Royal Air Force West Kirby or more simply RAF West Kirby is a former

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

basic training camp near

West Kirby West Kirby () is a coastal town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. In the north west of the Wirral Peninsula and at the mouth of the River Dee, the town is contiguous with Hoylake. It lies within the historic county bo ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

, later

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Wales, Welsh county of Flintshire across ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

History

RAF West Kirby was established at the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a

basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...

camp for new recruits into the Royal Air Force. Although named West Kirby, it was located at

Larton Larton is a hamlet near the town of West Kirby, on the Wirral Peninsula, in Merseyside, England. Administratively it is part of the local government ward of Greasby, Frankby and Irby in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is within the parl ...

, then

, about from

. The camp entrance was on Saughall Massie Road, almost opposite Oldfield Lane. Despite being a military camp for the RAF, the base did not have an airfield or provide aviation training. RAF West Kirby remained the first base (after kitting out at

RAF Cardington The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of the Royal Flying Corps ( ...

) for many personnel serving during and after WWII between the 1940s and 1960 (although the final

passing out parade Passing out is the official graduation ceremony following the completion of a course by military or other uniformed service personnel at their respective training school, college, or military academy, largely in Commonwealth nations. Soldiers, s ...

took place on 20 December 1957). In the early

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

era, most personnel were newly called up

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

personnel who were beginning their two-year service in the RAF as an Aircraftman (or AC2), the lowest enlisted rank in the RAF. RAF West Kirby was responsible for giving new recruits an eight-week (later six weeks) training course which included learning parade ground drill, weapons training, intensive physical fitness regimes, and courses on ground and air defense. Training was overseen by non-commissioned officers from the

RAF Regiment The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries-out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated ...

. Educational classes also covered RAF procedures, history, and operational duties. Recruits were accommodated in wooden barrack huts, each one housing about twenty men. Because West Kirby was a basic training camp, discipline was strict compared to regular RAF operational stations or trade training camp. After passing out of RAF West Kirby, successful recruits were posted to their chosen "trade training" camps elsewhere in the United Kingdom. In three decades of operation, approximately 150,000 new recruits passed through RAF West Kirby until it was decommissioned in 1960. After closure, the entire camp was demolished and the land returned to agricultural use. In 2004, a dedication plaque was installed at the former entrance to RAF West Kirby. Later, a commemorative stone was installed.

Gallery

File:RAF West Kirby Monument, Saughall Massie Road (geograph 2966337).jpg, RAF West Kirby Monument. File:Clearing, RAF West Kirby (geograph 2966343).jpg, Woodland at the site of RAF West Kirby. File:Per Ardua Ad Astra, RAF West Kirby (geograph 2966341).jpg, Pathway at the site of RAF West Kirby.

References

History of RAF West Kirby
* "The best years of their lives" 1945-1963 published by ITV for LWT

External links

RAF West Kirby Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:West Kirby RAF

Metropolitan Borough of Wirral

History

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links