on the way to york today i detoured to check out this place, a forward filling depot that dealt with mustard gas and munitions during the war years. not much left of this place and looks like the local farmer is using it, however a visit is a visit and should be on here for all to see. not many building left standing but looking around tha site you can clearly see evidence of were they once stood.
a wee bit of history on the place, google do your thing.......
Forward Filling Depot Number 5, Escrick, North Yorkshire
Grid Reference : SE676428
Sometimes referred to as West Cottingwith.
It was proposed in 1941 that 5 of these depots would be built. The Forward Filling Depot serving the Bomber Command Airfields in Yorkshire was at West Cottingwith, eight miles south-east of York.
These FFD’S were designed to charge cases with mustard gas.
The chemical name for mustard gas is dichlorodiethyl sulphide. At normal room temperature it is a liquid.
Contact with the liquid or vapor will cause blisters on the skin similar to third degree burns and if inhaled will cause serious damage to the lungs which will almost inevitable cause death.
Its value in conflict was due to the fact that it does not decompose and will remain active in the ground or on materials it has contaminated for many days, in fact months or even years.
Today only a few buildings remain on the site, these are believed to be the personnel decontamination and changing room, the toxic and non-toxic mess rooms and the guardroom/office.
The layout of the 5 FFD’s were similar in layout. The larger buildings used for storing empty cases. A bonding building and a charging building where the cases were filled.
Underground storage tanks, called POTS, is where the chemical was stored.
West Cottingwith had two tanks, each capable of holding 250 tons of mustard gas.
The depot was served by the Derwent Valley Light Railway.
fricking great big barn owl nesting in here and was i an unwelcome visitor??? to fooking right i was
anyone know any good sparkies, think that could with a coat of looking at
cheers all and thanks for taking time to look, not much to see in way of interest but if you like war things and crumbly walls then bobs your uncle
a wee bit of history on the place, google do your thing.......
Forward Filling Depot Number 5, Escrick, North Yorkshire
Grid Reference : SE676428
Sometimes referred to as West Cottingwith.
It was proposed in 1941 that 5 of these depots would be built. The Forward Filling Depot serving the Bomber Command Airfields in Yorkshire was at West Cottingwith, eight miles south-east of York.
These FFD’S were designed to charge cases with mustard gas.
The chemical name for mustard gas is dichlorodiethyl sulphide. At normal room temperature it is a liquid.
Contact with the liquid or vapor will cause blisters on the skin similar to third degree burns and if inhaled will cause serious damage to the lungs which will almost inevitable cause death.
Its value in conflict was due to the fact that it does not decompose and will remain active in the ground or on materials it has contaminated for many days, in fact months or even years.
Today only a few buildings remain on the site, these are believed to be the personnel decontamination and changing room, the toxic and non-toxic mess rooms and the guardroom/office.
The layout of the 5 FFD’s were similar in layout. The larger buildings used for storing empty cases. A bonding building and a charging building where the cases were filled.
Underground storage tanks, called POTS, is where the chemical was stored.
West Cottingwith had two tanks, each capable of holding 250 tons of mustard gas.
The depot was served by the Derwent Valley Light Railway.
fricking great big barn owl nesting in here and was i an unwelcome visitor??? to fooking right i was
anyone know any good sparkies, think that could with a coat of looking at
cheers all and thanks for taking time to look, not much to see in way of interest but if you like war things and crumbly walls then bobs your uncle
