RAF Fazakerley Ephemera and Photographs

A modest but interesting grouping! We have struggled to find much on RAF Fazakerley on line other than the name 'Fazakerley' comes from the Anglo-Saxon words 'faes', meaning border or fringe, 'aecer' meaning field and 'lea', meaning a clearing in a wood. Situated near Liverpool the Fazakerley family were the main landowners in the area, and took their name from the township. Clearly Liverpool was severely bombed in the Blitz and the camp at RAF Fazakerley, located at Field Lane, was certainly functioning as a base for No 8 Barrage Balloon Centre, in August 1940 and supported 6 flights and 8 balloons. A Royal Ordinance Factory was located close by and we suspect they had a busy war!

The grouping is made up of a hand painted card marked Royal Air Force, a Kings Crown and laurel leaf crest and Fazakerley below, picked out in yellow paint. Inside is a period wartime black and white picture of an RAF Sergeant smoking a pipe, with a wireless operator trade badge to his right shoulder The card is dedicated inside with a hand written 'Best Wishes to all' and a signature we have been unable to decipher. The Sgt has an impressive medal bar and we believe he may also have served in WWI.

The other plain card mount contains a further photograph of we believe the same gent, also with pipe and the back is dedicated 'Many happy memories' and behind the photo the card is dated 10th September 1940 and is signed Cpl Lavender, although again we are not entirely sure as the handwritting is hard to decipher. This photograph, clearly taken before he got his extra stripe, indicates a blackboard with Morse code detail so we assume at this stage he was teaching Morse to RAF radio operators. This is confirmed by two large morse tansmitters keys being located on the table infront of him.

Worthy of further research and snap shots (literally) from the Battle of Britain period from a little heard of RAF station of WWII.