RAF Keevil, Wiltshire Bomb Store

Site No. 2 Bomb Stores.

It looks like a grown ups model railway set with easy curves, points & cross over. No it is actually a roadway but that is how it looks like from above. The reason for such gentle curves is to allow bomb trains to drive around safely. This is a standard bomb store for an RAF 'A' Class airfield, capable of supporting from one to two RAF squadrons of heavy bombers. Depending on the type of squadron on the airfield and the raid they were to carry out. The bomb store would be pre loaded with, bombs, bomb tail fins, fuze's, bomb carriers, etc. All brought in from a large RAF Ordnance Depot. Probably RAF Fovant or Chilmark would be two of the depots that could supply RAF Keevil. They are situated a few miles south on the other side of Salisbury Plain.. 

Site No. 2 Bomb Stores.

Starting our walk at the junction between the right of way to Ashton Farm and the bomb store road.

186 - Fuzing Point Building UH - 24ft N (Nissen) - 7900/42. (extract from the airfield site plan).

UH - Ultra Heavy.

AM - Air Ministry.

The cross over.
The route was a one way system.

Split in the bomb stores road.

The next junction with left, another fuzed & spare bomb store (more later) and continuing on to the right.

192 - Pyro Stores (A) - 16ft N - 12725/41.

193 - Tail Unit Stores - 16ft N - 12725/41.

195 - Incendiary Bomb Stores (B) - TB - 4734/42. TB - Temporary Brick.

Incendiary bombs were used in a big way in WW2, by both sides. This is one of three stores here. This one is now very over grown.

Incendiary bombs were quite small so a heavy bomber could carry very many of them.

198 - Incendiary Bomb Stores (B) - TB - 4734/42.

Two temporary brick huts sitting at the bottom of the bomb stores area for storing more incendiary bombs.

198 - Incendiary Bomb Stores (B) - TB - 4734/42.

How to abuse a perfectly good building. These have all been cleared away now. No remains survive. Note the TB Temporary Brick structure, just half brick course and brick piers on the corners and where the roof trusses need support. Cheap, easy to build and actually, if looked after. A very effective building.

198 - Incendiary Bomb Stores (B) - TB - 4734/42.

This one was in better condition.

75 - T2 Hangar - ST - 8254/40 23bay.

ST - Steel.

The view from the bomb store.

197 - Component Store - ST - 16139/41.

Basically a tin shed.

View across the bomb store.

The day I visited the sky was unbelievable with these lovely puffy clouds.

199 - Bomb Stores & T.U. Area (D) - ET - 3164/42.

TU - tail units.

E.T. - earth travers. Earth banking.

This is the start of the first of four main bomb stores for the heavy bombs.

199 - Bomb Stores & T.U. Area (D) - ET - 3164/42.

50 Ton bays.

The bombs arrived via lorries probably from Melksham or Westbury stations by lorry and rolled down the concrete ramp and were stored on wooden timbers. When needed, they were placed on bomb trailers and taken out to the planes.

199 - Bomb Stores & T.U. Area (D) - ET - 3164/42.

50 Ton bays.

199 - Bomb Stores & T.U. Area (D) - ET - 3164/42.

50 Ton bays.

How unloading may have looked. The unloading road way was slightly wider than the bomb loading road.

Storage of bombs.

191 - Fuzed & Spare Bomb Area - ET - 15365/41.

One of two  fuzed stores here. An earth traverse running all the way around to divert any blast if an explosion occurred and the roadway running through.

191 - Fuzed & Spare Bomb Area - ET - 15365/41.

This one is more interesting as it has fittings for a camouflage net .

187. 8 & 9 - Incendiary Bomb Store - 15ftx10ft - ST - 16139/41. Three tin sheds 15x10 foot.

This is 189 and you can still see some bricks and the corrugated steel sheets sticking out of the ground.

183 - Sentry Box - T, was sat to the left of here to protect the storage area.

182 - Fuzing Point Building - H/L - 16ft N - 15963/4+6176/43. H/L - heavy and light.

181 - Fuzing Point Building - U/H - 16ft N - 7900/42.

Fuzing point building ultra/heavy in 24ft Nissen hut, drive through and still there, just. The arched brick front walls, and the iron half loops of the Nissen hut with two double doors. The corrugated iron now removed over time.

181 - Fuzing Point Building - U/H - 16ft N - 7900/42.

Somebody left the doors open.