Chicksands: US airman sad over UK base closure

The Hollywood-born airman said getting used to accents in the UK took getting used to

A former US airman has said he is sad about the closure of the UK military base where he found lifelong love.

John Nichols was stationed at RAF Chicksands, Bedfordshire, between 1958 and 1960.

The airman said he had never been to England before and other than films knew very little about the country.

"The only thing I knew about England was from watching old films... Fog with trench coats on," he recalled.

John Nichols was assigned to Britain in December 1957 and stationed at RAF Chicksands from January 1958

• Listen: John Nichols reflects on his time at RAF Chicksands - BBC Sounds

The then 19-year-old lived on the base for about two and a half years working as an air policeman.

"It was very basic, you had a bed, a footlocker, a standing locker and it was ruddy cold," he said.

Mr Nichols, originally from California, was responsible for guarding the gates to the base and carrying out patrols.

He also ran the base theatre where servicemen could watch films.

"The place was always jam packed when we had Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons on... Soon as the cartoons were over everybody would leave unless the film was very good."

The couple started dating in June, were engaged in August and married on November 26

John and Rosamund Nichols have been married for 63 years after meeting at RAF Chicksands

In 1960 Mr Nichols, 85, met his future wife Rosamund.

They met during a dance at the Angel pub in Bedford and married in November of that year.

"I saw her in the dance, had only spoken to her for a few words, but she made a hell of an impression because I've been here 63 years," he said.

His future father-in-law was not so impressed, Mrs Nichols recalls.

"My father couldn't believe it, he said 'I ain't ever having any girl of mine going out with yanks'. I think I was just defiant."

Mrs Nichols used to visit Mr Nichols on the base every Saturday

In December it was revealed MOD Chicksands is due for disposal by the end of 2030.

The former airman said he was "sad because it means people will lose jobs".

"But it's already come down to hardly anything compared to what it was when I was there, it was a good functioning base."