Upon arriving i never realised just how big this block was and once inside parts were very dark and poor floors in some areas made this an interesting explore. I spent around 3 hours wandering round and taking it all in. i thoroughly enjoyed looking round this one.
history
The Officers' Mess and Single Officers' Quarters was built in 1937 and is by A. Bulloch, the architectural advisor to the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and Buildings. It has a complex extended H-Plan set out on formal Beaux-Arts lines. The main range includes the principal dining room, reception room, lounge and other public rooms as well as the kitchen. The bedroom blocks form the outer arms of the H. It is an impressive example of a neo-Georgian officers' mess and quarters, typical of those built on airfields in the 1930s.
RAF Manby was opened in 1938 as home to the Empire Air Armament School. Many bomb disposal techniques were invented at Manby, often a trial by fire.
By June 1940, RAF Manby housed the Joint Services Bomb Disposal School. Royal Engineers and Royal Navy demolition parties being trained alongside their RAF counterparts. In August 1940, the bomb disposal workload, generated by ever-increasing enemy activity, led to the establishment of 25 mobile BD squads, increased in manpower strength from three to 25 personnel each.
RAF Strubby came under RAF Manby RAF Flying College from VJ Day until closure in 1972. The nucleus of the staff of the Empire Central Flying School was transferred to RAF Manby to open the Flying College in 1946. Manby later became the home of the College of Air Warfare, part of which was the School of Refresher Flying.
As a member of the crash crew in 1951/52 at RAF Strubby, Les Featherstone attended a Vampire crash into a farm yard. The pilot was Wing Commander Steventon. He bailed out, but his parachute did not open, and he crashed through the farmhouse roof. The farm was local between Strubby and Mablethorpe.
In Oct 1954 a Canberra bomber belonging to the RAF Flying College, Manby, makes the first jet flight over the North Pole.
In 1963 the Navigation Wing of the Central Navigation and Control School moved to RAF Manby from RAF Shawbury, leaving Shawbury the task of all aspects of ATC training as the Central Air Traffic Control School.
The base closed in 1974. Today the site is used for Agriculture, the hangers are used as a grain store, with other buildings being used for industry. It is also home to Manby and District Model Aero Club.
history
The Officers' Mess and Single Officers' Quarters was built in 1937 and is by A. Bulloch, the architectural advisor to the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and Buildings. It has a complex extended H-Plan set out on formal Beaux-Arts lines. The main range includes the principal dining room, reception room, lounge and other public rooms as well as the kitchen. The bedroom blocks form the outer arms of the H. It is an impressive example of a neo-Georgian officers' mess and quarters, typical of those built on airfields in the 1930s.
RAF Manby was opened in 1938 as home to the Empire Air Armament School. Many bomb disposal techniques were invented at Manby, often a trial by fire.
By June 1940, RAF Manby housed the Joint Services Bomb Disposal School. Royal Engineers and Royal Navy demolition parties being trained alongside their RAF counterparts. In August 1940, the bomb disposal workload, generated by ever-increasing enemy activity, led to the establishment of 25 mobile BD squads, increased in manpower strength from three to 25 personnel each.
RAF Strubby came under RAF Manby RAF Flying College from VJ Day until closure in 1972. The nucleus of the staff of the Empire Central Flying School was transferred to RAF Manby to open the Flying College in 1946. Manby later became the home of the College of Air Warfare, part of which was the School of Refresher Flying.
As a member of the crash crew in 1951/52 at RAF Strubby, Les Featherstone attended a Vampire crash into a farm yard. The pilot was Wing Commander Steventon. He bailed out, but his parachute did not open, and he crashed through the farmhouse roof. The farm was local between Strubby and Mablethorpe.
In Oct 1954 a Canberra bomber belonging to the RAF Flying College, Manby, makes the first jet flight over the North Pole.
In 1963 the Navigation Wing of the Central Navigation and Control School moved to RAF Manby from RAF Shawbury, leaving Shawbury the task of all aspects of ATC training as the Central Air Traffic Control School.
The base closed in 1974. Today the site is used for Agriculture, the hangers are used as a grain store, with other buildings being used for industry. It is also home to Manby and District Model Aero Club.
on with the photos
thanks for looking
