It is not unusual for enlisted men to put put their creative talents to good use while off duty from the rigours of service life. Those who served at Greenham Common were no exception. These pictures are of original paintings and drawings found at the base over the years.
This is the earliest example of art at Greenham that I have found
It dates from around 1957 and was the work of A1C Joe Smith
AACS was the Airways and Air Communication Service, part of MATS.
My many thanks to Leon Schumacher for the picture.
I came across this picture in August 2002 and was located in a warhead maintenance
area. It did once feature a caption I am told which we suspect may have been removed
for diplomatic reasons during the Soviet INF Inspections! It is a great work of art.
Can anybody name the talented artist?
This impressive section dates from the years of the 501st TMW's A-Flight. I first saw this in March 2002. A careful look on lower left and right reveals two TELs releasing GLCMs.
A herculean effort was made by members of the Ridgeway Military and Aviation Research Group to rescue this art (cut into three sections) in May 2002. It is now safe from demolition at RAF Welford from its former home of Hangar 301. Picture by Paul Hilton.
More evidence of the creative skills of A-Flight personnel was found in another room in Hangar 301.This section was bigger, roughly five feet long. It was painted on a double brick wall. This gave us big challenge to save but we managed to save it in July 2002 and it now rests safely at the RMARG Museum at RAF Welford. WETSUMF is not to be used in polite conversation!
This crest was the work of some of the 501st Security Police
It was found upstairs in Hangar 301 and was painted on plywood.
I understand 501st SPs trained in the room and I think it is the
work of Dennis Meares, dating from about 1986.
Skull has a strange resemblance to Tony Blair! Photo by P. Hilton.
This picture of a militarised Smurf was painted on a door in the SMF (Vehicle maintenance area) and we found it in Hangar 303 in March 2002. GLCM troops working in the SMF were nicknamed the "Smurfs". I am glad this was saved as the SMF building was demolished in late 2001.
This mean looking beast was one of the symbols of Dog Flight or the GLCM D Flight.
Found in the far north corner of Bldg 303 which was a locker room. By P. Hilton
This is probably the most impressive wall art at Greenham we found. It looks as though it was painted by airbrush. Again, it was next to the previous Dog Flight picture but was much bigger. The red ribbon across the sword carries the Latin phrase "LOS UNICOS PERROS RABIOSOS EN BRITANIA" Can anybody translate please? I'd love to know who painted it.
A picture of myself next to it in March 2002.
Thanks to Paul Hilton.
Mystery surrounds this piece of wall art found in Hangar 301. It was mostly painted over
but closer inspection revealed a picture of an Indian riding on a GLCM which read "Apache Flight" at the bottom. A similar picture can be seen on the the logos of all the flights I have on the Memories of the 501st TMW page. Why was it painted over? Why were there two nicknames for A-Flight? The painting was removed after much effort by the RMARG group and is now safe at the museum at RAF Welford.
GLCM C Flight or Cobra Flight had art on the floor in the same old locker
room where the Dog Flight art was in Hnagar 301.
This wall art was in the 11th Tactical Missile Sqn building which was among
the old barrack blocks. Painted by Luther Redwine in around 1984, sadly it was
demolished in 1999. Does anyone have a better picture of it please?
This picture was found in the same nuclear warhead maintenance shelter as the B-1
wall art. Though in bad condition, it took up most of the wall and must have been
some task to paint. GLCM crews had a similar patch.Thanks to Luther Redwine.
I believe this was in the old security Building 77 which was
just to the left of the main gate. Sadly Bldg 77 and this picture
are now gone. Thanks to Ian Borland.
I think this painting was also in Building 77. Thanks to Ian Borland.
Probably also from Bldg 77 and very impressive. By Ian Borland.
In May 2002, I helped the Ridgeway Military and Aviation Research
Group save the art in Bldg 301. The A-Flight piece here was the
first section we rescued, now at RAF Welford.
Not actually wall art but this was another logo used by F-Flight.
Thanks to Nigel Sheldon of the RAF Regiment.
My thanks to all who gave information and pictures of the wall art. I know there were other examples of art on the base which are either forgotten now or demolished. I welcome any further pictures of art from any period at Greenham Common or at RAF Welford. Please email me if you can help.
