Visited this today with Bryag, looks like it's another new one on here...
This site is massive, covers a huge area, sadly mostly demo'd or "cowed" (as opposed to chavved
)
It is basically joined to the live bombing range the RAF operate here.
Some history (courtesy of "www.controltowers.co.uk")
09/41 to 10/41, Fighter Sector Station with 17 Sqn Hurricanes.
10/41 to 03/42, 123 Sqn from Castletown.
03/42 to 04/42, 801 Sqn Fleet Air Arm with Sea Hurricanes.
03/42 and 04/42, 76 Sqn Halifaxes used the airfield for two attacks on the Tirpitz in Norway.
06/42 to 04/43, Coastal Command Development Unit moved here from Ballykelly.
01/43 to 11/46, No 1 Torpedo Refresher School (later renamed Torpedo Training Unit) training RAF and RN aircrews.
02/43, Transferred to Coastal Command and used by many Sqns on recce and anti shipping patrols.
07/44 to 08/45, 86 Sqn with Liberators. 8/44 to 6/45, 311 Sqn with Liberators.
Onto the pics - as usual, 2MP camera + me = poor shots - Bryag will sort that with his shots!
Any ideas as to the purpose of this massive, buttressed and banked both sides wall would be nice - nothing nearby...
No reward? Damn - and we found these just inside the range
Loads of 1000lb practice bombs...
As I say, most of the site was used by the local farmer, cows had run riot through most of the buildings...
We found the Control Tower
Sadly no-one there to answer our questions
It had rather groovy sliding windows, and when we got on the roof, we had a great view of the Tornados dropping Cluster Bombs on the range - what better vantage point than a Bomber Command Control Tower
Stunningly bad shot of said planes in action...
And the sound was immense
There were a lot of Air Raid Shelters on site - mainly in good nick, stripped though sadly, and always with toilet-blocks beside them
Some quality original graffitti in the toilet-blocks
A big site - some random buildings, with a Personnel Shelter (I think) in the foreground - loads of these on site
It would have been great to see this site in it's heyday - so much has been flattened now, and as it was from here the mission to destroy the 'Tirpitz' flew from, this is a real shame, proper part of history getting neglected and destroyed
One last shot of the Control Tower
This site is massive, covers a huge area, sadly mostly demo'd or "cowed" (as opposed to chavved
)It is basically joined to the live bombing range the RAF operate here.
Some history (courtesy of "www.controltowers.co.uk")
09/41 to 10/41, Fighter Sector Station with 17 Sqn Hurricanes.
10/41 to 03/42, 123 Sqn from Castletown.
03/42 to 04/42, 801 Sqn Fleet Air Arm with Sea Hurricanes.
03/42 and 04/42, 76 Sqn Halifaxes used the airfield for two attacks on the Tirpitz in Norway.
06/42 to 04/43, Coastal Command Development Unit moved here from Ballykelly.
01/43 to 11/46, No 1 Torpedo Refresher School (later renamed Torpedo Training Unit) training RAF and RN aircrews.
02/43, Transferred to Coastal Command and used by many Sqns on recce and anti shipping patrols.
07/44 to 08/45, 86 Sqn with Liberators. 8/44 to 6/45, 311 Sqn with Liberators.
Onto the pics - as usual, 2MP camera + me = poor shots - Bryag will sort that with his shots!
Any ideas as to the purpose of this massive, buttressed and banked both sides wall would be nice - nothing nearby...
No reward? Damn - and we found these just inside the range
Loads of 1000lb practice bombs...
As I say, most of the site was used by the local farmer, cows had run riot through most of the buildings...
We found the Control Tower
Sadly no-one there to answer our questions
It had rather groovy sliding windows, and when we got on the roof, we had a great view of the Tornados dropping Cluster Bombs on the range - what better vantage point than a Bomber Command Control Tower
Stunningly bad shot of said planes in action...
And the sound was immense
There were a lot of Air Raid Shelters on site - mainly in good nick, stripped though sadly, and always with toilet-blocks beside them
Some quality original graffitti in the toilet-blocks
A big site - some random buildings, with a Personnel Shelter (I think) in the foreground - loads of these on site
It would have been great to see this site in it's heyday - so much has been flattened now, and as it was from here the mission to destroy the 'Tirpitz' flew from, this is a real shame, proper part of history getting neglected and destroyed
One last shot of the Control Tower
....here are some of my pics from the day.
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