RAF Marston Moor, Yorkshire. Airfield

1 x B1 Repair shed.
36 - Circular aircraft dispersals.
4 x Spectral dispersals.
1 x 'A' class bomb store.

he main gate of RAF Marston Moor.
The building on the right is:
22 - A.M.WD. services building - TB - 15538/40.
26 Water Tower 50,000 - S - T.5171/1.
Braithwaite water tower.

5 - Guard House & Fire Party - TB - 15534/40.
6 - Fire Tender House - TB - 15534/40.
7 - Guard House & Fire Party rest hut - N.
22 - A.M.WD. services building - TB - 15538/40..
23 - A.M.WD. stores compound - N.
24 - A.M.WD. section office - TB.
25 - A.M.WD. agricultural plant store - TB.
26 Water Tower 50,000 - S - T.5171/1.
27 - Pump House: Bore Hole No.1 - TB - Local.
29 - Water Softener Plant Building - TB - Local.
97 - Guard House (Wooden?).
108 - Serg & A/M Quarters (Defence unit) - Laing - 13903/40.
117 - Officers Latrine - TB - 15542/40.

TB - Temporary Brick.
S - Steel.
Laing - Laing hut, wooden & plasterboard and Bitumen paper.
Local - Local design.
A.M.WD. - Air Ministry Works Department.

6 - Fire Tender House - TB - 15534/40.

Garage for a fire tender that may be a dedicated fire engine, but usually an RAF truck loaded with fire fighting kit.

Behind the Guard hut,
Unsure what this is, it may be a latrine ??

In the field behind the Operations Block.

28 - Pump House: bore hole No.2 - TB - Local construction.

1 - Station H.Q. (relocated to Base HQ) - TB - ?55??/40 & 4517/43.

1 - Station H.Q. (relocated to Base HQ) - TB - ?55??/40 & 4517/43.
3 - Operations Block - TB - 15586/40.
9 - A.A. Squadron Stores - Nissen.
28 - Pump House: bore hole No.2 - TB - Local construction.
120 - Tech: Latrine RAF - TB - 4689/43.
ARS - Air Raid Shelter.
BS - Blast shelter.

133 - Fire Pool (EWS) - 3WADl/1224.

This is for local fires and not crashed aircraft.

133 - Fire Pool (EWS) - 3WADl/1224.
This is for local fires and not crashed aircraft.

Lubricant store behind the Main Store.

13 - Lubricant &Inflammable Store - TB - 15536/40.

10 - Main Store - TB - 15522/41? + 3934/43?
11 - Clothing Store - Romney? - 6526-43.
12 - Barrack Stores - Romney? - 6526-43.
13 - Lubricant &Inflammable Store - TB - 15536/40.
14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.
15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.
19 - Base Accounts Section - SECO - 4589/43.
66 - M.T. Shed & Yard (32Bays) - TB - 15531/40.
74 - Fuel Compound - 15537/40.
75 - Fuel Compound - 15537/40.
124 - Tech: Latrine R.A.F. - TB - 9025/41.
130 - Crew Pilots Latrine - TB - 9025/41.

? - unsure as the plan is a very poor quality.
ARS - Air Raid Shelter (Blast shelter for 32men).
SECO - Uni-Seco Structures Ltd.
M.T. - Mechanical Transport.
Romney - Steel tube framed half round corrugated tin cladding.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

Boot scraper. It must have been very muddy.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.
15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

Standard RAF style lamp shade.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

Air ventilation.

Wiring.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41. Starting to be pulled down.

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

Unknown marking/graffiti?

14 . Gas clothing & Respirator Store - TB - 15536/40.

15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - TB - 12409/41.

Crittall steel window frame.

10 - Main Store - TB - 15522/41? + 3934/43?

The centre section (missing here) was the high fabric store.

10 - Main Store - TB - 15522/41? + 3934/43?
Front with the entrance at a height to allow a lorry to back in and unload. Literally everything needed was 'In the Store'. It was also the warmest place on the camp, as the storeman funnily enough managed to have an endless supply of coal. If you want an item and the paperwork is correct, the storeman will say "Yes we have 'one' in stock", you will then reply "Can I have it then please" and the store man will say "Oh no, we have to keep 'one' in stock, so you cannot have that one". If you know anything of storeman you will understand this statement.

Store mans issuing desk, behind a ramp leads up to the front unloading door.
A friend at RAF Boscombe Down, a lowly civilian, was ordered to get a new pair boots. He walked over to the stores and asked for a new pair of boots. The store man quoted from memory the full NATO number and got him a pair. (Thank you Graham)

88 - Aircraft Shed (25bay) - T2 - 3653/42.
89 - Aircraft Shed (25bay) - T2 - 3653/42.
These are 1942 hangars so were built later on when the airfield became a Base unit to run the aircraft repair for three other airfields.

52 - Maintenance Block 'A' - TB - 2406/43.
53 - Maintenance Block 'B' - TB - 2406/43.
54 - Maintenance Block Stores - TB - 6527/43.
55 - Maintenance Block Stores - TB - 6527/43.
56 - Rest Hut - Laing.
88 - Aircraft Shed (25bay) - T2 - 3653/42.
89 - Aircraft Shed (25bay) - T2 - 3653/42.
125 - Tech. Latrine RAF (Maint. Blk.) - TB - 1553640.
128 - Tech. Latrine WAAF (Maint. Blk.) - TB - 1553640.
134 - M&E Plinth - Brick - MN/E 430.
141 - General Purpose Hut - Laing.
Other than the hangars I cannot see any of the other structures extant.

31 - Photographic Block - TB - 155532/40.
This is a standard block found on most airfields and they produced photos from gun, bomb flash and minor reconnaissance photo.

32 - Link Trainer Block - TB - 15532/40 (I did not get a photo as I feel the building was not there, but it is an interesting building..
I believe that this was the Link Trainer Block, in here would have been several Link trainers. These were designed and built by an American organ manufacturer in the 1920's and taught a pilot to fly blind, in other words it was how to fly on instruments. A wonderful piece of electro, mechanical, pumps, valves and bellows.

31 - Photographic Block - TB - 155532/40.
32 - Link Trainer Block - TB - 15532/40.
47 - Station Armoury - TB - 15533/40.
60 - Main Workshops - TB - 45530/40.
63 - Dinghy Shed - TB - 2901/43.
61 - Base Power Plant Assembly - Romney - 43?2/43.
85 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.
86 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.
87 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.
127 - Tech. Latrine RAF - TB - 15536/40.

32 - Link Trainer Block - TB - 15532/40.
BDAC's Link Trainer.

60 - Main Workshops - TB - 45530/40.

An interesting building, it would have had a tinsmiths, blacksmiths, lathes, drilling equipment, tyre changing, woodworkshop and many other forms of repairs.

Cecil Beaton was commissioned by the Ministry to go out and photograph for propaganda reasons, the nation at war and its armed forces. This is an RAF Bomber Captain 1941 in a main workshop. Interesting he chose a store and not an aircraft. Also he is in No.1 dress uniform and his flying woolen jacket over his arm.

61 - Base Power Plant Assembly - Romney - 43?2/43.

This is where the aircraft engines would be overhauled.

87 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.

This one and 84 are the original airfield's T2 hangars. Early built with blast walls each side, the blast walls were discontinued in later hangars.

46 - Maintenance & Armoury Unit - TB 15540/40.

87 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.
This one and 84 are the original airfield T2 hangars. Early built with blast walls each side, the blast walls were discontinued in later hangars.

87 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.
13 of 25 bays of the hangar inside.

87 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.

Blast walls down the side.

47 - Station Armoury - TB - 15533/40.

All airfields had enough weapons to arm all the airmen in the case of an airborne attack by the Germans even until late in the war.

63 - Dinghy Shed - TB - 2901/43.

Dinghy's were an essential as nearly all flying was over water. Some dinghy's were set into the wings of planes and when the plane hit water. It immediately inflated and left the plane. So the airmen could get into it.

127 - Tech. Latrine RAF - TB - 15536/40.

Technical Latrines for RAF means Mens. Technical Latrines for WAAF were for ladies.

85 - Aircraft Shed (25 Bay) - T2 - 8254/40.

Right: 83 - Floodlight Trailer and Tractor Shed - TB - 15535/40.
Left: 82 - NFE Store - TB - 15535/40. Right.

79 - Watch Office - TB - 518/40.
80 - Fire Tender Shelter - TB - 15535/40.
81 - Fire Tender Shelter Rest Hut - Nissen.
82 - NFE Store - TB - 15535/40.
83 - Floodlight Trailer and Tractor Shed - TB - 15535/40.
102 - Wind indicator.
103 - Meteorological Compound.

79 - Watch Office - TB - 518/40 plan ground floor.

79 - Watch Office - TB - 518/40 plan first floor.