RAF Holmsley South Ops Block

RAF · Hampshire · England · United Kingdom

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Permissible visit 11 November 2005.

Operation OYSTER, the daylight attack on the Philips radio and valve works at Eindhoven, Holland, by No. 2 Group.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The site of the Operations Block just to the south of the airfield. These pictures were taken in 2008, a lot has been happening to the area with logging and a new barn style building erected close by. I asked permission to look around and I am pleased I did. It was very wet and dark. No windows and no lighting, very slippery. I was on my own, so rang a friend and told him where I was and what I was about to do. As I started to enter the, loggers knocked off for the day and I was totally alone in the building. Scary.

Site plan 4760/44

One of the first aircraft were Whitley bombers.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Site No. 2. Plan.

152 - Operations Block - TB - 2337/41.

153 - Library - N.

154 - Picket Post - TB - 12404/41.

The Block is oblong in shape, with four entrances on each corner (there maybe more). A corridor runs right around the inside with small offices between it and the outside wall and inside the corridor is the main Ops rooms. Its a protected building, in that it has steel reinforcement to quite a thick concrete roof and brick walls. No windows at all and would have used filtered air through an air conditioning plant and the roof has a large water tank for the air conditioning. Later after the war, it was taken over as a seat of government by probably Hampshire CC. And it was up graded with later flush toilets and kitchen area. Probably a sleeping area as well. A telephone exchange, fitted so the Police chief for the area, the council officers, Red cross (or equivalent) and Civil Defence group could keep in contact. Its a period of time I lived through but do not know that much about.

Site plan 4760/44

Elevation. The tall chimney is actually the fresh air inlet. Gas is heavy so the chimney protrudes above the gas could and sucks in fresh air. It is then put through a filtration system and also an air conditioning plant.

Part of a heating plant that may have been here.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The RAF entrance.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The roadway in.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Very well hidden in the trees, it would have been camouflaged in some way as well.

13 January 2008

It can be seen from this air photo. The long thin building is the Nissen hut.

Very hard to see in this low level picture.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The gate is styled on a Ministry design but is galvanised, which possibly makes it post war military/government.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

154 - Picket Post. - TB - 12404/41.

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of a 12404/41, but this is an 8218/40 probably not dissimilar. Here you would be stopped by a Service Policeman and show your pass to be allowed inside.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

153 - Library a Nissen hut, 24ft wide and quite long. It would have been for maps, plans, aircraft recognition models, etc. Everything that a pilot & crew could use to help them. The second photo is an American squadron studying plans with model aircraft above.

RAF 24ft Nissen Hut

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

USAF Operations

Americans in their library

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

This is the Cold War I think Police or local Government aerial. For more information go to Subbrit.org.uk.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Base of the aerial.

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Police emergency response, pressing the alarm.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The front of the Block. Now I may have said, four entrances, the whitish painted wall in front is actually a blast wall for another entrance, so there may have been more than I originally thought. The small water tanks could be Cold war period. The large brick structure on the roof is the original water tank,

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Side entrance with its blast wall.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Another corner entrance and blast wall.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

I was looking through these pictures and wondered how I got on the roof, later I found this photo.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The flat roof, full of age damage and leaks like a sieve.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The water reservoir for the wartime air conditioning plant.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

These hooks could be for an aerial guy rope or for a camouflage net?

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Age.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Post war oil fuel tank.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Blast wall and entrance, ignore the doors that litter the place and windows, they are nothing to do with the building.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The plan of the block, The four entrances on the corners, the grey passageways running around, with offices on the outside and large rooms in the middle. I have NO plan of this and also it was 2008 when I visited twelve years ago, my memory is a bit dim from there. Sorry.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Entering the passageway that runs round the inside. As I may have said. NO lighting and no windows, so pitch black.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Some of the original light fittings and some are post war additions

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

One of the rooms.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Charts would line the walls.

AIR 20-7587

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Cold war stretchers left over.

13 January 2008

Government officials looking at the designs.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Not at all sure what room did what but this one has several Elsan toilet buckets.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Elsan toilet buckets.

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Elsan toilet in the rear of a Lancaster bomber.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Elsan toilet buckets.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Charts would line the walls.

AIR 20-7587

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Charts would line the walls.

AIR 20-7587

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Passage continues.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

More wall boards and air conditioning pipes running through. The long florescent lights would be Cold War.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Cold War telephone exchange.

13 January 2008

Post Office engineers van. He would have known every cold war exchange, bunker and connection.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

I believe this is one of the middle rooms. More air conditioning and panels on the wall.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

As the last picture.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

These rooms would have held briefing for pilots.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

An Operations Room (not here) on D-Day at the 385th Bomb Group, 549th Bomb Squadron USAAF.

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

Window to the next room but not outside.

13 January 2008

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

The heavy reinforced concrete roof.

Planning for the movement of Horsa Gliders to North Africa in 1943 would have taken place here. They started by flying a combination (Horsa & tug Halifax) all around Britain 1,400mls and took 10hrs. To prove that it could be done. When it was proved, then the operation went ahead. The code name was "Turkey Buzzard".

13 January 2008