Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Dorset · England · United Kingdom
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
In WW1 there was a very large threat on British shipping from German U-Boats. To counter this threat it was found that small airships with the airframe of an old aircraft slung underneath was a simply and cheep aerial alternative. Airship stations were opened up all over the country and there was even one in Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. The SS class airships (Submarine Class) were of a none rigid type. They carried a crew of between two and three, small bombs, machine gun and radio that could contact any Royal Naval ships in their area to aid in the attack on the submarine or to blow up mines that they found.
Building of the station commenced in 1918 and was stopped abruptly in September 1919 when nearly complete. Buildings that were constructed including airship shed, gas holders and repair workshops but it seems doubtful any operational airship ever landed here?. The large farm house at Woodsford I was told by the farmer, that the doors still had "Wardroom", etc. printed on them until recently re decorated and modernise.
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Official Naval Film.
British Airships in the East.
This film gives a very good idea of what an SS airship looked like and how it was used.
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
They carried small anti-submarine bombs and would scout for German U-Boats around convoys off the coast. When a submarine was spotted by the airship, it could either attack the submarine or contact via radio a patrolling Royal navy ship. Or both.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The cockpit of a Scout, note the instruments and a Lewis gun pointing straight upwards in the front compartment.
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The approximate area of the Airship Landing Field.
The Blue square is the main site for administration, MT, engineering. Accommodation may have been in the village as I believe Woodsford Farm house was used for officers accommodation.
The Yellow square is the airship shed base and the concrete foundations for a windbreak.
The Green is the Stanton air-raid shelter from WW2.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
1947 air photo showing what remained.
Dorset CC
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The whole area is privately owned and has NO rights of way over the land, the Farmer very kindly let me walk over his fields to take these photos.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
All the windows and doors have been bricked up, a door placed in the end wall and a new roof put on, This was the Gate House/Guard Room and held the cells.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Rear view
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
I was told this was called the Village Hall. Now its a mess hut for the farm workers but it was originally the Officers Mess and a much larger building.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Go to The Airship Heritage Trust a very good airship site.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
View from behind.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
A very comfortable room.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
It looks as though it is the original fire place.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Used as a cinema/hall maybe after the war?
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Looking at the other side.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
This shows the original road layout.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
A US Army Air Force air photo of RAF Warmwell on the 04 January 1944, showing many of the original RNAS buildings and layout
There was a railway spur off the main line.
A water plant, water tower and I think a Hydrogen plant? or Hydrogen storage.
The main site.
The airship hangar remains.
US 7PH Group 4 Jan 1944
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The layout of the landing ground.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The roof of the water tower, needed not only for the camp but for production of Hydrogen.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Made of reinforced concrete.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
This is the well where they got their water from. The pipe work I think is modern and used for irrigation of the farms fields.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The Dorchester/London railway line with RAF Wormwell's control tower behind with a new pitched roof.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Plan of the hangar and the windbreak to the east. Due to the prevailing wind coming from the west, airships would fly in to the wind and descend down to a height whereby hauling ropes, hanging down from the nose and tail, could be grabbed by as many men as you can get and held in position. Then gradually hauled into the hangar.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Air photo of the hangar and the two windbreak basest.
Dorset CC
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The floor of the hangar.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Base plate of a steel stanchion.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Steel door runner, there would be two parallel runners to move the large hangar doors. They were huge doors and very heavy, they had two tracks and wheels on an axle/bogies to run them open and close. This could be done with man power or by a winch.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Possibly a building on the side.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
The chance of fire was very high as airships used Hydrogen which is highly inflammable.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Hard to see but a line in the undergrowth where something was laid out.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Another view of that line.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Parts of the hangar foundations.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
More hangar foundations.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Part of the foundations for the wind break on the south eastern side.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
A whole row of wind break foundations looking east.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Looking west.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
World War 2 Stanton air-raid shelter.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
Inside the Stanton shelter.
10 February 2004
Moreton Admiralty Airship Station
25 February 2018