Andy thank you for your report on the former Soesterberg Military Air Base. I was born and raised in Amersfoort South and “Soesterberg” was a household name for me. Around the age of five, 1965/1966, the Phantoms, Starfighters with their typical howling noise, Orions and Aloutte III helicopters and other fighter jets attracted my attention. In the 1970s, mainly the F15s and F16s came to Soesterberg. And if you sometimes saw a passenger plane, it was Queen Juliana (from May 1980, Princess Juliana after her abdication) or other members of the Royal Family returning from their trip abroad. Their residence was Paleis Soestdijk located between Soest and Baarn. When I was in my twenties, I often went to visit the Military Air Base in the 1980s when there was a lot of flying activity. In the late 1970s, the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo neighbourhoods in Soesterberg were built especially for the American military. And in 1987, the first McDrive in the Netherlands was opened on the Amersfoortseweg in Huis ter Heide due to the presence of American troops. Although Soesterberg Air Base is closed, the area around Soesterberg Du Moulinkazerne, Amersfoort Bernardkazerne / De Vlasakkers and Leusderheide is still a military area. In 2022, a Thank you and Memorial monument was unveiled: S.A.M (Soesterberg Air force Memorial). Attention to freedom thanks to the Americans who were present in Soesterberg in the period 1954 - 1994. The monument is located on the Amersfoortsestraat / Oude Tempellaan viaduct where the Aloutte III helicopter is also located.
I'm currently watching this from Soesterberg, which is where I grew up. I gotta say, you did an amazing job on this video! I'm an avid model builder and aviation enthusiast (definitely sparked by growing up near the airbase ;) )and thus I regularly visit the museum to gather reference material and chat with the staff. It's good to see it get some international attention. Thank you.
I live in the south of The Netherlands so not that close to Soesterberg. But you convinced me it's absolutely worth visiting the museum, so I probably will soon :)
My late father served there as a fighterpilot trainee, a motorcycle accident brought it to an end, He got then a deskjob as a liasionofficer to the American part of the base. Al in the early '60
Re. a British perspective on the Cold War, we tend to forget that apart from the UK and USA/Canada, NATO member states all had national service until the end of the Cold War and beyond. In the Netherlands it's technically still there but ''suspended''. All Dutch citizens (men and women) receive a letter from the Ministerie van Defensie (no need to translate that!) when they are 17 informing them that they are registered for military service. Nobody has actually been called up since 1997.
Hi Andy and all your supporters. I don't mind admitting that I found your fantastic resource of videos and information when I found 'Operation Foot', which I well recommend. This is one place I would love to visit, if my mobility allows; though I haven't been over the Channel since Dec-1993. Born in Sept-1957, I have always been interested in the Cold War, Space Race and other events of the time. It was happening all around us on TV etc. It's been very interesting seeing all the comments from ex-forces, or those with links to each video- From former 'Wolfhounds, to residents. Thankyou all. .I intend to see all of your videos, and I have to admit to clicking 'Like' before even watching. Long may you continue producing these excellent videos.
Impecable timing to cover Soesterberg 1 day before dutch war memorial day. I never considered the Soviets basically had a short list of targets for nuclear strikes but it does make sense and i am sure the US and the UK had their own lists. I love your deepdives into topics. The forst zina story really stuck with me
I can’t find the Project E link, as always love these incredibly well presented and researched videos of fascinating periods of our recent history. Many thanks Andy and keep on producing these fantastic videos
We lived in Kattenbroek on the North side of Amersfoort in the early '90s, so this brings back a lot of memories. Soesterberg was where several Gemini and Apollo astronauts lived and worked before their roles in NASA's endeavours (hence the naming of streets and districts in the base housing area). When the USAF left the base was converted for use by Chinooks as part of a rapid response force: I can still instantly recognise the heavy chopper beat of their blades at a distance as a result (where I live now near Poole we regularly have Chinooks, Merlins and Wildcats flying over from Poole harbour). Amersfoort itself was a home base to the NL tank regiment (I forget which one), located to take advantage of the large railway junction in the town for rapid trans-shipment of AFVs around NL: an absolutely amazing place of air-conditioned storage hangers for Lpd IIs. Thanks for bringing back memories of our time there: I still miss the place.
FYI, at 2:55 : the 32nd received F-15s already in 1978… Starting with F-15As and Bs, getting F-15C/Ds soon after, and later on the F-15A/B MSIP - the latter seemed older, but it was a major step in radar and avionics.
Hi Andy, if you're still in the country I can highly recommend Overloon (plz check if open). Been to Overloon, Normandy,Verdun and West Flanders (Ieper Flanders Fields as, Passchendaele Museum in Zonnebeke). Cheers from a Dutchy.
When visiting, it's perhaps interesting to know that a small piece on the other side of Soesterberg was brought under Scottish law for the duration of the Lockerbie trial.
You always have the most interesting videos Andy. I actually visited a decommission AF base in the Netherlands last year, near Enschede. Great place for bird watching these days. G'day from Australia.
Thank you for the great video. It indeed is a very interesting museum. One remark thou, the wooden observation platform didn't survive all that time. It was rebuild a view years back.
I was in the Netherlands back around 2005, and visited this museum, and was very impressed... But since then, they've added the new main building, etc and now I'd really like to go back! 🙂 Thank you for your nice tour of the new layout. I'm pretty sure I've watched all of your Cold War videos! 👍
A very complete and detailed video. I think when you say "scrapped", that means the piece of equipment was actually dismantled and melted down, rather than preserved in a museum. The airplanes in a museum are actually "saved" not scrapped.
Welcome back and thanks for this! Top drawer again! I think I suggested it some time last year, but have you considered doing a tour and/or hostory of any/all of the former RAF "clutch airfields" Laarbruch, Bruggen, Wildenrath and Gutersloh? Just two corrections to your vid: 1) the F-15s arrived at SB in 79 not 89, and (2) the aircraft you seem to identify in the museum as a Tornado is in fact an F-15. Other than that, thanks again and we're looking forward to your next Cold War vid! Cheers from Cape Town, SA!
Excellent video, now I know where to visit next time I'm in The Netherlands. But at 16:45 I spotted a mistake. You don't pan from a F-16 to a Tornado. The Tornado is a two-seat with a single tail-fin, what you're looking at there is an F-15 (single-seat, twin tail-fins).
Andy, Re: the Falcon panning around to a Tornado - I had to double check myself, but isn't that an F-15? The Panavia plane has a single tail fin. Edit: disregard, I see this has already been addressed. Great video.
Despite living in NL I yet have to visit this museum. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to see the F-15 in action during the only 5 years of operation at Soesterberg. Form the N238 right at the end of the East-West situated runway the F-15 would roar right over your head and pull up to an almost vertical flight. I think I had the luck to witness a scramble training, and a pair of F-15s with afterburners roaring and pointing right at you is something you don't forget. The funny thing is that there are quite some luxury forest villas right around this spot, I imagine it could get pretty loud in these places and roof tiles may have had the need of replacement after some of these take offs. Certain assets we now only have in the museum are dire needed in the current political landscape.
Have you made a video about Weeze? Apologies if you have and I haven’t noticed it, I remember being able to explore the full place in the very late 90’s and again in the early 2000’s, I have the pics on photobucket but no videos unfortunately.
Sorry , its delayed while I deal with copyright issues surrounding some archival footage.. dont worry.. coming soon. Check out my Community Tab for updates
That was a very nice video Andy! Next time when you are in The Netherlands, see if you can visit former NATO headquarters Cannerberg. One weekend in every month you can have a guided tour in it. And it costs only €7,50.
Next one in the Netherlands, the navy museum in the port of den helder. It has a collection of old decommissioned navy ships and I can give you a tour of you like 😂
It's interesting if you use the proper Google Earth and look at jistoric imagery, the airbase and buildings / bunkers nearby but not in the airfield are censored and blurred up to about 2007.
I recomed going to kamp amersfoort, it was build by the dutch to house troops manning the grebbenlinie. Later the nazi's occupied it and usid it as a prisonercamp. And small correction: that is a F-15 not a tornado
I spent 18 months at Soesterberg in the mid-1970's. Holland was nice, it was an ok assignment (thankfully short), but the base itself was very primitive and the working and living conditions were not that great.
Andy thank you for your report on the former Soesterberg Military Air Base. I was born and raised in Amersfoort South and “Soesterberg” was a household name for me. Around the age of five, 1965/1966, the Phantoms, Starfighters with their typical howling noise, Orions and Aloutte III helicopters and other fighter jets attracted my attention. In the 1970s, mainly the F15s and F16s came to Soesterberg. And if you sometimes saw a passenger plane, it was Queen Juliana (from May 1980, Princess Juliana after her abdication) or other members of the Royal Family returning from their trip abroad. Their residence was Paleis Soestdijk located between Soest and Baarn. When I was in my twenties, I often went to visit the Military Air Base in the 1980s when there was a lot of flying activity. In the late 1970s, the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo neighbourhoods in Soesterberg were built especially for the American military. And in 1987, the first McDrive in the Netherlands was opened on the Amersfoortseweg in Huis ter Heide due to the presence of American troops. Although Soesterberg Air Base is closed, the area around Soesterberg Du Moulinkazerne, Amersfoort Bernardkazerne / De Vlasakkers and Leusderheide is still a military area. In 2022, a Thank you and Memorial monument was unveiled: S.A.M (Soesterberg Air force Memorial). Attention to freedom thanks to the Americans who were present in Soesterberg in the period 1954 - 1994. The monument is located on the Amersfoortsestraat / Oude Tempellaan viaduct where the Aloutte III helicopter is also located.
I was stationed at Soesterberg AB from 1989 - 1993. Best assignment of my Air Force career.
I was there in 77-78. It was interesting and memorable. Not one of my favorites, though.
Was stationed there 92-93...Great blast from the past!
I was stationed there 85 to 88. 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, USAFE. We were the Wolfgounds. The slobbering dogs.... I loved it there.
I'm currently watching this from Soesterberg, which is where I grew up. I gotta say, you did an amazing job on this video! I'm an avid model builder and aviation enthusiast (definitely sparked by growing up near the airbase ;) )and thus I regularly visit the museum to gather reference material and chat with the staff. It's good to see it get some international attention. Thank you.
I live in the south of The Netherlands so not that close to Soesterberg. But you convinced me it's absolutely worth visiting the museum, so I probably will soon :)
My late father served there as a fighterpilot trainee, a motorcycle accident brought it to an end, He got then a deskjob as a liasionofficer to the American part of the base. Al in the early '60
Been there long ago when this big museum building was not yet erected.
Andy you make history lessons worth while again !
Re. a British perspective on the Cold War, we tend to forget that apart from the UK and USA/Canada, NATO member states all had national service until the end of the Cold War and beyond. In the Netherlands it's technically still there but ''suspended''. All Dutch citizens (men and women) receive a letter from the Ministerie van Defensie (no need to translate that!) when they are 17 informing them that they are registered for military service. Nobody has actually been called up since 1997.
Hi Andy and all your supporters. I don't mind admitting that I found your fantastic resource of videos and information when I found 'Operation Foot', which I well recommend.
This is one place I would love to visit, if my mobility allows; though I haven't been over the Channel since Dec-1993. Born in Sept-1957, I have always been interested in the Cold War, Space Race and other events of the time. It was happening all around us on TV etc. It's been very interesting seeing all the comments from ex-forces, or those with links to each video- From former 'Wolfhounds, to residents. Thankyou all.
.I intend to see all of your videos, and I have to admit to clicking 'Like' before even watching. Long may you continue producing these excellent videos.
Impecable timing to cover Soesterberg 1 day before dutch war memorial day. I never considered the Soviets basically had a short list of targets for nuclear strikes but it does make sense and i am sure the US and the UK had their own lists. I love your deepdives into topics. The forst zina story really stuck with me
I absolutely love your Cold War video’s, Andy. This video about our National Military Museum was a real treat! Big thumbs up!
I can’t find the Project E link, as always love these incredibly well presented and researched videos of fascinating periods of our recent history. Many thanks Andy and keep on producing these fantastic videos
Still working on the final cut.. It’ll be uploaded soon .. check out the news in my Community Tab.
Really good overview of the museum. Certainly looks like a place to visit for a military history buff like me.
We lived in Kattenbroek on the North side of Amersfoort in the early '90s, so this brings back a lot of memories. Soesterberg was where several Gemini and Apollo astronauts lived and worked before their roles in NASA's endeavours (hence the naming of streets and districts in the base housing area). When the USAF left the base was converted for use by Chinooks as part of a rapid response force: I can still instantly recognise the heavy chopper beat of their blades at a distance as a result (where I live now near Poole we regularly have Chinooks, Merlins and Wildcats flying over from Poole harbour). Amersfoort itself was a home base to the NL tank regiment (I forget which one), located to take advantage of the large railway junction in the town for rapid trans-shipment of AFVs around NL: an absolutely amazing place of air-conditioned storage hangers for Lpd IIs.
Thanks for bringing back memories of our time there: I still miss the place.
FYI, at 2:55 : the 32nd received F-15s already in 1978… Starting with F-15As and Bs, getting F-15C/Ds soon after, and later on the F-15A/B MSIP - the latter seemed older, but it was a major step in radar and avionics.
Excellent video. Maybe someday I'll get there.
Hi Andy, if you're still in the country I can highly recommend Overloon (plz check if open).
Been to Overloon, Normandy,Verdun and West Flanders (Ieper Flanders Fields as, Passchendaele Museum in Zonnebeke).
Cheers from a Dutchy.
I’ll be doing more Dutch history content later in the year.
I was looking forward to seeing this video, and you did not disappoint! Thank you Andy, for another outstanding presentation.
Thanks again!
Great video. I echo this is a world class museum with lots of interesting displays!
Interesting vid thanks Andy.
When visiting, it's perhaps interesting to know that a small piece on the other side of Soesterberg was brought under Scottish law for the duration of the Lockerbie trial.
How did I miss that when I was researching this video , that should have been in the history section. 🤔
The Scots used the old DoD school on the U.S. side of the base near the main gate.
Dear Andy, excellent video about NMM, for sure it is worth a visit! Thanks! 🙏🏻 Greets from NL!
Another great video Andy can't wait for the next one
Fantastic again , I am guessing the project e video is comming?
Thank you for this great video sir!
Kind regards from the Netherlands
Outstanding video! I’m familiar with the former base via my USAF job in West Germany in the 1980’s.
You always have the most interesting videos Andy. I actually visited a decommission AF base in the Netherlands last year, near Enschede. Great place for bird watching these days. G'day from Australia.
Thank you for the great video. It indeed is a very interesting museum.
One remark thou, the wooden observation platform didn't survive all that time. It was rebuild a view years back.
I was in the Netherlands back around 2005, and visited this museum, and was very impressed... But since then, they've added the new main building, etc and now I'd really like to go back! 🙂 Thank you for your nice tour of the new layout. I'm pretty sure I've watched all of your Cold War videos! 👍
The old museum (Militair Luchtvaart Museum or MLM) was Air Force only and on the other side of the highway as well.
Great content and video, Andy.
I Really enjoyed this video thank you
Thank you for a great review. You’ve just added a new destination to my bucket list!
great video, thanks for reviewing it and pointing out things i missed on my last visit.
Excellent video as always! Thanks for the overview, this looks like a super interesting place.
Been multiple times there when it still was a airport and after. It's unique military base and the museum looks amazing.
A very complete and detailed video. I think when you say "scrapped", that means the piece of equipment was actually dismantled and melted down, rather than preserved in a museum. The airplanes in a museum are actually "saved" not scrapped.
Welcome back and thanks for this!
Top drawer again!
I think I suggested it some time last year, but have you considered doing a tour and/or hostory of any/all of the former RAF "clutch airfields" Laarbruch, Bruggen, Wildenrath and Gutersloh?
Just two corrections to your vid: 1) the F-15s arrived at SB in 79 not 89, and (2) the aircraft you seem to identify in the museum as a Tornado is in fact an F-15.
Other than that, thanks again and we're looking forward to your next Cold War vid!
Cheers from Cape Town, SA!
I thought I’d mixed the aircraft up, but once uploaded I’m stuck with the error. Trying to get out the Germany again soon.
Actually, as part of the transition process, the first F-15's from Langley arrived in the summer of 1978.
Fantastic! Wow! Speechless!
I'm a Dutch guy, and never been there bcz its a 3 hour drive there from where I live, but damn, what a great video man!
Interesting vid Andy.
Excellent video, Andy. I really enjoy these! 👏👏👏
Hi .. Fantastic video.
Do you think the airbase could be used again if needed ?
No
As always a very interesting and informative video. Thank you.👍🏻🏴
Good video, Andy. One error though. At 16:43 you misidentified the F-15 Eagle as a Tornado.
I always incorporate one error to make sure people are paying attention. 😇
@@AndyMcloone
Very good! 👍
Well Done
Excellent report
Excellent video, now I know where to visit next time I'm in The Netherlands.
But at 16:45 I spotted a mistake. You don't pan from a F-16 to a Tornado. The Tornado is a two-seat with a single tail-fin, what you're looking at there is an F-15 (single-seat, twin tail-fins).
I live right next to Soesterberg now and used to go there many times when I was a child :D
The runway still in use? It looks freshly paved.
small correction @16:47 I assume you're mentioning the plane which is hanging on the ceiling. This is an F-15 (there is no Tornado in this museum)
Andy,
Re: the Falcon panning around to a Tornado - I had to double check myself, but isn't that an F-15? The Panavia plane has a single tail fin.
Edit: disregard, I see this has already been addressed.
Great video.
nice one Andy :) #goedbezig !
Well done!
23:10 Thanks to the Norden Bombsight... ;)
Yet another place to go on the visit list.
Keep up the good work!
I had a day's visit to 32nd TFS in 1977, very impressive.
Despite living in NL I yet have to visit this museum. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to see the F-15 in action during the only 5 years of operation at Soesterberg.
Form the N238 right at the end of the East-West situated runway the F-15 would roar right over your head and pull up to an almost vertical flight.
I think I had the luck to witness a scramble training, and a pair of F-15s with afterburners roaring and pointing right at you is something you don't forget.
The funny thing is that there are quite some luxury forest villas right around this spot, I imagine it could get pretty loud in these places and roof tiles may have had the need of replacement after some of these take offs.
Certain assets we now only have in the museum are dire needed in the current political landscape.
Have you made a video about Weeze? Apologies if you have and I haven’t noticed it, I remember being able to explore the full place in the very late 90’s and again in the early 2000’s, I have the pics on photobucket but no videos unfortunately.
Hi, I cannot find your Project E film on your channel.
Sorry , its delayed while I deal with copyright issues surrounding some archival footage.. dont worry.. coming soon. Check out my Community Tab for updates
That was a very nice video Andy! Next time when you are in The Netherlands, see if you can visit former NATO headquarters Cannerberg. One weekend in every month you can have a guided tour in it. And it costs only €7,50.
Thanks for the tip!
Could you do Star City ?
You where near my hometown!
Next one in the Netherlands, the navy museum in the port of den helder. It has a collection of old decommissioned navy ships and I can give you a tour of you like 😂
Did you know that from this airbase a QRA F-15 was scrambled to intercept the MIG without a pilot that had flown from Poland and crashed in Belgium?
16:43 Its a F15 from the 32th not a Tornado.
Correction: S.A.M . is located on the Veldmaarschalk Montgomeryweg / Amersfoortsestraat viaduct.
It's interesting if you use the proper Google Earth and look at jistoric imagery, the airbase and buildings / bunkers nearby but not in the airfield are censored and blurred up to about 2007.
Like every other Dutch military and sensitive area around that time.
The planes doing a dogfight and the watch building is a replica
16:43 thats an F15 of one of the American squadrons stationed at Soesterberg, its not a tornado, great video otherwise!
The Dayton Air Museum is free... aircraft of all kinds and more. Two days isn't enough to see it all.
Thanks for another great documentary. Have you considered doing the F9 Säve cold war air base near Gothenburg Sweden?
The tornado is a f15
I recomed going to kamp amersfoort, it was build by the dutch to house troops manning the grebbenlinie. Later the nazi's occupied it and usid it as a prisonercamp. And small correction: that is a F-15 not a tornado
I spent 18 months at Soesterberg in the mid-1970's. Holland was nice, it was an ok assignment (thankfully short), but the base itself was very primitive and the working and living conditions were not that great.
It's a public secret that we do have nuclear weapons at Gilze-Rijen airforce base...
No, that's actually Volkel Air base, but yeah it does house B61 bombs guarded by a small American contingent on base.
To bring a family there for an entire day?😢 That sounds awesome though unlikely