The RAF required a stretch of woodland not too close to a town, that was rail served and about 25 miles inland to store ammunition. New sidings and a branch network for military traffic were built at the Longparish station in 1942 and concrete roads were built in the forest to disperse ammunition to the storage huts. Bombs started arriving in the autumn of 1943 and the depot initially stored 40,000 tons which obviously increased around D-Day.
Longparish Station - the large concrete area where ammunition would've been loaded and un-loaded
Longparish Station today (image from Google), now a residential property, just like Wherwell (identical) a couple of miles down the road.
This is Middleton House, it was occupied by a school, but was taken over as the HQ for Maintenance Unit 202.
Just a few of the many concrete roads laid in the forest to help disperse ammunition to the storage huts.
Just the frame remains of a Nissan Hut
Ford Prefect, rotting away.
Emergency Water Supply Pond, there is another alongside, both have dried out and nature has taken over.
Another EWS
Longparish Station - the large concrete area where ammunition would've been loaded and un-loaded
Longparish Station today (image from Google), now a residential property, just like Wherwell (identical) a couple of miles down the road.
This is Middleton House, it was occupied by a school, but was taken over as the HQ for Maintenance Unit 202.
Just a few of the many concrete roads laid in the forest to help disperse ammunition to the storage huts.
Just the frame remains of a Nissan Hut
Ford Prefect, rotting away.
Emergency Water Supply Pond, there is another alongside, both have dried out and nature has taken over.
Another EWS
Last edited: