Dates: 1939 -

RAF Pucklechurch opened on the 9th August 1939 as No.11 Balloon Centre. The Head Quarters for its three Balloon Barrage Squadrons.

Sheds for the construction of barrage balloons can still be seen at Pucklechurch; by the Industrial Estate and Detention Centre

During World War II there was a barrage balloon depot. There was a Royal Air Force station at Pucklechurch from 1952 to 1962, when the site was transferred to HM Prison Service. It was used as a remand centre and later became Ashfield Young Offender Institution.

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Added on 03/03/2011

This was an RAF Special Languages School {Russian, Chinese,and others

Memories of RAF Pucklechurch

RAF Pucklechurch in 1954
Written by philip lovell
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"Great base, just outside Bristol. 400 airmen & 200 WRAFs. Camp dances attracted coachloads of Bristol girls so lots of romances developed. I had a very good time, playing football for camp and setting up jazz club. My immediate boss, Warrant Officer Sambrook was a bit of a tartar but a good guy at heart. I made a lot of good friends and am still in touch with some of them and also some of my old Bristol girlfriends. Demobbed in March 1954 and really missed the comradeship. Thought about signing on but went into banking instead which was, probably, the right decision but, looking back, they were a great two years and I wouldn't have missed the experience.

Pucklechurch was HQ 62 Group and also had a 'hush hush' radar unit attached. Very pretty village with two super pubs. We held monthly dances on camp which attracted coachloads of Bristol girls and we set up a weekly camp jazz club. I played football for the camp side, went to dances at various dancehalls in Bristol and to jazz concerts at Colston Hall. I took my wife to Pucklechurch two years ago and suffered some pangs of nostalgia !"

Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving RAF Pucklechurch

"Still looking for Doug Matt and Taffy all ex hut 17 RAF pucklechurch"

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" Two London guys who were great friends of mine at RAF pucklechurch 1952-54. Pete lived in Albany Road, SE London and both he and Louis were great jazz fans. I’d love to know what happened to them after demob but have been unable to trace them. Pete was electrician in MT section and Louis ..."

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" Still looking for friends from RAF Pucklechurch 1953/4 and those from the SMO staff in Group HQ Also billet 17 Have a very happy Christmas every one"

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" My base, RAF Pucklechurch, held monthly dances with a  Bristol big band, playing all the latest modern jazz and Stan Kenton numbers. The camp ran coaches, which arrived full of Bristol girls and the Snowdrops had an anti vice patrol around the camp to shepherd back into the dancehall any of ..."

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" SYD AND DEREK Referring to your visits to the sites of some of your old camps. Two years ago, Julia and I spent a couple of nights in Bath and visited the site of my old base, RAF Pucklechurch, which was on the outskirts of a little village, 5 miles East of Bristol. The village hadn’t ..."

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