RAF Long Marston Airfield Site

RAF · Warwickshire · England · United Kingdom

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Opened in November 1941. Used by Ferry Flight, they left March 1942. March 1942 24 OTU arrived with Armstrong-Whitworth Whitleys and Vickers Wellington bombers and stayed until July 1945. 1943 23 OTU arrived and they also had Wellingtons. An OTU took pilots and crews from different training stations and brought them together as crews. They then continued training for eight weeks as a crew until sent to an operational bomber squadron. 24 Operational Training Unit (OTU).

20 June 2006

B1 hangar. Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP).

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

1 - T2 hangars.
1 - B1 hangar.
25 - circular bomber dispersals.
8 - spectacle dispersals.
3 - runways.
Bomb store - Open earth traverses,
2 x Nissen hut fuzing points.
Operations Block - Nissen.
Watch Office with Ops Room for Bomber Satellite Stations, 7345/41, 13079/41 and 4170/43.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

The airfield still under construction in May 1942.

04 April 1942

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Airfields & Flying Boat Bases details.

AIR 10-7393 Airfields & Flying Boat Bases In The UK L-Z RAF

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Aircraft Museum

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Just inside the gate on the right is a mechanical & electrical plinth now used as a receptacle to store old plastic drums!

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Marston Shed A large cement asbestos sheeted Marston shed, mainly used as a repair shed for large items and its high enough for a gantry crane to be used inside to lift heavy objects. It was also used for many other uses from storage, transport and repair, training building, etc. These buildings are also transportable and were regularly dismantled and re-assembled on other camps and airfields. Asbestos, tin and even brick can be used in its construction. They also had another use, as an instructional buildings & as it is situated in the airfield/instructional site that is what it may have been used for?

26 June 2004

Marston shed RAF Enstone.
71- Crew Procedure Centre. — Marston shed RAF Enstone. 71- Crew Procedure Centre.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Built using Stanton parabolic concrete panels designed to line semi-sunken air raid shelters. The odd shape is due to the panels being opened out to a wider span than they were designed for, producing a 'depressed arch' effect. This has been enhanced by using the carrier walls to raise the apex of the arch to allow sufficient headroom internally.

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Night Flying Equipment Store Night flying equipment store 12411/41 would have held, Goose neck flares, Glim lamps and the Illuminated Landing T''.

26 June 2004

Goose neck flairs filled with paraffin. The wick would be lit and a small flame would illuminate the runway line prior to electric landing lights.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Night Flying Equipment Store - TB - 12411/41.

20 June 2006

Marauder landing with the use of Goose neck flairs.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Watch Office with Ops Room for Bomber Satellite Stations, 7345/41, 13079/41 and 4170/43.

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

13079/41 plan ground floor.

ARG Archive

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

13079/41 plan first floor.

ARG Archive

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Watch Office with Ops Room for Bomber Satellite Stations, 7345/41, 13079/41 and 4170/43.

26 June 2004

The same style of building at RAF Long Newnton.
An Instructional Operations
Room - TB - 13432/42. — The same style of building at RAF Long Newnton. An Instructional Operations Room - TB - 13432/42.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Watch Office with Ops Room for Bomber Satellite Stations, 7345/41, 13079/41 and 4170/43.

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Watch Office with Ops Room for Bomber Satellite Stations, 7345/41, 13079/41 and 4170/43. History : the two T2 hangars were in the south side but I cannot yet work out where the B1 hangar was. It is usually away from the RAF hangars. The B1 hangar was a MAP hangar used with civilian labour to repair aircraft damaged beyond the RAF OTU's repair level and using civilians it took the pressure off the RAF ground crews.

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Pyrotechnic Store When an airplane lands, all the ammunition is removed. So too signal flairs.

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Airfield roadway.

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Reinforced building Around this area were three spectacle dispersals. There were also 27 heavy bomber frying pan dispersals.

26 June 2004

Spectacle dispersals, these started to replace circular dispersals around 1942. The spectacle type, was easier for a heavy bomber to manoeuvre around.

Older circular and later spectacle types.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Mechanical & Electrical plinth.

26 June 2004

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Possibly a latrine.

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Lead Off to three circular dispersals off the perimeter track

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Another M&E plinth.

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Pill Box defence & Battle Head Quarters

20 June 2006

There are three Oakington pill boxes, red on the plan and on the left is the Battle HQ yellow, which in sandals & shorts is a no no. To get to with chest high stinging nettles, its a winter visit.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Oakington type Pill Box silhouette Named Oakington as it is thought that is where the first one of its type was built.

20 June 2006

Inside showing the ring to hold a machine gun, this could traverse about 360°.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Pill Box defence & Battle Head Quarters

20 June 2006

BHQ and the three Oakington pill boxes.
This is a plan of this Battle HQ complex, there would also have been trenches and barbed wire defence. — BHQ and the three Oakington pill boxes. This is a plan of this Battle HQ complex, there would also have been trenches and barbed wire defence.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Pill Box defence & Battle Head Quarters A very surreal shape, it would have had a heavy machine gun that pivoted on a solid bar that ran 306° around the inside wall.

20 June 2006

The gun rail that goes all the way around.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Showing the entrance

New Age Flickr

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Pill Box defence & Battle Head Quarters Showing the entrance into another of the Oakingtons.

New Age Flickr

Underside of the dome.

New Age Flickr

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Runway threshold

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

The BHQ cupola and escape hatch.

New Age Flickr

Inside a BHQ looking out of the cupola viewing slit.

BHQ railing to stop anybody falling down the entrance stairs.

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Escape hatch and you can see the escape ladder.

New Age Flickr

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Runway 22

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Arty Farty Photo

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

How a fly past may have looked.

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Perimeter Back to the Control Tower.
I have parked a Wellington on a dispersal.

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Runway lighting.
There are many runway light fittings left around the entrance.

20 June 2006

RAF Long Marston, Airfield

Instructional Site AML Bombing Teacher.
To find the AML teacher you access it from the main road. There was a tramp living in it, be carefully if you visit not to upset or disturb him.

08 March 2009