RAF Silverstone

Opened at the beginning of 1943 with No.62 course the first and the last I can find was No.10-115, closed in 1946. It was home to 17 OTU of 92 Group Bomber Command and used Vickers Wellington's to train bomber crews. There could be as many as 54 aircraft on charge. Multiply 54 planes with say five crew and you have 270, add to that instructors, maintenance crews, store man, WAAF's, etc, etc and it is over 2000 personnel. RAF Turweston was a satellite of Silverstone. One type of exercise carried out from 17 OTU were Bullseye exercises. It was a simulated operation for bomber crew training, with searchlights, anti-aircraft guns and night fighters co-operating to make the exercise as realistic as possible and gaining useful experience themselves. Another was Nickeling, the dropping of leaflets. There were 33 aircraft dispersals, one B1 hangar & four T2 hangars. The bomb store was a half size due to the fact it was an OTU and not a heavy bomber station.

A full A class airfield with a half size bomb store , With the airfield site there were 12 dispersed sites. This would have been a very busy airfield, with aircrew arriving, in training and then of to main force bomber squadrons.

Silverstone circuit, now probably Britain (The worlds) premier car racing track. Situated right on top of a WW2 airfield.

The road from the airfield to the dispersed living sites. All I can cover is a small part of the airfield mostly Site No. 3 Communal. Most of the huts were Nissen and Jane tin huts and a few Temporary Brick.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Left view.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Centre view looking inside. Three heavy generator sets would have sat side by side. The airfield would have been powered by the mains electric, but in an emergency these three generators could run the most important parts of the station. Control tower, landing lights, operations block, etc.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Right view.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Right side cable trenches.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Rear view.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Entrance to the oil tank store.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41. Oil tank beds.

184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.

Right, Site 5. Left, Site 7. Straight on Site 6. All living sites.

In these trees are lots of hut bases and communal buildings foundations. Left 174 - Sergeants Mess for 300 - N - 12869/41. Right, site 7.

Blast shelter for 32 men.

176 - Dining room (for 1200) - Nissan - 12854/41.

176 - Dining room (for 1200) - Nissan - 12854/41.

To Site 5.

Hut base.

Hut base.

The metal plates from a Braithwaite water tank. By bolting multiples of these square sides, large water tanks can be erected.

108 - Shadowgraph trainer & Post Office 130x18ft TB. A teaching aid for air gunners. A light is shone and models of aeroplane's can be placed upon the screen for recognition, aiming & practice shooting a machine gun.

108 - Shadowgraph trainer & Post Office 130x18ft TB. A teaching aid for air gunners.