Vol 13 No 19 Camp Griffis

Non-Hampton & Richmond Borough related posts.
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Les1949
Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 19 CAMP GRIFFIS
Military Base in Bushy Park

During the middle years of WW2 a huge military basis, Camp Griffis, was established in Bushy Park. The camp became the headquarters of the SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (SHAEF), the organisation created to organise the invasion of Europe, now known as D Day.
Nothing exists today of the buildings and paraphanalia that was set up in the heart of a Royal Park, south-west of London. The base was named in remembrance of the first US Airman killed in the line of duty in Europe in WW2, Lt Colonel Townsend Griffis – his plane was mistakenly identified as hostile and was shot down on 15th February 1942 by pilots of RAF (Polish) Spitfires with the loss of all on board.
The original plan was to base SHAEF in central London but Dwight D Eisenhower decided that he needed to be on the fringes of London. Bushy Park was selected, however there has always been a strong rumour that the location was supposed to be in Bushey in Hertfordshire and mistakes ‘in translation’ led to the Royal Park being selected.


Camp Griffis, fully opened in March 1944, was huge. The base was given the codename, ‘Widewing’, Four blocks of temporary buildings were built in the north-east part of the park. In the early days, to keep the site under ‘wraps’, it was given the cover of being built to house businesses that had been ‘bombed out’ during the blitz. The height of the blitz had been during 1940/41 so would have been fresh in the memory of local people.
Near the Royal Paddock was an airstrip which also doubled as a RAF base – it appears in the records as RAF Teddington. Most of the military personnel lived on site and at times the number of people involved was well over 4,000.


After the succesful invasion of France SHAEF uppped sticks and the base gradually fell into disrepair. The last building were finally demolished in 1963 and all that remails now are a few memorials to indicate the presence of the base.
One name that has come to light is that of a RAF officer based at Camp Griffis, Charles Reap, who had an influence on the presentation of football statistics. More of him next time!

The Old Historian
RogerB
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:10 pm

Thanks for that reminder, Les. My family had connections with the US camp in the late 40's and early 50's. My sister and her then boyfriend (later husband) used to babysit for one of the top brass and his wife who were billetted out to a house in Priory Road. That started a Transatlantic friendship that has lasted to this day. Although both husbands have now died, my sister still keeps in regular contact with the American wife, now nearly 100, and her family.
Local civilians were employed in the camp and my dad got a job in the kitchens for a while around 1950. That entitled 5 year old me to attend their children's Christmas party. I can remember being amazed at all the food available that I'd never seen before on account of food rationing in the UK. Things like oranges and lollies and fancy ice-creams. And then I can remember being disgusted that these spoilt brat American kids seemed to prefer to throw all this wonderful new food at each other instead of eating it. I think it's shaped my view of Americans to this day.
Les1949
Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

RogerB wrote: Sun Feb 26, 2023 6:54 pm Thanks for that reminder, Les. My family had connections with the US camp in the late 40's and early 50's. My sister and her then boyfriend (later husband) used to babysit for one of the top brass and his wife who were billetted out to a house in Priory Road. That started a Transatlantic friendship that has lasted to this day. Although both husbands have now died, my sister still keeps in regular contact with the American wife, now nearly 100, and her family.
Local civilians were employed in the camp and my dad got a job in the kitchens for a while around 1950. That entitled 5 year old me to attend their children's Christmas party. I can remember being amazed at all the food available that I'd never seen before on account of food rationing in the UK. Things like oranges and lollies and fancy ice-creams. And then I can remember being disgusted that these spoilt brat American kids seemed to prefer to throw all this wonderful new food at each other instead of eating it. I think it's shaped my view of Americans to this day.
Always happy to oblige!
Jamie
Posts: 470
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:51 am

RogerB wrote: Sun Feb 26, 2023 6:54 pm Thanks for that reminder, Les. My family had connections with the US camp in the late 40's and early 50's. My sister and her then boyfriend (later husband) used to babysit for one of the top brass and his wife who were billetted out to a house in Priory Road. That started a Transatlantic friendship that has lasted to this day. Although both husbands have now died, my sister still keeps in regular contact with the American wife, now nearly 100, and her family.
Local civilians were employed in the camp and my dad got a job in the kitchens for a while around 1950. That entitled 5 year old me to attend their children's Christmas party. I can remember being amazed at all the food available that I'd never seen before on account of food rationing in the UK. Things like oranges and lollies and fancy ice-creams. And then I can remember being disgusted that these spoilt brat American kids seemed to prefer to throw all this wonderful new food at each other instead of eating it. I think it's shaped my view of Americans to this day.
Great stories Roger, thanks for sharing as a follow up!
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