Ardmore Station. Parish Line Road

[steve]

I frequently travel out to ardmore airfield and try and picture the base as it was in 1944. 3 Km east of the aerodrome towards Clevedon on Parish Line Road is a camp falling apart...The buidings are WW2 vintage with mess hall etc and i suppose 20 in total. Is this an old boy scout camp with buildings transfered from ardmore after the teachers college closed or an anex of WW2 station Ardmore or even an extension of the previous Armed Forcess Correction facility located up the road?

[Dave Homewood]

Steve,

When i read your message above this morning, I decided to email your query to a friend, Neville Hay, who grew up in that area with my father and uncle, and he still resides there. I met Nev recently for the first time at the Air Expo in Tauranga where he was flying his amazingly cool Cricri aircraft, and on recognising my surname and the family connection he has kindly given me some interesting background on Dad's childhood and that area, as they went to school together.

Anyway, here is Neville's answer to your query:

Hi Dave
Here is what I can remember of the 'camp'
The land in question was owned by a Jack Colquhoun (sp) who sold about 18 acres to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. I believe he became or was a
pastor with the Church. The church originally put up some permanent tent poles and erected tents there annually for Church Camps. Subsequently buildings were erected. The land was last year sold to the 'Wholesale Tree Co' who eventually will move their operation out there.

I don't believe the buildings were ever at Ardmore aerodrome. When the Ardmore Scouts finished I think most of the remaining scouts joined a Clevedon group or made a Clevedon group as Camp Sladin was and is at Clevedon.
Hope this helps
Regds Nev

[steve]

Thanks for the info Dave...I wasn't sure of the connection if any...however the buildings look very ardmore in style and age...who knows....The Teachers College have a interesting monument with plan of all the buildings which were there after transfer from a RNZAF station.
It would be great to see some pictures of the base in WW2. I have only seen a few aerial pics in To Young to Die etc..Again thanks for the info...I thought for a moment I had found another Alfredston training anex whatever!