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Report - - RAF Coningsby Remote Weapons Store, Lincolnshire - February 2019 | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - RAF Coningsby Remote Weapons Store, Lincolnshire - February 2019

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Exploring with Andy

Behind Closed Doors
Staff member
Moderator
On my way home from an overnight explore down south, it seemed a shame to waste the beautiful summer-like days we were having in mid-February, so I decided to stop off at RAF Coningsby's old weapons storage facility. It's not all that far from where I live, and I'd been meaning to take a look whenever I had a chance, so this seemed like the ideal opportunity.

History

RAF Coningsby Remote Weapons Store, as the name suggests, is a facility built for the purpose of storing and preparing weapons including missiles and bombs, situated in a separate compound close to the outer edge of the main airbase.

The facility was built in order to reduce the quantity of explosives stored within the base, therefore reducing the number of personnel and aircraft exposed to risk. An incident occurred in 1971 when an electrostatic discharge caused a SNEB rocket that was being prepared to initiate its rocket motor. Two armourers were killed, and this could be one of the reasons for deciding to build the store further away.

RAF Coningsby itself is operational as Quick Reaction Alert station, and is home to Eurofighter Typhoons from No. 3 Squadron, No. XI Squadron and No. 29 Squadron.

Little information is available about the history of the bomb store, but this is no surprise owing to the fact it belongs to an active RAF base. The facility has separate storage and preparation facilities and does not appear on historic maps dated 1977 or earlier. Hardened Aircraft Shelters were constructed within the airbase from 1981-1987 to accommodate Tornado Jets. The Tornados were capable of carrying a range of missiles and weaponry, so it is likely the weapons storage facility was built around the same time as the hangars to service the weaponry for those aircraft. The facility appears to have been out of use for a good number of years.

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Aerial view of the weapons store as seen on Google Maps

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This hand-drawn plan was found within the site

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View down the road of section 1

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Storage areas in section 4

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The entrance to storage area 14C

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Building 21F entrance

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Building 12 contained this mobile communications unit

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Inside the mobile comms unit

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There were also some opened crates of naval gun mounts

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Missile Servicing Bay and an ivy-clad building

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Inside the ivy building

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Missile Servicing Bay

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A few of the other buildings scattered around the site...

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Looking over to the command centre

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Inside the command centre

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Bunk beds

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I'm not sure what this does, but it looked pretty cool

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Huge diesel generator

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Sentry post at the east gate

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Eastern gateway​
 

drhowser

Bespectacled & irrelevant
Regular User
Ah nice, it looks like a few more bits are open now, my parents live in Swineshead so I usually have a poke round here whenever I'm back.
I've certainly never seen the comms unit and gun mount before!
 

mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
Probably the best bomb store in the country, its a beautiful place. I'll never forget the Battle of Britain memorial flight based at Coningsby flying around overhead while I was here. Being in the generator room, looking out the window and seeing a Spitfire flying low over the site was incredible.

My visit last year was fairly rushed so we didn't see all that I'd have liked to, a return is on the cards whenever I'm up that way again.
 

Angelis

28DL Member
28DL Member
Very nice report and pictures, I have often driven past and been tempted to explore myself, but never got round to it. might have to pop over.
 
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