RAF Southrop Communal Site

 242 - Officers Ablutions & Latrines - TB

242 - Officers Ablutions & Latrines - TB.

Base for a pot bellied stove, to keep the airmen worm in their showers.

242 - Officers Ablutions & Latrines - TB.

One of the wash rooms.

242 - Officers Ablutions & Latrines - TB.

Sink shelf for washing.

Site 3.

230 - Picket Post - TB - 3443/41.

This post is where every serviceman/woman who entered the site or left the site, would have to sign in & out.

Details
50 - Officers Mess Type '68' - TB - 34404/41 + 10216/42.
51 - Officers Bath House & Latrines - TB - 3449/41.
52 - Sergeants Mess Type '199' - TB - 3441/41 + 102177/42.
54 - Dining Room Type '673' - TB - 3445/41 + 10218/42.
56 - Institute & NAAFI staff Qtrs. - TB - 3446/41.
58 - Airmen´s Showers & Ablutions - TB - 3449/41.
62 - Stand-by Set House - B - 10883/41.
63 - WAAF Rest Room 10215/42 + TO4929.
64 - High Level Water Tank 30,000gals - St - TD. 4094.

59 - Airmen´s Latrine - TB -3443/41.

An elongated 3443/41 latrine with possibly a washing area added on.

Hypholoma fasciculare (Sulphur Tuft).

These are widespread throughout the UK and are found in woods and forests on dead or decaying wood. Vomiting and stomach aches are just two of the consequences of eating this type of poisonous mushroom. Their stems are curved and the cap is sulphur yellow, while being orange towards the centre.

63 - WAAF Rest Room - TB - 10215/42 + TO4929.

This is where Women´s Auxiliary Air Force could relax.

63 - WAAF Rest Room -TB - 10215/42 + TO4929

63 - WAAF Rest Room - TB - 10215/42 + TO4929

I believe this may have been a re settlement camp post war.

50 - Officers Mess Type '68' - TB - 34404/41 + 10216/42.

An Officers Mess was to feed and rest Officers. As for sleeping, they would go to their huts in one of the other sites. There was no Officers site, each site had a mix of Officers, Sergeants and men.

50 - Officers Mess Type '68' - TB - 34404/41 + 10216/42.

It would have been very comfortable inside with open fires and soft leather chairs, a bit like a Gentleman´s club. Their would be Mess servants to serve your food on white table cloths and to get a drink if that is what you wanted.

 50 - Officers Mess Type '68' - TB - 34404/41 + 10216/42.

 50 - Officers Mess Type '68' - TB - 34404/41 + 10216/42.

 50 - Officers Mess Type '68' - TB - 34404/41 + 10216/42.

62 - Stand-by Set House - B - 10883/41.

Stand-by Set House is the generator house. It had two heavy diesel generators and large dynamos to power all the buildings. Its own diesel fuel tanks. All the huts would have had mains supply, if the power was interrupted. The Stand-by Set House would cut in. If there was no mains, the Stand-by Set House would produce all the electricity.

62 - Stand-by Set House - B - 10883/41.

Now used as a garage (in 2004) they were welding a car, when it caught fire.

51 - Officers Bath House & Latrines - TB - 3449/41

The water tank in the brick tower and steel ladder to reach it. There would be heating from a coal boiler, heating a large water tank so a bath/shower could be taken.

64 - High Level Water Tank 30,000gals - St - TD. 4094.

Water supplied from a bore hole, probably under the water tower would be pumped up into the tank and distributed around the camp. The tank is a Braithwaite tank. Made of individual panels bolted together and placed on a high steel tower.

230 - Picket Post - TB -3442/41.

Interesting, all the Picket Posts on the plan are numbered 230??. This one was the Communal Sites post..

230 - Picket Post - TB -3442/41.

Inside showing what it looked like, the colour scheme is exactly what it would have looked like.

230 - Picket Post - TB -3442/41.

Cupboard and second picture a window with fittings for a black out curtain. These stopped any light showing outside at night.

230 - Picket Post - TB -3442/41.

The electrics for the post.

230 - Picket Post - TB -3442/41.

In a cupboard it still had what to do in a fire. These posts not only saw people in and out of their respective sites but also were there in case of fire, and would walk around at night as a guards, but also as fire pickets.

230 - Picket Post - TB -3442/41.

Wash stand.

60 - Airmen´s Showers, Ablutions & Decontamination - TB - 3448/41.

Decontamination is from a gas attack. If any airmen were suffering from a gas attack, he/she could be brought inside, stripped of all clothing, showered and scrubbed clean and using a bleach solution as well. Quite a traumatic time when you also may be suffering other injuries.

58 - Airmen´s Showers & Ablutions - TB - 3449/41.

 58 - Airmen´s Showers & Ablutions - TB - 3449/41

 58 - Airmen´s Showers & Ablutions - TB - 3449/41.
The high level water tower and also the chimney.

 53 - Sergeants Showers, Ablutions & Latrines - TB - 3445/41.

 59 - Latrines - TB.59 - Latrines - TB - 3448/41.

 59 - Latrines - TB - 3448/41.

230 - Picket Post (type3) - TB - 1580/42.
420 - Sick Quarters (10 RAF - 4 WAAF) - S - 3851/43 + 4473/43.
421 - Sick Annexe (type B) - S - 3851/43.
422 - Ambulance Garage & Mortuary - TB - 660/42.
423 - Sgts & Orderlies Qtrs (1Sgt:32A/M) S - based on 2969/42.
424 - Latrines & Drying Room. (Sick QTRS) - TB 9086/41.
425 - Static Water Tank (20,000galls) - St- TD.4094 .

S - Seco hutting.
TB - Temporary Brick.
St - Steel.

420 - Sick Quarters (10 RAF - 4 WAAF) - S - 3851/43 + 4473/43.

Basically a small hospital.

230 - Picket Post (type3) - TB - 1580/42.Picket Post.

422 - Ambulance Garage & Mortuary - TB - 660/42.

Ambulance garage usually in the front and the mortuary, a small room in the back.

 422 - Ambulance Garage & Mortuary - TB - 660/42.

422 - Ambulance Garage & Mortuary - TB - 660/42.

Inside where the ambulance was parked.

423 - Sergeants & Orderlies Qtrs (1Sgt:32A/M) S - based on 2969/42.

Made by Uni-Seco. In February 1941, Bernard Brunton and Rolfe Gilbert Booth, both of 6 Woods Mews, Park Lane, London submitted applications 1821/41 for a patent in support of their invention with regard to wall and roof panels for huts. In January 1942 the two inventors submitted a further two designs 9144/42 and 745/42 this time for patents in support for their invention of a prefabricated building having hollow box-like beam members that are supported on the upper edges of the exterior walls. The walls being constructed of timber frame clad with asbestos sheeting and the void filled with insulation material. It is believed that the applications were made before Selection Engineering and Uni-Seco Structures Ltd had been registered as companies. The design which incorporated all aspects of the above applications became Seco Mk. I System of unit construction. From https://www.prefabmuseum.uk/content/history/the-history-of-uni-seco-structures-guest-blog-post

423 - Sergeants & Orderlies Qtrs (1Sgt:32A/M) S - based on 2969/42

Sewage Works Site.

90 - Tool House - TB - 7493/40.

91 - Bucket Emptying Platform - TD.3816.

92 - Water Supply (Borehole) Pump House - TB - S.P.161.

93 - Sewage Works (48ft Dia Filter) - S.P.116.

Sewage Works Site.

Parts of settlement tanks.

Sewage Works Site.

Large arms would rotate and waste water would be sprinkled over a base of clinker, the by product of burning Coke/Coal.

 Sewage Works Site

Sewage Works Site.

The tool shed, where civilian workers would have been employed to run the sewage works. Also there would be a stove or destructor burner, where items could be burnt.

Sewage Works Site.

Pencilling on the wall.