Langford Lodge - what went on before the Americans came?

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Sylvie, Jan 25, 2011.

  1. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    My father was in the RASC as a Fitter/Vehicle mechanic. He survived Dunkirk and later was a trainer on the amphibious craft in Portsmouth leading up to D Day.
    However, we know that he was stationed at Langford Lodge in Ireland in May 1941 (my mother is still alive and says he travelled back from Ireland for their wedding) he was there at least until the August 1942 when he was posted to Kensington. We have a photo of him doing guard duty at Langford Lodge. His service record reads

    56[sic]/1/41. 3 Corp Petrol Park. Posted to 3rd Corps T+ps (I am not sure if this is transcribed correctly) Pet Coy then in the following 'dates' column - 19.9.41
    26/3/41 Passed TT fitter Class 1
    31/4/41 Unit transferred to 3 Corp w.e.f
    26.9.41 3CTPC
    13/1/42 Attached to 5 Corp HQ w.e.f
    18/8/42 Posted No 2 ST Coy RASC w.e.f Kensington

    I have failed in my attempts to upload the relevent pages. (Newbie) There is more of course, (he seems to have gone back to CTBA 3 Corps in Jan 1942) and a stamp which says Workshop & Corps Troops Petrol Coy. but I am not sure that it would add anything to my questions which are :-

    Does anyone know what he would have been doing stationed at an airfield in Ireland before the Americans were even in the war and secondly, what do TT, CTBA and w.e.f. mean? (None of which are given in the abbreviations sent with his records.) I have spent quite a lot of time looking and can only find information about civilians from Lockhead being at Langford Lodge.
    Thank you for reading this and even more thanks if you can shed any light on it.
     
  2. bern

    bern Senior Member

    Well I reckon that w.e.f is "With effect from", not sure about the others?.
     
  3. bern

    bern Senior Member

    By the way wasnt Langford a Sunderland base?
     
  4. bern

    bern Senior Member

  5. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    Thanks Bern, What was a Sunderland base? If it is a plane it doesn't give me any clues as to what he was doing there in 1941 and thanks for the site - I think I have seen every site that google can offer but thank you again for taking the time
     
  6. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    Langford Lodge
    Langford Lodge was established as a Satellite Landing Ground (SLG); these were small airfields in which the new aircrafts produced by the factories of the Ministry of Aircraft Production were temporarily stored. These aircraft were not the finished article and required fitting out at a RAF Maintenance Unit prior to use, and Langford Lodge was one of five SLGs in Northern Ireland servicing the Maintenance Unit based at Aldergrove. In December 1941 the site was re-designated as a depot for the maintenance of American aircraft flown by the RAF and operational control of the aerodrome was transferred to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). This resulted in the construction (beginning February 1942) of new runways, buildings and mains services under the administration of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation who were sub-contracted by the USAAF to manage the depot on their behalf. The aerodrome, now designated “Base Air Depot 3”, was assigned to the 8th Air Force Service Command who was stationed there from August 1942.
    Lough Neagh Heritage - Airfields of 1940's
     
  7. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    Thank you - but I still don't see what an army motor mechanic was doing here? Was there anything near this SLG where amphibious vehicles were being used or tested?
     
  8. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    CTBA = ceased to be attached

    Regards,
    Richard
     
  9. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    Thank you Richard.
    I see that Langford Lodge was quite close to Lough Neagh - much more likely that he had something to do with boats than planes...still hoping for some ideas...
     
  10. RJL

    RJL Senior Member

    Hi Sylvie
    Is it possible that your father was stationed at another Northern Ireland base in May 1941? After getting married he returned to N.I and by the time he was posted to Kensington he was stationed at Langford Lodge and that is why it's part of your family history?
     
  11. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    Thank you Richard.
    I see that Langford Lodge was quite close to Lough Neagh - much more likely that he had something to do with boats than planes...still hoping for some ideas...
    On the main WW2 page of the site I linked to, there is a mention of "RAF boats" being used to patrol the area of the Lough off Langford Lodge which was used for flight training. At a guess, these would probably have been requisitioned civilian craft, perhaps powered by adapted car engines: not necessarily something for which the RAF might be prepared or have spare experienced personnel to maintain.

    But I stress that's a guess.
     
  12. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    Thanks.
    I will double check with Mum about where was in Ireland 1941. I will return later!
    Thanks for the idea re the civilian craft, I hadn't thought of that, only thought I could come up with was that he was maintaining the vehicles used to prepare the airfiled.
     
  13. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    Chatted with Mum, definitely at Langford Lodge for 6 months Feb - Aug 1942 and she is pretty sure he was there from May 1941 - but she is not definite about that.
    I'll try to upload the relevent page from his service records
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Sylvie

    Sylvie Junior Member

    Yes, that is possible and although mother insists he was at Langford Lodge 'doing guard duty' all of that time, she didn't actually join him until 1942. He didn't mention any other places in Ireland but then he didn't say much at all. Mother is 92 and so her memory may be muddled
    Thanks for the thought, the war diaries should sort it out!
     
  15. Savo

    Savo Senior Member

    I'm off work a few days next week and will be heading to the Langford Lodge area (weather permitting !!) with my camera and was wondering with regards to access to the area of ww2 interest do you need permission to visit this zone. Was told today its still a closed off area. There is even a Church of Ireland Church in the grounds and that too I was informed is closed off too and you need permission to visit. If all else fails will be heading to an area called Lennymore where I farmer told me is littered with buildings from the war. Will keep you all posted, but further advice would be most welcome as the area is well off the beaten track for a townie like myself :lol:

    Aaran
     
  16. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    TT = Trade Test
     
  17. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Aaron
    Sure that you've looked at google already but
    97 largy road, crumlin - Google Maps

    NE from 'A' - the engineering works is a small rectangular shape with trees on boundary - this is the CoE church. Going diagonally SE from there the road junction is where there is a checkpoint. Security building, CCTV cameras and access barred by those car park type barriers.

    I was told that access can be gained to the church via security - it was one time the Pakenham family church. See cwgc entry for Gartree
    CWGC :: Cemetery Details

    If you gain entry, well, the view from there might be very nice indeed ;) ... and I'd dearly love a pic of the Dermot Pakenham's grave to go with this thread please ... if at all possible of course.
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/grenadier-guards/25366-26388-major-hercules-dermot-wilfred-pakenham-2nd-bn-grenadier-guards.html


    Gartree

    All the best
    Diane
     
  18. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    One part of the site beliongs to the Ulster Aviation Society but it's their private facility, it's not open to visitors without pre-arrangement.

    The largest part of the site is owned now by Mivan, the big building contractor - ever eat in a KFC anywhere in the world in the last ten years? It was built/prefabricated there!

    One small corner of the site used to be open as a small museum, just two restored huts and a large portacabin, and was known as...well..."Station 597" :lol: But it was only open for a few years in the 1990s, I was there a couple of times. But eventually the farmer who owned the land wanted it back....
     

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