Memories

This page is for personal recollections/memories of HMS Ringtail of former station personnel etc, so please send us your memories so they can be shared with others, send them to Memories of Burscough. Thank you.

Hi! My name is Les Smith, I was born in Bold lane Aughton 20/6/1929. our family of four moved to Ormskirk in 1939 and after leaving school at the age of 14 I started my first job as an apprentice electrician with a London firm called Geo. Taylor and son. at HMS Ringtail. in June 1943. I was directly involved in wiring up all the hangars and engine test sheds along with rewiring a number of the old farmhouses on the base. When the firm finished at ringtail I believe they went to Malta. although I was unable to get another apprentice ship else where. the knowledge I gained has stayed with me ever since. and I have happy memories of my time at Ringtail. My wife and I and our two children came out to Australia in 1961 and currently live on the Far north coast of NSW in Lennox Head.

I was browsing your site on HMS Ringtail and thought you might like to know that my dad is in one of your photographs. He is third from the left on the back row of the top photograph of civilian maintenance staff. His name was Robert (Bob) Webb and he worked on the camp as an electrician until it closed. He then transferred to the Ministry of Public Building and Works (Later DOW) working on the maintenance of major buildings in Liverpool up until his death in 1973.

Hello

I am David Ginsberg

I was born in Yew Tree Road Ormskirk in 1941

As a small boy I would walk or cycle from our house to the airfield. Together with others we would creep through the hedge to ‘investigate’ what was going on at HMS Ringtail. I was fascinated by the place !. In the early sixties my father in law started a storage business on the airfield; he was the first industrialist there. He later moved to alternative premises across the A59 because he could not get planning permission on the airfield !I am now a pilot in my own right and I fly my own small plane regularly, and I regularly fly over the old airfield although it is virtually un recognisable now.

Regards

David Ginsberg

Hi as you most likely know Burscough was an Engine Holding UNIT I was their 21- 2 -1950 till 17-11-1950 HMS Blackcap controlled the personnel there there was 18 engine fitters one electrician a Chief petty officer and a RNVR warrant officer all belonging to fleet air arm we had to live at home and were there each morning 8-30 Our pay and cigarette tobacco allowance 1 lb tin was brought from Stretton At that time the control tower had plants growing in the top
regards joe harding

Just a line to say that my father servered at HMS RINGTAIL during the war and I have photos of him stood infront of the hangers infront of Fairy Swordfish aircraft in cold weather specification ie all enclosed. I have been to the airfield on many occassions and would love to contribute copies of same so that they could be viewed by future generations.If you feel this is of any use contact me on this e-mail and we will endevour to sort something out.

Kind Regards

Tony Melling

I was very interested to find your site. I worked as a planner with West Lancashire District Council in the early 1980’s. Part of my work involved the expansion of the Burscough Industrial Estate, and as an aircraft enthusiast I was concerned that the past use of the site should not be forgotten. So I got the Council to use the street name “Ringtail Road”. It is good to see that this has been followed up with other street names recalling the site.

Regards

Jon Pinnington