RAF Melbourne, Yorkshire & Hitler
RAF · Yorkshire · England · United Kingdom
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
RAF Melbourne, Yorkshire was a wartime operational bomber station. Opened in 1940 as a satellite for RAF Leeming & gradually turned into a full 'A' Class bomber airfield & closed in 1946.
2 - T2.
1 - B1 hangars.
35 frying pan dispersals.
It was getting quite dark by the time I arrived on the runway, so photos are not the best I would have hoped.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Fido : Site of Fido fuel tanks.
Main entrance & memorial at Melrose Farm Ash Lane.
X : second memorial 2011.
White box, site of Hitler.
Air Ministry D.O.W. MEL : 135 :44
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Melrose Farm main entrance & memorial to No.10 Squadron RAF which arrived here 1942 from RAF Leeming with Halifax.
Melbourne was an operational airfield and 10Sqn of 4 Group RAF were there the whole time. Which must have been quite rare.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Perimeter track
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Main runway
Looking towards the apex of this and the main runway.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Memorial
This was situated in the centre of the airfield in 2011.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Main runway and drag track.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
NW/SE Runway
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
NW/SE Runway
A drag circuit security guard kindly offered to take me around the airfield. He mentioned that the concrete slabs on the runways were numbered. We searched in the lowering light. The first we found were dog foot prints walking across the slab.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Slab Numbers
The runways were laid in square or large oblong slabs. Sometimes a test sample could be taken and tested to make sure it was suable for heavy bombers. Also the numbers may have helped in piece work, where the men received so much money for every slab they laid. This numbering is not on all runways, RAF Upottery does not have it but I think the perimeter of RAF Down Ampney does.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Slab 186
Then We Found 186, there even looks like a smiley in part of the 6.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Slab 186 could this be Mussolini?? and not Hitler.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
Slab 186 this is certainly Hitler.
24 April 2011
RAF Melbourne & Hitler
24 April 2011