RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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One of the oldest operational aerodromes still in military hands. Flying started here around 1911 with the Royal Flying Corps and continues to this day with the Army Air Corps.

Royal Flying Corps brass cap badge.

Royal Air Force cap badge.

Army Air Corps cap badge.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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One of the last proper wooden Wilts County Council sign post. They are being all replaced by plastic versions.

Bellman hangar.

Bessonneau canvas hangar.

1916 side opening wooden hangar.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon.

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There were in WW2 : -
A 1913 wooden hutted camp.
2 x Type A hangar 1924.
2 x Cathedral (HP 2 & 5 bay) hangars 1918 (2bay has now been removed 2017).
1 x Bessonneau hangar.
1 x Bellman hangar 1940.
1 x Side opening 1916 wooden hangar .

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon I have started on the road leading from the Village of Netheravon.

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The first building now a house was, as I remember it, the Catholic Church for the camp.

The red arrow shows where we are.

Type 'A' shed 1924.

Police dogs 1950s.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1958 Plan of the Main Gate.

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Details from the plan: -
0 ------ number in italics, the plan Number.
[PB] - Permanent Brick - built in standard brick work.
(numbers in brackets) these are the RAF drawing number.
DFW34/13 means a 1913 plan and 445/21 a 1921 building.
As you come up the hill, the married quarters are on the right and left, 8 on the plan was the Mortuary, a timber framed asbestos sheets and the red spot the telephone box next the Guard Room.
Behind the he guard room was a green house, tool shed and a nursery.

Iconic red phone box.

This is how the guard room may have looked as its how I remember it, the main items were the porch and the full length mirror by the door.

I believe this is of the guard room in the 1950/60's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Airmen´s married quarters.

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The original married quarters No.'s 1 to 28 with drawing numbers (73/13) have been remove. The newer types 29 to 38 are 3bed and 39 to 62 are mixed 2 & 3bed of a later date. The ones you now see are around 1950's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Airmen´s married quarters.

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The original married quarters No.'s 1 to 28 with drawing numbers (73/13) have been remove but in this 1927 air photo shows the married quarters in their blocks of four.. The Officers Mess and grounds behind.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Married Quarters

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There was a long row of four blocks of four, Airmen´s Married Qtrs. [PB] (D.F.W 73/13).
There are two blocks of two (73/13) still here set out the far end of the estate. [PB].

This is how they may have looked, This picture is off RAF houses on another station.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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6A Married WD Quarters No. 1-2 [PB] (D.F.W.73/13).
6B Married WD Quarters No. 3-4 [PB] (D.F.W.73/13).

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Gymnasium

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80 Gymnasium, Lecture Room, Cinema, Training Wing, HQ. Offices (121/41/125),
Education Centre (42.126/42). I remember watching the ''Dambusters'' film here as a child and also my family ran a taxi business as well as the local garage and my mother would collect and deliver the drums of film from the NAAFI in Amesbury to the cinema here. The main ones I remember were the films of Elvis Presley.

Dam Buster.

Elvis in uniform.

The film.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Guard Room

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The guard room was on the left. This was the main gate although the road was open to the public and you could drive the whole camp. Most RFC and later RAF camps had a road running through them for some odd reason. It was open right up until the IRA campaign took up bombing army camps. This one was never bombed but Netheravon army camp in the village was and one hut was fire bombed. Quite a lot of personnel equipment was burnt due to the fact it was all old stuff and the soldiers wanted to have it replaced (old army trick) and trough it in the fire.

The old 1880's huts at SWW Netheravon, the type that was burnt down.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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Air Ministry boundary stone No.25.
History : Netheravon started life before 1913 as a cavalry school and gallops on Choulston downs. Exorcises took place here with aircraft and cavalry. Due to their success the area was taken over as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome. By the summer of 1914 the whole of the Military Wing of the RFC, 700 personnel and 70 airplane assembled here for a training exercise. By the start of WW1 Netheravon was the centre for preparation's of squadrons to be assembled and sent out to France.

That early exorcise on the Plain.

Be2c.

Australian plane under canvas.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Grade II listings

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Grade II listing - England, Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Buildings 15 and 17, Airfield Camp (former RAF Netheravon) England Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Buildings 19, Airfield Camp (former RAF Netheravon) (Sergeant's Mess) England Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Buildings 29K - 29O (inclusive), Airfield Camp (former RAF Netheravon) (airmen's Barracks) England Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Buildings 29P - 29T (inclusive), Airfield Camp (former RAF Netheravon) (airmen's Barracks) England Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Buildings 38a (former RAF Netheravon) (airmen's Barracks) (Handley Page Hangars) England Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Building 52c (Main Depot Offices), Airfield Camp (former RAF Netheravon) England Netheravon Grade II Wiltshire Building 83 , Airfield Camp (former RAF Netheravon) (Institute Building)

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 80 on the plan.

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80 Gymnasium, Lecture Room, Cinema, Training Wing, HQ. & Offices (121/41/125).
Education Centre (42.126/42). This building has had lots of uses over the years.
The main plan I am working off is AM 13506/58 - 1958.

Plan.

 

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Rear view.

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80 Gymnasium, Lecture Room, Cinema, Training Wing, HQ. & Offices (121/41/125).
Education Centre (42.126/42). This building has had lots of uses over the years.

 

1930's air map.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon View from above.

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80 Gymnasium, Lecture Room, Cinema, Training Wing, HQ. & Offices (121/41/125).
Education Centre (42.126/42). This building has had lots of uses over the years. Only the front remains.

something here

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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Sport parachuting at Netheravon.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Airfield Camp Netheravon.

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History : Netheravon by now is a training station with 1918/19 being a time of decline, by the mid 20's expansion starts with the rise of Hitler’s Germany. This is when the new red brick buildings [PB] were built and the two Type 'A' sheds.
No1 FTS with DH9's, Sopwith Snipe & Avro 504's. Then the training of Naval officers for the Fleet Air Arm with Bristol fighters & DH9a's. In the 30's the FAA used Netheravon for squadrons when their aircraft carrier was in dock. 1935 No.6 FTS was reformed with Hart, Audax & Furies. 6FTS moved out. 1FTS moved in again and this time 1939 with the noisy North American Harvard's.

DH9a of No.1 Flying Training School.

Bristol Fighters.

North American Harvard's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon The newer main gate/guard room with the road now blocked.

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Since the IRA started targeting army camps, all military establishments are protected (at great cost) with a main gate and guards wondering the areas. Oh and many cameras. As kids we could cycle past the old gate and wonder all over the camps and never be told off or moved away. I wish then I had had a camera.

Plan.

How we may have looked.

RAF Netheravon

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RFC Station Netheravon west camp March 1918.

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Looking at this great plan showing the Officers quarters and Mess are still being used as such and next the building to the right was the Sergeants Mess now used as something else (we did not go inside). The Men's Mess, Institute and quarters is now the Sergeants Mess and lecture rooms. Mens quarters on the other side of the road has been removed. Several A.R.S. (Aircraft Repair Sheds), a Dope store, Plane store, Workshops and Sail makers shop. There was a Hospital, Medical hut, Quarter Masters, Bank & Tailors. Women's quarters and a reading room.

RFC officer.

RFC women.

RFC soldier.

RAF Netheravon

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The 2013 visit to Netheravon with members of AIX.

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Airfield Information Exchange. the forum and group. We were taken first around RAF Upavon and then RAF Netheravon, now both in the hands of the Army.

Airfield Information Exchange.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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9, Officers Mess [P.C.C. dwarf walls, timber & asbestos]. (NN93) drawing number.

A 1914 Flight magazine page.

Click here for a very good RFC website.

Officers Mess.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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P.C.C. dwarf walls, timber & asbestos method of building here..
PCC dwarf walls are the low wall on the left of the picture and then timber & asbestos is four x two lengths of timber laid on the dwarf wall and then the uprights & top horizontals, then covered in sheets of asbestos and wooden strips painted black nailed to hold the sheets on.

Very much like this.

In the village is where TW Drew, The Garage, Netheravon my fathers and then my garage until the late 70's. This building was built in 1916 and removed off the camp in 1926 then re built built as two garages. We had to replace most of the 4x2's at ground level as they were rotted out by the 70's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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The famous RFC Wings.
The RFC Wings were based on the Royal Engineers badge.

Royal Engineers Badge.

RFC Badge.

Officers.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Mr Choi aeroplane artist and airfield enthusiast.
Note the pair of boot scrapers, it shows that their boots would get very muddy.

A painting by Mr Choi of a Hunter Mk.6 of Sqn Ldr Topp of 111Sqn RAF Wattisham 1958.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Main entrance. A member of the Mess staff would sit in the cubicle on the right where officers would sign in and out.

 

 

Officers mess plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Main entrance. The view out.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Anti-Room.
The two Officers who kindly showed us around Netheravon & Upavon.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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One of the main rooms.

A very tired officer pilot.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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This picture was taken when the AAC were in operation here.
It shows a lovely propeller from WW1 and leather armchairs.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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The music room.
History : War has started and flying training continues at a great pace. More training airfields are built across the country and the world and Netheravon's roll starts to slow down. By 1942 Airborne Forces moved in to bring the Glider Exorcise Squadron and the Parachute Exorcise Squadron together. RAF 38 Wing was formed here to take over the running of all these units.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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The lamp shades look very contemporary also the fire places.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Billiards room.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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English Billiards.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Ladies toilets.
The reason I added this photo is to show the wooden roof.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Gentleman toilets.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Married officers living in double room.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Single officers living in room.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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Officers Mess kitchen. It would not take too long to recommission the mess.

 

Checking the chiefs.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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The mess secretaries office.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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A message left.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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A WW2 extension and 11f Officers Mess Games Room.
An extension built in temporary brick design of WW2 hutting but using the matching diamond roof tiles.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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11g on the plan Single Officers Quarters

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Officers Mess.

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19 SNCO's accommodation.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Accommodation hutting

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29l Class Rooms and Offices. [D.F.W 27/13].

Plan

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon NCO's.

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29k N.C.O Cubicles ( I am presuming NCO's accommodation).
29l Class Rooms. Both [D.F.W 27/13].

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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83 Sergeants Mess .
In 1918 this was showing up as the men's Institute.

Plan.

A sergeants mess at Christmas.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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Sergeants Mess dining room.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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Large room and attached games room on the left.
Terry lost again.

 

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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The attached games room and toilets. Possibly a WW2 addition.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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Room with a view.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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The Sergeants Mess clock.
Was the institute where soldiers could get some extra food ad a cup of tea, they could rest, play games and write letters.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Sergeants Mess.

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All entrances have boot scrapers. It must have been a muddy period.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Store

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22a Store Timber Framed asbestos sheets [D.F.W.28/13].

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon class room

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29p Class Room.
This used to be a Play Group on the camp and my middle son was an inmate here.

Airfield Camp Pre School

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon RFC Concentration Camp

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Western camp. You can just see one of the original classrooms on the right side.

Kite ballooning.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Flight magazine June 5th 1914

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Extract from Flight magazine saying what was happening at Netheravon June 1915..

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Squash Court

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16 Squash Court [PB] [1842/35].
A 1935 model Squash court. Officers were persuaded to take up sport as it kept them fit and honed their skills. Most RAF stations have/had a squash court.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Squash Court

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16 Squash Court [PB] [1842/35].
Inside with stairs up to a viewing platform.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Squash Court

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16 Squash Court [PB] [1842/35].
Still looks in very good condition.

A squash court layout.

 

A wartime squash court.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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38a AAP Handley-Page Storage Coupled Sheds shed [Stone, C.S.S. Roof] (884-886/19), built in 1920 and has Bath stone block wall.
(AAP - Aircraft Acceptance Park.)
(C.S.S. - Clear Steel Span ???.)
Five Bay Handley Page Hangar. Built to accommodate the Handley Page bomber which could fold its wings to fit more into a hangar. Netheravon was going to be part of the southern bombing area with RAF Boscombe Down and RAF Stonehenge.

Handley Page 0/400 of late 1918.
This is Robert Karr's model, go to his website by clicking on here.

Another image from Robert Karr’s 0/400.

An 0/400 with folded wings.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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The front face.
Large bi-fold doors could be opened to its full width.

History : At the end of WW1 Netheravon like several other stations in the south of England were to be converted into heavy bomber stations with Handley Page bombers and a large accommodation hutting and hangarage was to be built. Well the two hangars were built but the plan changed and the bombers went somewhere else.

Handley Page bomber.

HP shed looking inside at the narrowness of the layout. HP bombers were designed so they could fold their wings and and fit into a smaller space.

West camp sheds in use in the 20's/30's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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Back north facing.
Later in the 50's it was the Motor Transport section garage.

AEC Matador.

Bedford Queen Mary aeroplane transport.

Bedford

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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The road which joins the two camps.
Heading out to the East Camp.

RAF Land Rover.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon East camp

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RFC Station Netheravon east camp 1918.
8th, 7th, 24th Training School.
(ACS - Air Craft Shed).

Netheravon under canvas.

Officers on Concentration at Netheravon.

Something else that was new to the British forces was not only this new fangled flying machines but also Motor Transport for ever now called MT. Horses were on there way out.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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The road between the two camps is on the left. In 1913/14 canvas hangars were laid out along this road.

RFC pilots.

Altimeter.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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Aerial view of the camp.
Aerial view of Netheravon Concentration Camp shortly before the outbreak of The Great War.

 

Mobile photographic section.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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BE2e's at the Netheravon Concentration Camp shortly before the outbreak of The Great War.
''Concentration Camp'' the meaning here was to bring together and train by using practical experiments in order to test theory. Cooperation with the artillery, infantry and cavalry, radio air to air, air to ground. Photographic, reconnaissance and just learning what to do with this new asset. There was a lot to learn.

More B2e's

Pud Reed a South African pilot in the Royal Flying Corps.

Early bombing.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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Smith RFC BE2c June 1914 a very good posed picture.

Be2c plans.

something here

Air to air early combat.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon WW2

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Pill Box one of many that WERE here.
Possibly a Type 22 pill box. I knew of seven and there are now two left and the remains of one.

Plan of a Type 22.

We called them Threepenny pieces as they had as many sides.

The second.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon WW2

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Plan of where the Pill Boxes were sited.
Mostly Type 22 made of concrete with earth on their roofs as camouflage. In 1940 Netheravon came under an aerodrome close to the enemy so had to have a large defence in case of a parachute and glider attack, so a full range of pillboxes, trenches, a Battle HQ and many trenches were built all designed to face the runways to hold and beat a airborne landing.

Plan of a Type 22.

Inside a pillbox.

Fallschirmjäger.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Choulston Ox Barn

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Ox Barn 79 Contractors Store & Yard [PB].
This building was the Ox Barn, built for the original farm out of hand made dark red brick and in the time of the RFC it was used as aircraft storage and RAF, Army Air Corps days it was the works office and yard.

The Ox barn from above.

Transport.

Plan east camp.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Choulston Ox Barn

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My Grandfather was a plough man with Oxen in the late 1800 not here but near Melksham.

Oxen ploughing.

My grandparents with my cousin in the 1950's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Fire shed

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43b Fire Tender & Inflammable Store [Steel corrugated iron]. Wooden 4x2 framework with corrugated sheets.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Fire shed

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43b Fire Tender & Inflammable Store [Steel corrugated iron]

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon East Camp

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I think this was the water inlet/outlet to the water purification plant.
In this area were the : -
46 A.M.W.D Pump Attendant [Timber & C.S.S.].
46a Underground Reservoir [P.C.C.].
46b Water Tower [Steel] (Braithwaite Tower).
47 Hill Pump House [Timber & C.S.S.].
72 Booster Pump House [PB].
73 Reservoir (100000Gls) [P.C.C.].

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Braithwaite water tower

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46b Water Tower [Steel] (Braithwaite Tower).
Braithwaite water towers used to litter the landscape around wartime airfields and army camps.

1913/14 water tower..

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Fire station

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1b Fire Station & Picket [Timber framing and asbestos]

Plan of east camp.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Fire station

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1b Fire Station & Picket [Timber framing and asbestos]

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Fire station

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1b Fire Station & Picket [Timber framing and asbestos].
A fireman and a fire tender.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Latrine

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63 Technical latrine. Now coated in modern sheeting but may have been made in temporary brick.

A bit like this 9026/41 latrine.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Accounts office

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43c Accounts office. This building I have always noted its very large windows and an airy space, so as the accounts office it would need to be like that.

Station office in a large RAF camp.

Plan of east camp.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Greenery

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Planted trees. Trees were planted between the wars to soften the look of the hangars and buildings.
In the back ground is 126b Static Water Tank (14000gls).

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon HQ

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52c Orderly Room HQ [Timber & Asbestos].
Many huts have been removed, I was horrified how many. It was a nice little quarter of the airfield based on pre-WW1 buildings.

2003 how it used to look.

2003 how it used to look.

2013.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Armoury

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57 Station Armoury.

WRAF 4th Wing, RAF Netheravon 1918

WRAF 4th Wing, RAF Netheravon 1918 outside the offices here.

WRAF driver 4th Wing, RAF Netheravon 1918.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 'A' shed

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Type ''A'' shed on the left and the Armoury on the right.

WAAF and a Pilot around 1918.

Plan of the east camp.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Butts

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Rifle Butts were in the hollow and the,
60 Magazine SAA Store. [PB].
65 Machine Gun Range & weather boarded hut.
60 Machine gun range (NN/0/46/24)
1 - firing point.
9 - targets.
1 - traveling target.

 

Butts and magazine from the air.

RAF Calshot, Hampshires 25yd range and magazine of the same period.

Plan of the east camp.

Butts and magazine plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon RAF Police Dogs

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Dog Pen. In the 1950's the RAF Police dogs were based here before moving on to Debden, they became fuel bowser storage later and now caravan storage..

Police dogs.

 

WRAF kennel maids.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 'A' shed

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95 the last Type 'A' Hangar hidden in trees (1478/24). When the Police dogs were here it was used as the Dog Reception & Class Rooms.

Basic Police Training Course No. 21 - 1953 both men and WRAFs.

A 1954 picture captioned ''M & AD4268. [AD = Air Dog]

Dog handlers.

'A' shed plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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38b AAP Handley-Page Storage Coupled Sheds [Stone, C.S.S. Roof] (884-886/19), built in 1920 in Bath stone blocks. Called the Cathedral Hangar due to the fact there are buttresses on the outside walls. It was built by German WW1 POW's.

Buttresses on the end wall.

HP 0/100 bomber with wings folded.

HP 0/100 bomber.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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38b AAP Handley-Page Storage Coupled Sheds [Stone, C.S.S. Roof] (884-886/19), built in 1918 in Bath stone blocks.

Plan of east camp.

Plan HP shed.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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38b AAP Handley-Page Storage Coupled Sheds [Stone, C.S.S. Roof] (884-886/19), built in 1918 in Bath stone blocks.

207 bomber Sqn WW1.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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38b AAP Handley-Page Storage Coupled Sheds [Stone, C.S.S. Roof] (884-886/19), built in 1918 in Bath stone blocks.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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Main grass runway.
There are two runways here but I am sure when the aerodrome was being built in the early 1900, runways were far from the designers thoughts. You just took off into wind.

The two modern runways.

RAF Netheravon

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Bath stone rendered.

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Very rare in this part of Wiltshire to use Bath Stone.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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High glass widows allow in lots of light.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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Front elevation would have had large wooden bi-fold doors or sets of large doors that would open to allow full openings. The door openings were 42ft bays to house HP 0/100 with a wingspan of 100ft could fit in only by folding their wings to fit inside.

Bi-fold doors on Handley Page shed.

HP 0/100 with folding wings.

HP 0/100.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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Inside not a lot here to discern what the hangar was originally like. It was used for many years by the Army Fire Service.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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Inside.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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HP shed door frame detail.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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Safety ladder to access the roof.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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HP shed offices built onto the side.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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HP shed.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Handley-Page

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This area had two very large flight huts.
The concrete was a dog pen and would have had high fences to house the dogs and behind on the grass area there were two very large flight huts but on the 1958 plan they had been removed.

The two flight huts in 1944.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Flight hut foundations.

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Not on the 1958 plan. You can just see a bolt to hold down a 4x2 wall plate.

A WW1 style hut.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Control tower

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Local Control Building 7378a/55 (Side-by-Side Type).
When the helicopters arrived from the AAC a new control tower was needed and this 7378a/55 was built out on the airfield.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Control tower

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Local Control Building 7378a/55 (Side-by-Side Type).

Site of the new control tower.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Trees screening the Type ''A'' shed.
Trees planted between the wars in the expansion schemes.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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95 Type 'A' Hangar [1478/24].The Type 'A' shed was a permanent hangar for the RAF post WW1 and at 122ft x 249ft was very big considering the size of aircraft of the period.

Type 'A' Hangar.

Type 'A' front face.

Type 'A' door design.

'A' shed.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed
Well I suppose I had to include a picture of me.

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95 Type 'A' Hangar [1478/24].
In the sixties we would play in and out of the hangars and climb up onto the gantries.
Four large doors opening to full width allowing aircraft not yet designed could use it.

The 'A' shed from above.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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95 Type 'A' Hangar [1478/24] showing the trees running around the hangar.
We did not enter this hangar as it is THE HOME OF THE ARMY PARACHUTE ASSOCIATION.

The Army Parachute Association.

In the winter with no leaves on the trees.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Continuing along the north side of the hangar.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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94 Type 'A' Hangar [1478/24].

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Shed of some sort with the side offices behind. I just wonder how long that bin has been there.

 

Anson.

Harrow.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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94 Type 'A' Hangar [1478/24] with its full 122 ft span.
That little handle can be wound by one person and will open a door to its full width. Well it could if the door buttresses had not been removed.

Door one of four.

Front face.

Side elevation.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Roof made of steel purlin´s and in filled with wooded boarding and then covered in an asbestos tile.
Now re covered in modern steel sheet roofing.

Plan.

Hayford

Blenheims.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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1929 1FTS. No1 Flying Training School.
The same hangar one in 1929 and the other 2013.
Just noticed the early water tower in the background.

57Sqn 20 October 1931.

No. 18 Course, No 1 Flying Training School, R.A.F. Netheravon, Wiltshire. 1st April 1941

Aircrew fitting into their uniforms.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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.Army Air Corps Auster.

Austers were the mainstay of air observation with the army for many years before the helicopter took over.

 

AAC.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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This is the view with only two of the four doors open.
The Army Air Corps used these two hangars, the five bay HP on the west camp and the two bay HP hangar was used by the Army Fire Service.

In the Army Air Corps days we had Beavers.

Scout.

Sioux.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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The closed west door.

Between the wars we would have seen Miles Magister of 1FTS.

DH Tiger Moth.

Tutor.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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249ft long, 30ft high and 122ft width would easily fit a Lancaster at 102ft.

In the WW2 we would have had Dakotas.

Albermarle.

Whitley's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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94 Type 'A' Hangar [1478/24].

The door runners and uprights have been removed.

Post war Beverley's for heavy lift.

Hastings taking over parachute duties.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Base of the door runners and behind the original watch office and the WW2 control tower.

AAC Lynx's.

Skeeter an early petrol engined helicopter.

Last were Apaches.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Watch office

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In 1958 it was the sports store 95a Watch Office (2027/26).

By 1958 the airfield was not being used as a flying functioning airfield but as a Police dog school. To keep the service men and women fit there was a full running field, 100 Sports arena (Grand Stand E Terraces).

As a kid I can remember many Americans soldiers came here to train with the our airmen. They were in their green denims, our RAF lads always had to be very smart and wore their No1,s. There was a cafe in the village with a Juke box. The Americans would sit and click their fingers to the music. The little things you remember.

Smart Airmen.

Ron Aiello and his dog Stormy in the sort of denims I remember.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Watch office

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95a Watch Office (2027/26).
The early 1920's watch office with the later (2027/26).

The Queen Mother looking out of the control tower windows around 1942.

Watch Office and Control Tower.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Watch office

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Operation Sparks. Operations board in the watch office.
A bombing raid on France with aircraft from here.
I was sent this picture but unfortunately that’s all the information I have.

I think they were in Halifax's.

Halifax crews.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Watch office

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Watch office internal stairs.
I have played in here but cannot remember what it was like.

What it may look like inside.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Watch office

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The original watch office at the far end and the WW2 extension this side.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Watch office

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The watch office extension being built.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Steel frame, cast concrete and glass widows.
RAF Shrewton a field across Salisbury Plain to the west was used as a satellite by Netheravon for pilot training and night flying. Fairey Battles replaced the Harvard's.
History : 1942 & Netheravon changed again to Army Co-operation. Glider & Parachute Exercise Sqn. moved in and were gradually with 6th Airborne working up to D-day. Whitley's as parachute & Tiger Moths for glider pilot training were used. The Whitley's of No.297 Sqn. made ready for the first 1000 bomber raid on Cologne, luckily the Whitley's were deemed unsuitable & sent back. Hectors & Harts were next used as glider tugs to 10 Hotspur gliders. July 42 Horsa gliders arrived for trials. 1943 & the old Whitley were being replaced by Halifax's.

Whitley bomber.

Hector and Hotspur glider.

Halifax taking off with a Horsa in tow.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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West entrance to the hangar.
RAF 38 Wing that later became RAF 38 Group used Netheravon to learn many lessons of how to handle airborne troops.

Hotspur training crew 1942.

Paras loading 1942.

Pathe image of the Type 'A' hangar and the watch offices.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Hangar offices.

Gliders training for D-day.

Glider training.

Maj. Gen. Browning commander of the 1st Airborne Division. There HQ was at Syrencot House Ablington.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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The old door runners.
History : The famous Bruneval raid used planes from here to fly paratroops from RAF Thruxton, Hampshire to northern France and parachuted behind the radar, advanced across country. Stole the required parts and two POW's and escaped down the hill and collected by the Royal Navy in assault landing craft.

A 1942 para drop just at Netheravon just as it would have looked at at Bruneval.

The radar was on the hill and they escaped down this hill and out to sea by RN assault landing craft.

Plan of the Bruneval attack.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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North side offices and workshops.

 

 

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Site for fire extinguishers.
All hangars that I have seen have a side door and the steps leads up to a it.

 

 

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon ''A'' shed

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Air-raid shelters below the flight offices.
Across in the ploughed field in WW2 there were about 20 wooden huts.

Extra hutting added in WW2 and a complete set of air-raid shelters. The shelters are still there and the huts were removed at the end of the war

Type 'B' hutting.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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At the end of the tarmacked area was a WW1 1916 side opening hangar.

Plan.

Front elevation.

Plan.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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Assembling a Shed. This is one being built somewhere else around 1916.

WW1 shed in 1935.

 

Avro 500 Type E

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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42h Station Equipment Section & trade test office, 1958 plan.
Later to become the Army Parachute Associations parachute hangar.

WW1 shed 1935.

A view from above.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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The last days of the old shed, held up with scaffolding because it was gradually rotting out.
It was a great place with rows of parachute packing tables and a lovely room at the end with sowing machines where Sgt.. Jo Reddick ruled the roost. I would sit for hours listening to his stories and watching him repair parachutes
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Sgt.. Joe Reddick.

Parachute tables.

WAAF's repairing parachute. .

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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G-AJHO I remember you well. Outside a hangar at RAF Upavon. I have spent a lot of time in her and on a couple of occasions coming out of her.

Rapide's G-ASRJ, G-AJHO and G-AGTM. All in Peter Stuyvesant colours.

Red Devils and Joe is in the middle with a faithful friend the Rapide

Me just climbing into G-AJHO. This was 1968 about to jump out.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Our first home

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Sport parachutists joining up over Coombe Lane, Enford slightly north of the airfield.
The yellow arrow points to one of the houses, this was where our new young family started all those years ago.

2014.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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Before we head back into the west camp, just a bit about the Airborne Forces at Netheravon.

Some Dakotas by one of the 'A' sheds.

Parachuting from a balloon.

Lt General Browning commander of 1st Airborne Div.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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WAAF parachute packers.

Parachute packing.

Parachute packing.

Parachute packing.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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Exorcise Dingo II, 09 May 1944
A very important date with 6th of June coming up in one months time. Exorcise Dingo I & II were large scale glider landings to train for the mass glider borne part of the D-day landings. If you wish to count the gliders, the ones on the airfield are the ones landed and the ones on the periphery are spare gliders not used.

Training.

Loading.

Horsa.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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D-Day landings around the Ranville area. This was a very successful landing.

 

Sterling glider tugs at RAF Keevil or Tarrant Rushton.

Pegasus bridge with the three Horsa gliders in the background.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon 1916 side opening shed

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The Pegasus Bridge Operation D-DAY. Pegasus Bridge here.
The six gliders were flown from RAF Tarrant Rushton but did a lot of their landing practices in the fields around Netheravon. 'D' Company, 2nd Battalion, Maj Howard and his Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry landed around midnight on the bridges and captured them both and held out until relieved by the Commandos and the main force who landed at Sword beach.

Orne river bridge.

Pegasus Bridge.

Maj Howard.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon West camp

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Heading back to the West Camp.
The tarmac I am parked on was used as access to and from the airfield from the Bellman hangar which was by the tree's near the red sign in the distance.

The yellow circle.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Bellman shed

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This is the lead off of the road to the Bellman shed now gone.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Bellman shed

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Bellman Hangar base.

The Bellman hangars in the corner of a small photo.

Bellman Hangars

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Bellman shed

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Hangar base Bellman Hangar.
The red brick building was 25 The Central Heating Station [PB] (1805a/51). It had a tall chimney I remember.

RAF type Boiler house.

The RAF always use civilian workers who funnily enough all look like the man in the picture.

Coal pile.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon West camp

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Now back to the West Camp and looking at the north side.
2 - Sick Quarters [PB] 2 officers, 6 airmen, 1 observation wards. (115/21).
5 - Bread store (41/2inch brick).
18 - NAAFI for 1000 & walk in shop. [Seco] (2467/51). Now removed.
20 - Dinning room & Cook house [PB] (12204/40).
21 - Massing and Rations store [PB] (NN21/1).
25 - Central Heating Station [PB] (1805a/51).
Sites of Bellman Hangar, HP Hangar, coal compound.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Dining hall

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20 Dining Room & Cook House [TB] (12204/40).
A 1940's addition as the old pre war camp could not cope with the large expansion for wartime. This is a typical WW2 style building with an E shaped plan.

 

How it may have looked inside.

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon NAFFI

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The NAFFI manager and his staff in the 1960's. The Manager at the time was Arthur Catchpole and he lived in the flat above us in Downside Road, Netheravon.

Downside Road, Netheravon. Arthur lived in the top left flat and we lived in the one below..

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Modern barracks.

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Yes hot water, sheets and rooms to themselves. Several units used these billets one has been the Gurkha’s. Earlier I well remember the Hampshire Regiment. They drew their men either from the Winchester area or from Bristol and I had many friends from Bristol. They lived in Seco hutting. Before them it was the homes to RAF Police Dog handlers.

One of the Seco huts these at Netheravon were painted sky blue..

1st Btn Hampshire Reg.

RAF Police.

Gurkha's.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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2 - Sick Quarters [PB] 2 officers wards, 6 Airmen’s wards, 1 observation ward.
(115/21).But I think for many years it has been used as the HQ of the many units in and out of here over the years.

 

 

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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80 Gymnasium, Lecture Room, Cinema, Training Wing, HQ. Offices 121/41/125.
Education Centre 42.126/42. Only one remains, which I am not sure.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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This is what guards and guides are for. Thank you to the CO of Upavon's army camp which parents Netheravon for a wonderful day out.

I am sure he will recognise himself, this was the BOSS.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon
The 2013 visit to Netheravon with members of AIX.

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Airfield Information Exchange. the forum and group. We were taken first around RAF Upavon and then RAF Netheravon, now both in the hands of the Army.

AIX.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon Kirby Ave.

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Kirby Avenue Officers Married Quarters.

Kirby Avenue plan. OMQ Officers Married Quarters. WAAF quarters.

Officers Married Quarters of the types that are here and they also had a garage each showing how many offers owned cars.

Kirby Avenue.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon WAAF accommodation.

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I believe these were tin huts and this is actually a true story.
A painter was painting the guttering when a man walked up to him and said ''When will you be finishing''. The painter said ''soon why''. ''Well we are here to pull down the buildings''!!! I actually heard that conversation as I was there as a kid watching the painter, a friends dad.

 

 

 

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon West camp.

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Well if you are still reading and not bored out of your mind.
What is going to happen here in the future. Will an RAF Bicester man come along or a millionaire farmer like Church Fenton?? This place is made of wood. Wood rots. Asbestos sheeting and tiles. WHOOOO asbestos!!!!
We can only hope that a sugar daddy will come along and take this camp off the government who state on one hand ''It has to be preserved'' on the other hand they need massive amounts of housing land.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon East camp.

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The parachute club may stay here and the hangars also as I believe they too have some preservation order on them. It would be nice to see them stay as they enhance the skyline with their trees surrounding them. The HP Hangar I think will not see it much longer. Although its the oldest and most important historically, its in quite a state.

RAF Netheravon

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RAF Netheravon

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© 2013 Richard Drew