Oatlands Hill, Wiltshire RLG

 

Early RAF Air Photo History – Oatlands Hill Relief Landing Ground was opened in June 1941 as a satellite for RAF Old Sarum School of Army Co-operation1941 and used throughout the war for pilot training for No.1 School of Army Co-operation. RAF Old Sarum. The airplanes flown from here were Harvard's, Spitfires, Mustangs and Tomahawks. 1941, RAF Old Sarum's No.41 OTU (Operational Training Unit). 1942, the airfield was used as an LZ by Netheravon´s Hotspur gliders. A detachment of 16Sqn from RAF Weston Zoyland with Mustang 1s.

Plan of Oatlands Hill with Site No.1 situated around the top N/W side and Site No.2 the S/W side and the airfield stretching out to the A360. The two grass runways, both in an E/W direction.

Entrance to the Site No.1 off the A303 History– No.43 OTU Air Observation (Operational Training Unit) moved in from Old Sarum with Austers Is, & IIIs, Lysander III and a tiger Moth for luck. Accommodation was always a problem, training Officers were billeted in large houses in the area and Officers attending were billeted in the huts on the airfield. Other ranks at Rollestone Camp. After many complaints, all the course members were billeted at Rollestone Camp, just up the road. By March 1944 the build up for D-day continued at a pace. By May 1944 a detachment of the 47th Liaison Sqn (LS) of the US Ninth Air Force arrived. Six L-5s in attendance. These were used to fly internal mail around the UK for Army HQ´s. Added to their team was a Thunderbolt fighter, probably a well worn older model, for high speed postal communications. After D-Day most units had left and Oatlands was reduced to Care & Maintenance. By May 1946 Oatlands Hill closed and was returned to agriculture. No.43 OTU was formed from No 1424 Flight at Larkhill on 1 October 1942 within No 70 Group to train Auster AOP pilots and observers. It operated a variety of light aircraft in this role, moving to Old Sarum on 19 November 1942, Oatlands Hill on 17 February 1944 and finally Andover on 10 August 1944.

Site No.1 The Hand Craft hut was a Miniature rifle range. Meaning .22 rifles.

Site No.1 The first a temporary brick hut was the Station Sick Quarters and the Handcraft hut, the Miniature Rifle Range. There is a garage on the left by the white van, I am not sure if its wartime or not.

Observation Tower There was an observation tower used as a watch office/control tower, the picture is of one used pre war at RAF Netheravon.

Observation Tower This is the base of Observation Tower at RAF New Zealand Farm, there are four steel stanchion cut off now and I have added what I feel may have looked like.

Observation Tower I found this plan of a Braithwaite water tower that was probably the make up of the Observation Tower..

Second dispersal This looks like a dispersal or re fueling pad..

Dispersals I have called them dispersals but I would think they are more hard stands for refueling purposes.

The Site No.1 road The roadway back to the Site No.1 area.

RAF Air photo of Site No.1 It was very Spartan here, few buildings and at times to hold a lot of airmen.

Sight of an Extra Over Blister Hangar Air Ministry Drawing Number A338008/41/08? made by Crittall Braintree Essex. Dated 1942.

The track between the two hangars.

The view over the Plain.

Snow caused this damage and rusting tin.

Extra Over Blister Hangar A Blister hangar was built onto the earth floor. Sometimes a two concrete strips as foundations but mostly just straight onto hard earth floor. Large steel pins hammered into the ground to hold the foundations down. There were curtains as doors on both sides made of canvas tenting. The idea of a Blister hangar was to be used as a servicing point for aircraft and for major repairs the aircraft would be returned to its parent station.

Extra Over Blister Hangar

Extra Over Blister Hangar Instead of fitting large expensive doors to the hangars, they added two canvas curtains. Attached at the top by a rail running around the front arch and at the bottom a steel rail with fittings to hook the bottom of the certain too. If you look carefully on an old Blister hangar site, you can often find bits and pieces left when they were removed.

Extra Over Blister Hangar Air Ministry Drawing Number A338008/41/08? made by Crittall Braintree Essex. Dated 1942.

Extra Over Blister Hangar The side where it reaches the ground. The site was prepared (leveled) and the hangar assembled. The bottom Rail is held to the ground either by concrete foundation or just metal spikes hammered into the ground. The planes just sat on rolled hard earth, the mechanics made up their own wooden floors and benches.

Extra Over Blister Hangar Curtain rail fitting.

Extra Over Blister Hangar Stonehenge in the distance.

This is the lower entrance off the A360.

Extra Over Blister Hangar 2 site of.

Airfield

Farm or part of a camp Some say this was part of the camp and talking to a local today, he too remembers like me a wooden RAF hut which was on these foundations many years ago.

Farm or part of a camp Nice rusty Jerry can.

Stonehenge The story goes on & on & on.