RAF Winkleigh
RAF · Devon · England · United Kingdom
RAF Winkleigh
In 1940 it was deemed by the Air Ministry that the area - South west of Bristol. north of Exeter and south of Cardiff/Swansea, needed a fighter airfield , work commenced on Winkleigh Airfield which was to be used as a satellite for RAF Chivenor, Coastal Command.
RAF Winkleigh
RAF Winkleigh
1 x T2 hangar.
2 x Runways.
8 x Blister hangars.
6 x FCW 4513 fighter pens.
6 x None standard fighter pens.
21 x Circular (frying pan) fighter dispersals..
2 x Bulk Fuel Installation (Aviation).
1 x Braithwaite water tower 60,000gal.
1 x 25yd machine gun range.
1 x aircraft machine gun stop butt.
9 x Dispersed sites.
Abbreviations:
PB - Perminent Brick.
TB - Temporary Brick.
N - Nissen Hutting.
T - Thorson Hut?
St - Steel.
P&W - Post & Wire.
B&Sand - Brick & Sand?
Clay&Conc - Clay & Concrete.
B.S. - Blast Shelter.
A.S. - Air Raid Shelter.
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
RAF Winkleigh
Work started in 1940 and opened around 1943 under 10Grp. Fighter Command. Designed in the Crossbow Layout . Many different types of aircraft were flown from here including Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mosquito's and even 161 Squadron flying Lysanders. This was a "Black" squadron, flying dangerous secret sorties delivering and collecting spies from occupied Europe.
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
1 - Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) - 36,000g - 14036/41.
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
4 - Signals Panel.
9 - MT Shed - TB - 12775/41.
77 - M.G.Range 4 Firing Point - .25yd - 147/41.
78 - M.G. test Butt - Earth - 16461/41.
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
A very good view of the smaller Watch Office windows on the ground floor, these are smaller due to it being a night flying tower. That means the room would need lighting and as there was a total blackout, the smaller windows were easier to cover.
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Plan 15684/41.
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Rear entrance.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Watch Office.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Plan 15684/41.
Ground floor plan.
15684/41 ARG
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Watch Office with Pyro cupboard in the corner. Pyrotechnic cupboard was to hold flair cartridges and flair gun/guns.
If these ignited for any reason, the inside door being a steel sheet door and locked. An ignition of the flairs would then heat up and explode and the glass outer window would blow out. Allowing the steel door to keep the occurrence safer from the explosion. The concrete and brick shelve would also protect the occurrence inside.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
As the plan says " A/Men's Lavy".
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Steel windows from Crittall.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
"Officers Lavy" this time.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Met office and in the corner, the Met store or the teleprinter area. which ever was needed. On the left would have been a chart bench.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Looking back down the central corridor, on the right is a cupboard which often has concrete shelves. This was the flag cupboard. Behind it was the Rest Room for Officers and Airmen.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Stairs to the first floor.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
First floor.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Plan 15684/41.
First floor plan.
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Control Room with the door out to the balcony and the stairs to the roof.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Control Room with three hatches from the signals office.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Looking the other way in the Control Room.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
The view from the Control Room.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
3 - Control Tower -TB- 15684/41.
Corridor running back to the stairs.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
9 - MT Shed - TB - 12775/41.
A door stop, all that is left of this MT building.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
Behind the Control Tower
Clockwise: -
1 - view to the watch office through where huts and offices would have filled this space.
2 - a door stop, all that is left of this MT building.
3 - Motor Transport building with its concrete bollards to protect the doors and door posts from RAF drivers.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
Possibly an M&E plinth. Where all the power for this site would have been taken. An armoured cable ran right around the airfield linking up the different sites.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
M&E plinth inside
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site:
Behind the watch office.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield runways
Looking at the cross of the two runways. The runway layout was the crossbow design with only two runways.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Perimeter track
The perimeter track, more a very wide road. This track runs right around the runways so planes could manoeuvre without blocking the runways, allowing other aircraft to land or take off safely.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
77 - M.G. Range 4 Firing Point - .25yd - 147/41.
78 - M.G. test Butt - Earth - 16461/41.
The range was for RAF personnel to practice shooting and machine guns removed from aircraft to be tested.
The earth piled up on the left is the 78 - M.G. test Butt - Earth - 16461/41 This butt is for aircraft machine guns to be sighted and adjusted to the pilots wishes.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
25yd Machine gun range
Looking at the range butts. Sand would have been piled up against the far wall to catch the bullets. This is a standard RAF design range 147/41.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
The RAF Winkleigh War Memorial.
02 August 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Airfield Site
46 - Sleeping Shelter - PB - for33 - for18 - 10142/41.
47 - Gen. Rep. & Gun Cleaning Workshop - TB - 865641.
48 - Drying Room - N - 13214/42.
49 - RAF Latrine - TB - 9026/41.
50 - Recreation Hut - N.
51 - Flight Office - N - 13214/41.
52 - Sleeping Shelter - for33 - 11049/41.
53 - M&E Plinth.
54to57 - Blister Hangars - St - 29ft - 12532/41.
58 - W.T. & Gun Cleaning Workshop - TB - 3656/42.
59 - RAF Latrine - TB - 9026/41.
60 - Hangar - St- T2(13) - 10317/41.
61 - Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) - 24,000g - 13083/41.
62 - S.A.A Store - N - 12725/41.
63to66 - Blister Hangars - St - Extra Over- 12532/41.
69 - Sleeping Shelter - PB - for 33 - 11049/41.
70 - RAF Latrine - TB - 9026/41.
71 - Drying Room - N - 13214/41.
72 - Recreation Hut - N.
73 - Flight Office - N - 13214/41.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
61 - Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) - 24,000g - 13083/41.
This was the fuel pump house for the bulk petrol installation (aviation as opposed vehicles).
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
61 - Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) - 24,000g - 13083/41.
Steel door.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
61 - Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) - 24,000g - 13083/41.
Inside where the pump would have sat.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Elevation view of a pump house plan 15425/40.
RAF Winkleigh
58 - W.T. & Gun Cleaning Workshop - TB - 3656/42.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
60 - Hangar - St- T2(13) - 10317/41.
This is a 13bay T2 hangar, usually the standard size was 26bay. So presumably a shorter length was needed as this was to be a fighter station and not a heavy bomber station.
There were also eight Blister hangars.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
60 -
Hangar - St- T2(13) - 10317/41.
From the main road this is all I could see of the hangar and you can just make out the top door runners that stick out both sides of hangars.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Fighter Dispersal
The only fighter dispersal I could find. It's just a circle of concrete and tarmacked over. To park a fighter plane off of the grass.
02 July 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Fighter Dispersal Pen
A fighter dispersal pen is an area where a fighter would be protected on three sides by an earth bank. A plane would be placed inside its walls . If attacked the walls of earth would give some protection from blast.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Fighter Dispersal Pen
Looking into the air-raid shelter entrance which is an integral part of the central section in the earth mound surrounding the pen.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Fighter Dispersal Pen
Looking inside the air-raid shelter. It is a standard Stanton shelter fitted into the pen. There are three entrances, one at the rear and one to each bay.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
The RAF Winkleigh War Memorial.
02 August 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Some details.
02 August 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Another fighter pen.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Fighter Pen.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Site of a 54to57 - Blister Hangar - St - 12532/41.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Unknown building.
It does look like a Sleeping Shelter.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Blast shelter 2360/41.
An air-raid shelter that basically, you run in and get down low. When a bomb explodes, the blast goes over the top and the walls save you.
The tin is from an old Nissen hut, just dumped.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
48? - Drying Room - N - 15241/41.
A Nissen hut 24ft wide with a porch fitted to the end ad may have been the Drying Room.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
48? - Drying Room - N - 15241/41.
A Nissen hut 24ft wide with a porch fitted to the end ad may have been the Drying Room.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
48? - Drying Room - N - 15241/41.
A Nissen hut 24ft wide with a porch fitted to the end ad may have been the Drying Room.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
69 - Sleeping Shelter - PB - for33 - 11049/41.
This one sleeps 32 men, sleeping shelters come in three sizes, 18 - 24 - 32 all multiples of thee. The bunks inside are teared three high.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
69 - Sleeping Shelter - PB - for33 - 11049/41.
One of the blast wall entrances.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
46 - Sleeping Shelter - PB - for18 - 11042/41.
Air ventilation via an electric fan.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
70 - RAF Latrine (at dispersal) - TB - 9026/41.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
47 - Gen. Rep. & Gun Cleaning W'kshop - TB - 8656/42.
A fighter would have around eight guns, there were six planes in the three fighter pens, which makes 72 guns to keep cleaned and serviced.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
47 - Gen. Repair & Gun Cleaning W'kshop - TB - 8656/42.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
47 - Gen. Repair & Gun Cleaning W'kshop - TB - 8656/42.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Another Fighter Pen
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Connecting way to a Blister hangar.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Site No. 1: Airfield
1 - Bulk Petrol Instillation (Aviation) - 36000g - 14036/41.
3 - Control Tower - TB - 15684/41.
4 - Signal Panel (Square).
5 - Squadron Office - N - 15645/41.
6 - Squadron Office - N - 15645/41.
8 - Link Trainer Building - Double - TB - 10040/41.
9 - MT Shed - TB - 12775/41.
12 - N.F.E. Store - TB - 12411/41
13 - Speech Broadcasting Building - TB - 10786/41.
14 - Parachute Store - TB - 11137/41.
15 - F.L. Trailer and Tractor Store - TB - 12431/41.
18 - M.T. Petrol Installation (lub) 5000g - 4619/40.
29 - Main Store - N - 12773/41.
30 - Fabric store - TB - 12773/41.
31to33 Accommodation, latrines & Dining for For Italian Collaboration Labour Corps.
36 - Main Workshops - N - 12774/41.
40 - Fuel Compound - PB&W - 9108/41.
41 - Sub Station - PB - 13241/41.
PB - Permanent Brick.
TB - Temporary Brick.
N - Nissen.
W - Wire.
AM plan 367/45
RAF Winkleigh
30 - Fabric Store details very sketch?
Fabric Store type 12773/41 part of the main store.
Now demolished.
Usually this store was part of a three building 'Main Store'. But here it was built as a stand alone fabric store.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Dispersed Site No. 2 (Communal)
102 - Station C. O.'s Quarters - TB - 9023/41.
105 Officers Mess - TB - 91to100 - 16322/41.
106 - Sergeants Showers & Ablutions - TB - 14447/41.
107 - Officers Bath House - PB - 16322/41.
108 - Gymnasium and Chapel - TB - 16428/40.
111 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
112 - A.M. Showers, Ablution & Decontamination - 1001to1100 - TB - 14433/41.
115 - Dining Room - N - 1100 - 16677/41.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
102 - Station C. O.'s Quarters - TB - 9023/41.
105 Officers Mess - TB - 91to100 - 16322/41.
108 - Gymnasium and Chapel - TB - 16428/40.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.2 Communal
112 - A.M. Showers, Ablution & Decontamination - 1001to1100men - TB - 14433/41.
Airman's showers, ablutions and decontamination block. Decontamination was taken seriously. On big stations, very large four entry decontamination blocks were built with air conditioning and heating for water. Where cloths could be changed and gas victims treated. Here there just seems to be a row of standard type TB hutting used. As the war went on, decontamination blocks were re used as stores and the showers used for airmen's shower blocks.
20 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.2 Communal
111 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Most RAF stations were powered by the grid, but on occasions this may go down and so a generator house was always provided. The size of the house meant how important the station was. One standby set, not too important. Three in a row, very important.
This one was quite a big one.
20 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.2 Communal
115 - Dining Room - N - 1100 - 16677/41.
Plan of the type of dinning room.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.2 Communal
115 - Dining Room - N - 1100 - 16677/41.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.2 Communal
115 - Dining Room - N - 1100 - 16677/41.
Stove arrangement
AM photo
RAF Winkleigh
107 - Officers Bath House - PB - 16322/41.
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
107 - Officers Bath House - PB - 16322/41.
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
Another water tower showing the steel ladder to access the tank.
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
Blast pen now covered in old wood.
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
Blast pen and this one has a roof over it, maybe the farmer added the structure??
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Blast pen and this one has a roof over it, maybe the farmer added the structure??
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Blast pen and this one has a roof over it, maybe the farmer added the structure??
18 February 2007
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.6 (W.A.A.F Communal)
Dispersed Site No. 2 (W.A.A.F.) Communal, We tried to ask if we could photograph but two growling Sheep dogs said we could not. I did manage to take a few shots. This looks like accommodation, mostly Nissen huts.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.6 (W.A.A.F Communal)
Dispersed Site No. 2 (W.A.A.F.) Communal, We tried to ask if we could photograph but two growling Sheep dogs said we could not. I did manage to take a few shots. This looks like accommodation, mostly Nissen huts.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
23 March 2004
Site No.6 (W.A.A.F Communal), a typical Nissen Hut with a toilet block added. On the plan it shows it as a guard hut picket post.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.6 (W.A.A.F Communal) water tank still in place above the latrines.
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.6 (W.A.A.F Communal)
Site No.6 accommodation Nissen huts. Dinning room and Sergeants mess.
10 May 2003
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.6 (W.A.A.F Communal)
Inside an accommodation Nissen hut
23 March 2004
RAF Winkleigh
Site No.5
230 - Sergeant, A/M's Ablutions & Drying room - TB - 16315/41.
Dispersed Site No.5, this is a standard wartime airmen's ablutions and drying room hut with a Stanton air-raid shelter in front which has a porch covering its entrance. I have never seen a porch fitted before to a Stanton shelter. The hut is now lived in as a private house and half the field is a cemetery with burial's of a later date.
23 March 2004
Now part is the towns cemetery.
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
Stanton Air Raid shelter.
05 August 2017
RAF Winkleigh
Centre of Winkleigh and I saw this old Garage with a nice Art deco design. Being an old garage owner I tend to look out for them.
A very good history of RAF Winkleigh written by David Freeman.
10 May 2003