For about 30 years of the station’s existence Station Sick
Quarters (or Station Medical Centre as it became late in life) was located on
the same site – at the east end of the camp by the Water Tower. A few pictures
from the early days follow:
Before the arrival of the RAF local Dental Services had been
fairly rudimentary! It was unusual for RAF Dentist to treat civilians but the
logic of the new situation prevailed. The clip below was copied from the
Shetland Times of 26 Nov 59. The Zetland Council, predecessor of the Shetland
Islands Council, was successful in its application.
Dental Services were offered to the civilian populations of
Unst, Yell & Fetlar. However, it was the Unst residents who really
benefitted as these were the days of small boats on the ferry crossings. It was
not that simple for someone on Fetlar to get to & from RAFSaxa Vord for an
appointment. - for while “traditional” methods remained in use.
By early in 1967 it was agreed that the RAF Dentist and a
Dental Technician would hold clinics on
Yell as required, This improved matters greatly for Yell but, by the end of the
year, only one person from Fetlar had made the crossing for treatment.
There were numerous GPs employed as the Civilian Medical
Practitioner during the lifetime of the Unit but two of them occupied the
position for long periods. Dr Bobby Robertson, known to most as “Doc Robbie”
arrived in the early 60’s. The photo below shows Doc Robbie at the Officers' Mess Summer Ball in 1967.
Being an RAF Officer, the Dentist was posted every couple of
years and so the number of them was considerable. One of the Dentists, Jimmy
Martin who was at Saxa in the late 60’s,
went on to become The RAF’s Senior
Dental Officer and to promotion to Air Rank which went with it.
Malcolm Maddison, or Maddy as he is normally known, did 2
tours at Saxa. The first starting late in the 60’s and the next in the second
half of the 70’s. The following 3 pictures are from his collection, the first
from around 1970:
The next 2 photos are from a Station Medical Centre
Christmas Party at Maundeville, Uyeasound in 1977 or 78.
A photo of the Medical Centre, taken in 1976 byMike Crichlow,is below:
When the Domestic site was rebuilt, a process which
continued from the early 80’s until the early 90’s, Station Sick Quarters had
about the same priority as the Officers’ Mess; ie, it came near the end of the
list! The plan of the camp below came from the 1983 version of the Station
Information Booklet. As can be seen the first part for rebuild had been the Airmen’s’
Accommodation and the next build was to be the Airmen’s’ Mess:
The next photo, taken a year or two later, shows how the
rebuild was progressing – the Officers Mess and Station Sick Quarters on the
left of the picture were still untouched.
Eventually a new SSQ – Station Medical Facility was built. I’m
not too sure when it was complete but I suspect it was Around 1990/91. It certainly
can’t have been any later as work on the new quarters at Nordabrake, which was
on the same ground as the old Sick Quarters, began in 1991. A few pictures of the new Medical Centre
follow:
I must admit I was rather surprised to find that the Station
Church was in the same building. Perhaps the authorities didn’t have that much
faith in the medical treatment on offer!
Like all sections on an RAF base the Station Medical Centre
was subject to visits by various senior
officers and/or the their wives, A couple of examples; firstly, Margaret Graydon, wife of the AOC in C Strike Command Sir Patrick Graydon, finds the
white wall fascinating in 1992.
Then in 1996, AOC 11Gp AVM Sir Cliff Spink doesn’t think it
unusual that a Cpl should have a doll on the floor!
Finally, I have only one picture of the Ambulance in the
later years of the station and in the picture which follows it’s actually in MT
with the bonnet up.
If anyone has any more photos of their time in the Station Medical Centre or indeed any other section, they would be happy to share, I would be pleased to hear from them.
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