http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=17443

It's good to see that an appeal has been lodged, as the GAMA, Building 274 and the Control Tower can be made into a world class musuem telling the story of the part that Newbury played in both WWII and the Cold War.

I was up at Greenham last week. There are loads of cars already being stored up there, as well as loads of ship containers. Loads of buildings have been torn down, and there is ruble all over the place. The place is looking terrible, what a waste of what could of been a great development.

The Control Tower is an iconic building in a great location and would be truely excellent as an interpretation center/tearoom. Do you think WBC would be interested in leasing it Phil?

I thought the GAMA proposal included a museum of sorts (indeterminate - their words were along the lines of there is potential for a historical museum on the site in the future) as a sweetener to allow the site to be used for car storage.

The 'promise' is so woolly that there must be zero confidence in anything ever happening - unless the museum is made a criteria of any planning consent (thou shalt open a museum within 2 years or pay an enormouse fine) which won't happen.

What is a "interpretation center".

What the control tower should be is an introduction to the D-Day invasion and what happened around the local area during that time with a bit of information about Eisnehower.



Sure, like the WBC, GC Trust or the NTC putting up a plaque saluting all those who served on the base in the various capacities. Next year will be 20 years since the base operationally closed, and still there is nothing there saying how important the base was in WWII and the Cold War.

See here. In short an interpretation centre is somewhere that helps make sense of a place for people. A good museum is an interpretation centre of sorts when it goes further than simply displaying its artifacts and usese the artifacts to tell a story and make the place and events relevant for visitors and create that sense of place. And hold onto yourself Phil, but that story includes the contribution of CND and the peace campaigners.

Isn't there a "peace garden" dedicated to the peace women OUTSIDE the former front gate.

During the 10th anniversary of GC returning to common land there was loads about the peace women and very little about the military. There are also various pieces of art on the GC about the demilitarization of the base. There is NOTHING on the base to acknowledge that it was in the front lines for close to 50 years.

As for the contribution of CND and the peace women, what did they actually accomplish that the deployment of cruise did not? Did CND bring the Gorbachev to the peace table. Did the peace women bring down the Berlin Wall and reshape Europe? Perhaps it was the resolve of the NATO countries not to bow to the Warsaw Block and those countries wanting to be out from under the opression of the Russians and their troop "deployments" in their countries. Contributon of CND and peace woment. How about commenting on the drain to council resources and the damage they did on and off the base.

If your suggesting that the best idea you can come up with is part of the control tower being an "interpretation" center with it's main focus is to be a tearoom, that that is a slap across the face of every person who ever served up at GC, and to those who left GC on D-Day only to die in battle. I will again fully support the attempts at the GAMA being partly as car storage with the intention of starting up a museum.

Well they were still a part of the history, regardless of their motive and achievement. What we can be thankful for, was that the USSR ran out of money before the USA did.


Well you'll get your cars, but don't hold your breath for a museum.

The early plan for the Control Tower, one of the reasons it was retained, was to use it as an Information Centre and viewing platform..............

I think their motives were honorable, their actions were dispicable. As for the Russians, it wasn't money, it was the realization that their politics wasn't going to be global, and those who were forced under their rule weren't buying their brand.



Unlike the council, know for their transparency. The control tower has sat empty for close to twenty years, and nothing has been made of it to date.

I fear you are being naive. It was a game of brinkmanship and the Soviet model was unsustainable, as is now, the US's.

Does East Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czechslovakia spring to mind. That's how the Russians kept their "allies" in line. In both Afghanistan and Iraq the word is "international", be it the U.S. providing a major share of the people their.

The brinkmanship came from the NATO side, buy deciding to deploy Cruise. The Warsaw Pact countries on the receiving end were tired of their polices being dictated by Moscow and now having tactical nuclear weapons based in Europe pointed at them.

I have no sympathy with the Communist ideal (have also adjusted you post for accuracy).


The Soviets ran out of money and couldn't pay the army. They collapsed. In the aftermath I am not at all sure the Soviet threat has gone. If anything, they are more dangerous now than before, just at a time the US has had to concede it can't afford world dominion any more.

I also suppose that Europe provided a convenient theatre to protect the States - a quid pro quo.

The Soviets did run out of money, they ran out of allies both in and outside of Russia. Their "allies" didn't like their brand nor having a policy gun to their head.

Don't confuse the U.S. plans for "world domination" to the British Empire.

It's high time something useful was done with the GAMA and I think Flying A Services deserve to get things moving. I have analysed their plans in depth and no harm will come to the site. It is pretty well bombproof!

It should also create some much needed employment.

Yes, I agree with Phil; just think of the fortune our American allies poured into West Berkshire; £43 million in 1983 alone, and that is in 1980s pounds. It could be three times that if adjusted for inflation. Greenham was a frontline for freedom and yet that reality is omitted from the site today. A grave case of the sin of omission.

A museum and restoration of the control tower are a must.

Where have I done that?

In a nutshell. Cruise didn't defeat the USSR. Greenham Common didn't win WW II. Should we have a 'memorial' to the cold war. Perhaps, but many do not share you view of life and many wish to 'forget' the arms race and all that it cost.

While the USSR did have an evil under belly, as far as I know, they have never dropped a nuclear warhead on anyone.

I believe their testing was done on their own territory before it all went underground - much as we did at Bikini Atoll....

Plenty of places around the UK (and world) have memorials to WW2 (and other conflicts) where significant activities took place. The D-Day flights from GC were significant, not only for the presence of Eisenhower, the nearvby residence of the King of Norway, and the real 'Band of Brothers departure.

In my opinion the memorial should be much more to the wartime activities than the GLCM years. Many of those who left for Normandy did not return home......

I think there should be a war memorial for Greenham, and I think a Cold War museum would be interesting. It is just in these days of austerity, I don't see how it will be funded properly. I can understand Phil's point, insofar, this is a piece of American heritage as well as a military air field. I might sound ungracious, but my views previously posted are in a way, speaking for those that are not so enthusiastic about a tribute to the arms race, even if we should in reality be grateful. Some don't see it that way.

But we didn't do any testing at Bikini....

My OP was about its belligerent use.

It was the resolve of NATO by deploying Cruise that brought the Russians to the table. It was the unrest of those under the thumbs of Russia that helped it as well. If it wasn't for the folks who served up at GC and other locations, you probably wouldn't have the opportunity to take part of a forum such as this.




Truman weighed up the choices, either a million American casualites landing in Japan, or dropping the bomb. As for Russia's evil underbelly, how many Russians were killed under Stalin?
Again, the Russian put down anti communist uprisings in Hungary and Czechslovika, and were threating Poland during the Gdansk strikes. They also invaded Afghanistan for no reason.



As I said before, I contacted the WBC, GC Trust and the NTC about putting up a plaque for all those regardless of nationality for those who served at Greenham. What happened up at GC during the cruise deployment was as much as a British operation though the weapons and base was under U.S. control. It wasn't the Americans who defended the base during the major demostrations, and it was the RAF Regiment who were assigned to defend the base during wartime operations.



Exactly, which is why a museum complex utilising the control tower, Bldg 274 and the GAMA should be developed.

That is frankly brainwashed spin, in my view. The USSR ran out of money. Period.


Why Nagasaki?


For no reason...just a whim...nothing better to do? By the way, I'm no supporter of the old USSR, or communism, or whatever.


I think a plaque would be fine. I'm not against the idea, I only want to explain that many people don't look on this with pride as you and others do. Personally, I was acquainted with people from the bases, both at Greenham and Welford, both USAF and RAF Reg, who I would have regarded as friends at the time. Not to mention Bill the burger man, with his Sloppy Joe!


I have been fortunate that I have been on a tour already, both when it was being built, and after the American's handed it over. I think though, to create a museum under the current circumstances would be hard.

Again, the Russian put down anti communist uprisings in Hungary and Czechslovika, and were threating Poland during the Gdansk strikes. They also invaded Afghanistan for no reason.


No, that would be the USA & her allies.

1979 Soviet forces invade Afghanistan. 2001, U.S. led coalition invade Afghanistan to oust Al Queda after 9/11 bombings. Slight difference.



It's coming up to 20 years since the last American (Michael Walker) left GC. Shame nothing has been done by local gov't or GC Trust. Now that someone wants to do something, it's not good.

I'd say a big difference. One the one hand the Marxist/Lenninist Afghan government of 1979 requested Soviet assistance. Which they gave. The US led coalition was not asked to give assistance. They were the ones who did the invading.

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You will find that what happened on Dec 24th 1979 was an invasion. Why else would the Soviets kill the President of Afghanistan?

The Soviets assassinated the man who had in turn assassinated the resident of the PDPA.

Hahaha, that's a new one, the Soviets protecting human rights..

Where did I say that they did?

The USSR & USA used Afghanistan as a private little boxing ring. Neither side gave a toss about human rights.

You say that the Soviets were invited to invade Afghanistan. Those inside Afghanistan who planned and paid for the 9/11 attacks invited the Americans and coalition forces to invade them again.

I have the awful feeling you really believe the Afghans deserved 10 years of war because of the actions of a few.

Actually I don't. It should of ended five years ago if someone would of said Bin Laden was in Pakistan.

Anyone up for setting up a group to look at taking on the Control Tower and surrounding buildings for a community facility / museum?

Ah, I see, 5 years not 10.

****, if Bin Laden was killed by the first bomb dropped that would of been good enough..