RAF Colerne, Wiltshire
RAF · Wiltshire · England · United Kingdom
RAF Colerne
RAF Colerne No.39 MU, No.4 AAU, Wiltshire is located west of Chippenham.
RAF Colerne
RAF Colerne
2 x J Sheds (removed).
3 x K Sheds.
8 x L Sheds.
1 x B1 hangar (removed).
8 x Robins Sheds (7 removed).
1 x Over Blister hangar (removed.
1 x Watch Office (removed).
1 x Modern Control Tower.
The sites of nearly all fighter pens & a few defence positions are retained.
The RAF station closed in 1976.
Several Acronyms used for units at RAF Colerne:
No.39 MU.
No.4 AAU Satellite Landing Ground: - No.2 Starveall Farm.
MU - Maintenance Unit. ASU - Aircraft Servicing Unit. AAU - Aircraft Assembly Unit. ATA - Air Transport Auxiliary. ADF - Aircraft Delivery Flight.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Bridge & Cross Roads
Starting at the road block in the north and working anti clock wise.
RAF Colerne is now owned by the army, Azimghur Barracks and the airfield was in a very good state of repair. Its expected to close in 2025.
In a wartime situation a bridge is a good defences position and added to an important cross roads and with two of the four roads passing an important airfield. That makes this a very important defence position
27 June 2015
RAF Colerne
Two concrete blocks where a chain or cable strop would have connected the the blocks thus cutting off the road. The first soldiers may have been Home Guard and later a regular infantry unit would have taken over and much later the RAF Regiment.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Road block.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Road block.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Pill Box behind the road sign
There were four Pill Boxes defending the airfield and as far as I can see this is the only one left.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
A protected rear entrance, earth would have been heaped up against the concrete panels to make a sort of trench. The entrance is now blocked off.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Embrasure
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Pillbox inside
I have joined two photos together and the photos were taken through a hole in the bricked up door.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Pillbox and road block.
A few years latter and the woodland had been cut back.
27 June 2018
RAF Colerne
Site No.3
Married Wardens Qtrs - PB - 1603/37.
Semi detached Wardens House, all the MU's had a Wardens house attached to two or three dispersed Sheds.
In 1934 the government decided to expand the RAF to a permanent force. Many bomber & fighter stations were planed mostly in the south (fighter) and east/north (bomber). Then in the west/north west airfields that could store and maintain aircraft. RAF Colerne was started with a survey in 1936 with plans for a dispersed hangarage and a fully modern camp with permanent officers, sergeants and airman's accommodation with central heating and even family accommodation with a house for the CO and individual houses for officers to terraced rows for airman's families.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Site No.3
Warden's Office & 'K' Type Hangar
Sub Unit Warden's Office type 2881/37 with two 'K' 3084/39 type Sheds designed for a MU and ASU's.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Site No.3
'K' type 3084/39 designed for a MU and ASU's.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Fighter Pen - Dispersals - Cannon Stop Butts
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Site 4
Three 'L' Sheds
'L' type Sheds were used on MU & ASU's mostly as aircraft storage and also aircraft assembly. Note they all have their own heating plants.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Main site
25yd machine gun stop butts
Behind possibly Sergeants mess.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
'K' type hangar with a section in the door to allow larger aircraft to get inside. In the centre of the airfield.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Dispersed sites
Incinerator.
When RAF Colerne was being designed, it was a all in one airfield. Everything was within the boundary. Built to the latest pre war expansion scheme. It had a grass landing ground, the latest Sheds, storage/assembly Sheds, airmen's accommodation, sergeants and Officers mess's. Full heating plant, all mod cons. Then the war came and dispersal was the name of the game. So many fields around the airfield were used and especially for aircraft storage. 8 sites.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Dispersed sites
Incinerator.
An incinerator or destructor was usually placed in sewage works, there does not seem to be a sewage works here so what this one would be used for I have no idea. Maybe to burn documents???
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Dispersed building
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Air-raid shelter brick type
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Air-raid shelter brick type inside
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
No.3 13/31 runway 1375yds
The smaller NW/SE runway.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Could this be the innards of an M&E Plinth??
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Fighter pen base, one of twelve that are still here.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
No. 2 07/25 runway
The longest runway 1953yds with the late extension added on the far end.
History: by October 1940 the runways were being completed with a perimeter track. Although planed as an MU & ASU the area in north Wiltshire needed more fighter cover so part of Colerne was turned into a fighter station with 16 fighter pen and one of them a fort type with its own pillbox defence.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
The New Control Tower & Hangar Site No.1
History: April 1941 and Colerne became operational. There were many dispersed wartime non permanent camps built around the main airfield of which very little remains, we did find some drainage in a wood on the east side. 1942 and this runway was extended to its 1375yd length.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
The New Control Tower
Vertical Split Type Control Tower 2548c/55.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Flight office??
This may be a converted flight office?? there is also another old wooden hut quite close.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Warden's House to Site No.1
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
'L' Type Sheds (Lamella style) No.1
Number 1 on the plan. This one has an enlarged door, note the wings or ears on the sides to allow the doors to open fully
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
'L' Shed No.3
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
'L' Shed No. 2
Full heating plant and a flat roofed office block.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Northern road block.
I noticed in this picture, the landing of an RAF Hastings, showing the road and gate way on the right.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
I noticed in this picture, the landing of an RAF Hastings, showing the road and gate way on the right.
Key Aero
RAF Colerne
The second road block, due to road widening the other one has been removed.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
EHV cable
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
The original tower at RAF Colerne
American Air Museum
RAF Colerne
Gloster Meteor F.III EE341 of No. 74 Sqn , dated 1947.
atchistory
RAF Colerne
The main 'K' type hangar
Both main doors have slots to allow tall tails to enter the hangar.
K' & 'J' Sheds were exactly the same to view but to see the difference you have to see inside. 'J' Sheds were originally for operational use 'K's were for the MU/ASU use.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Now a Church in WW2 it was was the Gymnasium & Chancel 14804/40.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
The Army needs communications, large white domes for microwave radio.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Now a Church in WW2 it was was the Gymnasium & Chancel 14804/40.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Sites of a B1 hangar and of two 'J' type Sheds
'J' Sheds are like 'K' type but used for operational not storage or repair. The chimney is the heating plant for the whole camp originally. Heating Station 9299/38 that would have been coal/coke but now is oil fired.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Site No.4 with three 'L' Sheds
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Robins type B 2204/41 hangar
Robins hangars were used on MU & ASU's on out storage sites. Large areas around the airfield were used as storage and these hangars would hold a single engined plane for servicing and repair.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
Robins type B 2204/41 hangar.
25 March 2007
RAF Colerne
58 Sqdn air photo.
04 November 1946
RAF Colerne
25 March 2007