RAF Holmsley South Dispersed Sites

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RAF Holmsley South Dispersed Sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

The Aerodrome had 14 sites altogether and 12 of them were dispersed Domestic sites, around the area to the south west of the main gate. About 450 buildings in this area, most were N - Nissen huts and the other type TB - Temporary Brick.
Nissen hut 16ft.
Nissen hut 16ft.
Temporary Brick hut.
Temporary Brick hut.
& bicycles were needed to get around.
& bicycles were needed to get around.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

  3 - Communal.   

4 - Accommodation.   

5 - Accommodation.   

6 - Accommodation.   

7 - Accommodation.   

8 - Accommodation.   

9 - Accommodation.

10 - W.A.A.F. Communal.

11 - W.A.A.F. Accommodation.

12 - Sick Quarters.

13 - Defence.

14 - Sewage.

Site plan 4760/44

Beech House Officers Mess site 3.
Beech House Officers Mess site 3.
W.A.A.F. ablutions.
W.A.A.F. ablutions.
One of many accommodation Nissen huts 1420/41 type.
One of many accommodation Nissen huts 1420/41 type.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
Defence No.13. site. Entrance.

07 February 2005

Bofors gun.
Bofors gun.
Twin Lewis gun position.
Twin Lewis gun position.
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Defence No.13. site.

479 - Senior N.C.O.´s Accommodation - N - 12404/41.

483 - Sergts. & Airmen´s Ablutions      - TB

495 - Latrines                                        - TB - 6504/42.

Site plan 4760/44

Ablutions block..
Ablutions block..
Latrines - TB.
Latrines - TB.
479 - Senior N.C.O's Accommodation - N - 12404/41. Something like this one.
479 - Senior N.C.O's Accommodation - N - 12404/41. Something like this one.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Officers Quarters.

07 February 2005

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

379 - Picket Post -  N - 12404/41.

405 - Officers Ablutions & Drying room - TB - 5687/42.

404 - Officers Quarters  -   N -2965/42.

There were 18 2965/42 type Nissen huts for Officers Quarters here.

Site plan 4760/44

TB ablutions.
TB ablutions.
Water tank in the brick tower.
Water tank in the brick tower.
Quarters.
Quarters.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
Site No.9. Temporary Brick foundations. It could have been the Ablutions - TB - 5687/42.

07 February 2005

It could have been the Ablutions.
It could have been the Ablutions.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Ablutions and Bath House.

AIR 20-7587

Sink and stand made in concrete.
Sink and stand made in concrete.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Stanton air raid shelter, the plan des not show shelters on it, but for every shelter you find, multiply by about 30. and you get the amount of people that were accommodated in the area. Here I photographed about four, so that make about 120 people.

07 February 2005

The concrete parts of the shelter being bolted together.
The concrete parts of the shelter being bolted together.
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Stanton air raid shelter escape. This would have had a thin steel, hinged man hole cover. If the main entrance was damaged, then this would be the way out.

07 February 2005

Escape with hinges still in place.
Escape with hinges still in place.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Blast shelter in the distance. This whole area would have had black Nissen huts littered around. Randomly placed and not in rows to aid camouflage and dispersion.

07 February 2005

Blast shelter plan 2360/41.
Blast shelter plan 2360/41.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.service.

Stanton shelter, for every sheer multiply by say 32, and you then have the amount of service personnel that would been accommodated on that site. Its a a rough figure/rule of thumb. On some sites all the shelters can be extant, but no buildings to be seen. One I have visited, had ten shelters in one field, making about 320 personnel on the site.

07 February 2005

Stanton shelter under construction.
Stanton shelter under construction.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

M&E plinth bringing power into a site where electricity can be tapped off in an emergency. If mains power went off, the generators in the Standby set house, would start up and distribute power through armoured cables underground and any building of importance would then be connected.

07 February 2005

M&E plinth plan.
M&E plinth plan.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

M&E plinth.

The steel frame held a distribution box.

07 February 2005

Plan.
Plan.
Probably the connection fittings would have looked like this one.
Probably the connection fittings would have looked like this one.
The armoured cable.
The armoured cable.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Stanton shelter showing the escape this end and entrance the far end.

07 February 2005

Stanton inside.
Stanton inside.
Stanton escape, a steel plate door would hinge here, like a flap.
Stanton escape, a steel plate door would hinge here, like a flap.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Gradually filling up with undergrowth.

07 February 2005

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

Site No.9.

Blast shelter 2360/41.

07 February 2005

Plan.
Plan.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
W.A.A.F. Site No.11.

07 February 2005

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

W.A.A.F. Site No.11.

453 - Fuel Compound - B - 9108/41.

462 - Emergency Water Supply tank.

AIR 20-7587

Plan of a 9108/41.
Plan of a 9108/41.
Coal.
Coal.
Emergency water supply, a brick walled concrete lined tank. filled with water and an emergency pump could use it if there were local fires.
Emergency water supply, a brick walled concrete lined tank. filled with water and an emergency pump could use it if there were local fires.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
Fuel Compound - B - 9108/41, constructed with low brick wall, a wire mesh and barbed wire fence. The defensive look of it with barbed wire was NOT warlike, it was to keep thieving airmen from stealing coal for extra warmth (or selling it on the black market).

AIR 20-7587

Plan of 453.
Plan of 453.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

W.A.A.F. Communal Site No.10.

This may be : -

435 Dinning Room and Sergeants Mess - N - 1264/41.

07 February 2005

W.A.A.F.'s.
W.A.A.F.'s.
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

W.A.A.F. Communal Site No.10.

This may be : -

435 Dinning Room and Sergeants Mess - N - 1264/41.

The plan is mine is to show what it may have been like.

1264/41

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
Double entrance doors.
Double entrance doors.
Sergeants mess fire place with art on the wall.
Sergeants mess fire place with art on the wall.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

W.A.A.F. Communal Site No.10.

Hut bases.

07 February 2005

How it may have looked like.
How it may have looked like.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

W.A.A.F. Communal Site No.10.

Base of a hut with a breather vent in the wall.

07 February 2005

Air-raid warning.
Air-raid warning.
RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites
This is from a press release by the Station Commander, Group Captain Warburton.

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites

RAF Holmsley South Domestic sites