RAF Shellingford, Berkshire

RAF · Berkshire · England · United Kingdom

RAF Shellingford

Shellingford was opened for use as a practice landing field for Elementary Flying Training in 1931, the aerodrome being of grass. It opened for night flying on 25 September 1941. No 3 EFTS were located at RAF Shellingford with some 56 Tiger Moths and a communal site was established for all ranks at nearby Stanford-in-the-Vale. British Army pilots trained here as glider pilots from 1943, the base being one of many assisting in the training of Horsa Glider pilots in preparation for the D-Day landings of 1944. Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots also received training at Shellingford in 1946. No.3 EFTS departed in 1948, the aerodrome closing on 31 March 1948 as the RAF gradually wound down following the Second World War. However, the airfield was re-opened briefly for use by the United States Air Force in the 1950s. USAF 7568 Material Squadron provided radar maintenance for the 32nd Brigade whose task was to provide the air defence for all USAF SAC bases in the UK. RAF Shellingford closed to the USAF in early 1957 with the 7568 MS moving to Denham Studios, near Uxbridge, as the 7500 Air Base Group. (Military Wiki)

RAF Shellingford

Most of its perimeter track is still here, two incredible wooden blister hangars, a watch office and more. This was written in 2005.

3 x runways of Sommerfeld tracking.

4 x Bellman hangars.

11 x Blister hangars.

4 x dispersed accommodation sites.

1 x Communal site.

1 x Sick Quarters.

1 x Sewage site.

Record Site Plan 1769/45

RAF Shellingford

Site No. 3. 2005 and an air-raid shelter was in place and 12 the TB Ablutions block, it still had its ladder to the water tank in the tower.

10 April 2005

Chimney on the left for the heating plant, water tank is still in the tower, with the ladder to access it.

Site No. 3. 2005 and an air-raid shelter was in place and 12 the TB Ablutions block, it still had its ladder to the water tank in the tower.

1,2 &3 - Women Workers Quarters - N - SHL/7110/842.

4,5,6,&7 - Men Unskilled Quarters - N - SHL/7110/842.

8,9,10,&11 - Men Skilled Quarters - N - SHL/7110/842.

12 - Ablutions - TB - SHL/7110/842.

13 Fuel Compound.

14 - Picket Post - N - SHL/7110/842.

15 - Female Latrine - TB - SHL/7110/842.

16 - Male Latrine - SHL/7110/842.

17 - Male Latrine - SHL/7110/842.

18 - M & E Plinth - TP/4172/41.

19 - Static Water Tank.

20 - Bucket Emptying Manhole - 7281/42.

N - Nissen.

TB - Temporary Brick.

AS - Air Raid Shelter.

Record Site Plan 1769/45

RAF Shellingford

This is the access roadway to the 66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40.

Google

66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40.

RAF Shellingford

66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40. Larger pump house. There are two pump houses, this one we could not access as it was in the Quarry.

10 April 2005

Plan of the perimeter track leading to the fuel instillation circular roadway with two pump houses and tanks for 24,000gal. Site plan No. 15425/40..

66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40.
The red lines on the plan are actually where the petrol bowsers parked. They are level ground, where the tank dip sticks can record the amount of fuel inside. — 66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40. The red lines on the plan are actually where the petrol bowsers parked. They are level ground, where the tank dip sticks can record the amount of fuel inside.

RAF Shellingford

66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40. This is the second pump house outside the quarry.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

66 - Aviation Petrol 24,000gal - 15425/40. Inside the second smaller pump house and the holes in the right wall would have taken fuel pipes through.

10 April 2005

POOL tankers would have delivered fuel from probably Avonmouth docks to here.

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard', most later Blister hangars were made of steel light welded fames and covered in corrugated iron sheets. This is a very early model that uses a wooden frame and older style iron sheets.

10 April 2005

These Blister hangars used timber for supports and a different form of iron sheeting and small windows.

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' there were ten altogether on the airfield.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' Artistic license.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' One of five that were here.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

The airfield & perimeter track.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard'. A view you could not see now, as this part of the field has been dug up for gravel extraction.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Perimeter track looking north. Runway surfaces were Sommerfeld tracking a wire mesh and pin construction placed over grass to allow vehicles/planes to use the road/runways and not damage the ground.

10 April 2005

Sommerfeld tracking tie down pins and washers.

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard'

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard'

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' roof sections.

10 April 2005 Details Blister hangar type 'Standard'

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' The timbers for another Blister hangar were stored here.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' All the pieces of wood were numbered for easy assembly.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' The pulleys and rail are for a canvas curtain door, that can shut of the opening.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard'.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Blister hangar type 'Standard' Base of another Blister.

10 April 2005

Steel pins used to hold down the hangar.

RAF Shellingford

Here you can see a pin stuck into the concrete foundation and a steel side edge runner.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Technical Site 1 to 4 - Bellman Hangars - ST - 6411/39. 5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41. 6 - Fire Tender House & Rest Room - 641/41 & Local. 7 - Latrine - TB - 641/41. 8 - Compass Platform - 10996/40. 24 - Main Store - 647/41. 39 - SAA Store (Small Arms Ammunition) - TB - 16075/40+2495/41. 43 - Main Workshops - 639/41.

Record Site Plan 1769/45

RAF Shellingford

38 - M.G. Range - 147/41.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

38 - M.G. Range - 147/41.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

39 - SAA Store (Small Arms Ammunition) - TB - 16075/40+2495/41.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

40 - Link Trainer (2No.) - 7750/40.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

41 - Link Trainer (3No.) - 7750/40.

Boscombe Down Aviation Collection

Inside a Link trainer room showing the pilot in the Link and the instructor at his table.

RAF Shellingford

41 - Link Trainer (3No.) - 7750/40.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

41 - Link Trainer (3No.) - 7750/40. A slightly out of focus Link Trainer building.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Hidden in some new factory units is this I think is 47 - Technical latrine - 641/41.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

1 to 4 - Bellman Hangars - ST - 6411/39. This is the area of the hangars.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

A hangar base, inset an angle bracket attached to the foundations. There were four Bellman Hangars.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

The left building is the Fire Tender House. The right I will call it a Watch Office. 1 to 4 - Bellman Hangars - ST - 6411/39. 5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41. 6 - Fire Tender House & Rest Room - 641/41 & Local. 7 - Latrine - TB - 641/41. 8 - Compass Platform - 10996/40.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

6 - Fire Tender House & Rest Room - 641/41 & Local.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

6 - Fire Tender House & Rest Room - 641/41 & Local.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

6 - Fire Tender House & Rest Room - 641/41 & Local.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

6 - Fire Tender House & Rest Room - 641/41 & Local.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41. Right side.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41. Left side.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41. Pyrotechnic cupboard for flair cartridges and flair guns. It would have had two steel doors. Front of the building.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

5 Control Tower (Watch Office) - TB - 641/41. Flight line.

10 April 2005

RAF Shellingford

Sick Quarters 48 - Sick Quarters & Dental Surgery - TB - 569/41. 49 - Ambulance Garage & Mortuary - TB - 641/41 50 - Picket Post - TB - 641/41. 51 - Orderlies' Quarters - N - 15015/41. 52 - Orderlies' Latrines & Ablutions - 15015/41. 53 - Static Water Tank - TP/4172/41. 54 Septic Tank. A Picket Post is the the entrance to a site and everybody entering and leaving, needs to sign in & out. Also it has a room that a prisoner could be held, a toilet wash room and the main office. Also a stove to keep the place warm.

Record Site Plan 1769/45

RAF Shelling

Now Cottage Road, this was the entrance to the Station Sick Quarters and I was surprised to see the Picket Post still in situ.

RAF Shellingford

I have just found this in the Internet, the caption is: RAF Shellingford, England 1956. Left: A2C Charles Frazier. Right: A2C Ted Clerk. I am not sure which building this was. The aerodrome closed on 31 March 1948 as the RAF gradually wound down following the Second World War. However, the airfield was re-opened briefly for use by the United States Air Force in the 1950s. USAF 7568 Material Squadron provided radar maintenance for the 32nd Brigade whose task was to provide the air defence for all USAF SAC bases in the UK. RAF Shellingford closed to the USAF in early 1957 with the 7568 MS moving to Denham Studios, near Uxbridge, as the 7500 Air Base Group. (Military Wiki)

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RAF Shellingford

10 April 2005