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Report - - Tain Aerodrome, Tain, 14-11-07 | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Tain Aerodrome, Tain, 14-11-07

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zimbob

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
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 :D )

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...
TainDrome14thNov005.jpg

TainDrome14thNov022.jpg

No reward? Damn - and we found these just inside the range :D
TainDrome14thNov037.jpg

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
TainDrome14thNov071.jpg

TainDrome14thNov096.jpg

Sadly no-one there to answer our questions :(
TainDrome14thNov106.jpg

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 :D
Stunningly bad shot of said planes in action...
TainDrome14thNov109.jpg

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 :D
TainDrome14thNov135.jpg

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Some quality original graffitti in the toilet-blocks :D
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A big site - some random buildings, with a Personnel Shelter (I think) in the foreground - loads of these on site
TainDrome14thNov127.jpg

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 :mad:
One last shot of the Control Tower
TainDrome14thNov120.jpg
 
B

bryag

Guest
Guest
Re: Tain Aerodrome, Tain - Report, 14-11-07

After the great explore at Fort North Sutor, a rather disappointing start to the day as most of the structures had been levelled. We came across the control tower, and it got a whole lot better!

Thanks to Zimbob for setting the scene:thumb....here are some of my pics from the day.

Current active bombing control tower. And today it was active!
DSC01758.jpg


Is that red flag waving???
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Never mind, they won't miss a few of these!
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Lots of rolled up surfaces? (I expect they have a name!)
DSC01802.jpg


A quick peek in the middle
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Then back over the fence to the old site. Natives seem friendly enough...
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...but could do with a little house training!:eek:
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Small shelter
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And inside
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The tower
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The local toilet! (For cows at least!)
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Fabulous views
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Inside and out!
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As we headed away
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Old safe
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Yes it is a window
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Met these two handsome blokes!
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Spot the Irony!
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Another smashing day out, and the weather was terrific! Couldn't have asked for a better day.:D
 
B

bryag

Guest
Guest
Re: Tain Aerodrome, Tain - Report, 14-11-07

I guess if you took a spade a did a bit of digging, you'd find a whole load of .303 bullets. :cool:

Did they shoot into the brick, or the soil pushed up against it (as it was on both sides!) although one side was buttressed up much more substantially than the other

One side
DSC01750.jpg


The other
DSC01748.jpg


Which side would be used for calibration??:thumb
 
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