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Normal Topic No 729 Signals Unit 'Woodlands' (Read 4,460 times)
Al Burrell
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No 729 Signals Unit 'Woodlands'
25.02.2013 at 18:56:57
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I am a retired RAF Comms Engineer carrying out a little private research into RAF Signals Units (SU's). I have come across a No 729 SU listed as being at Woodlands during the period Aug 52-Sep 57. The only 'Woodlands' that I can find with any apparent RAF connection is within your Association and the FC Branch, specifically, CTU "Woodlands". Does CTU in this context mean 'Controllers Training Unit'?  "Woodlands", I gather, was ex-Army premises at Camp Hill, Stanmore. But what about 729 SU? Was it possibly an ad-hoc SU set up for training purposes? Whilst I can, sometimes after a great deal of searching, find information on most of the 600 or so Signals Units that have existed, I cannot find any information on No 729, other than the mysterious 'Woodlands', and the above dates.  Can anyone please help me, or at least put me out of my misery! Very many thanks. Al Burrell
  
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Tony Pleasant
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Re: No 729 Signals Unit 'Woodlands'
Reply #1 - 06.03.2013 at 06:39:06
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Hello Al, my name is Tony (Plez) Pleasant and several years ago I wrote a history of the School of Fighter Control which can be found on this site  under "Articles". Chapter 3 is dedicated to Woodlands and may be of some interest to you.  Cheers Plez
  
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Al Burrell
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Re: No 729 Signals Unit 'Woodlands'
Reply #2 - 19.03.2013 at 10:35:39
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Hi Plez, many thanks for your response and intro.  Since my last post I have carried out further investigation but without success, No 729 being the only Signals Unit (of some 350 on my list), that I have so far been unable to positively confirm, specific location wise.  However, we might have inadvertently cracked the problem.  No 729 SU is shown in my records as being extant during the period 26 Aug 1953-30 Sep 1957.  Your history shows, at Chap 5, it's time at Middle Wallop, with quite a lot about the radar personnel working within the plotting world.  Of specific interest, it shows the School of Control and Reporting being disestablished on 30 Sep 1957, and its split into two separate units.  Interestingly, the Fighter Plotting Squadron remained at Middle Wallop until May 1958, when it moved to Compton Bassett, into the new School of Air defence Operating; Compton Bassett as we well know had a long history as a Signals/Radio School.  So, was my initial assumption possibly correct, that No 729 SU might have been an ad-hoc training SU, to support the SofC&R?  And, was it at Middle Wallop, with the name/location Woodlands as a fictional location to reflect the beginnings of the Branch?  Will we ever Know, or is there someone still out there that knows better?  Again, thanks for your response.  Cheers, Al
  
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