airfield set in a lovely part of East Anglia. On sale were tee-shirts with the slogan 'RAF Bentwaters - will the last person out please switch off the lights'. 'Commie Corner' by Wantisden Church would never be the same again. |
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