RAF Holmsley South Operations Block, Hampshire

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Permissible visit 11 November 2005.

Operation OYSTER, the daylight attack on the Philips radio and valve works at Eindhoven, Holland, by No. 2 Group.

Operational planning.

Planning the route.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

Details

The site of the Operations Block just to the south of the airfield. These pictures were taken in 2008, a lot has been happening to the area with logging and a new barn style building erected close by. I asked permission to look around and I am pleased I did. It was very wet and dark. No windows and no lighting, very slippery. I was on my own, so rang a friend and told him where I was and what I was about to do. As I started to enter the, loggers knocked off for the day and I was totally alone in the building. Scary.

One of the first aircraft were Whitley bombers.

Liberators of Coastal Command.

USAAF Marauders were here after D-Day.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Site No. 2. Plan.
152 - Operations Block - TB - 2337/41.
153 - Library                   -   N -
154 - Picket Post.          - TB - 12404/41.
The Block is oblong in shape, with four entrances on each corner (there maybe more). A corridor runs right around the inside with small offices between it and the outside wall and inside the corridor is the main Ops rooms. Its a protected building, in that it has steel reinforcement to quite a thick concrete roof and brick walls. No windows at all and would have used filtered air through an air conditioning plant and the roof has a large water tank for the air conditioning. Later after the war, it was taken over as a seat of government by probably Hampshire CC. And it was up graded with later flush toilets and kitchen area. Probably a sleeping area as well. A telephone exchange, fitted so the Police chief for the area, the council officers, Red cross (or equivalent) and Civil Defence group could keep in contact. Its a period of time I lived through but do not know that much about.

Elevation. The tall chimney is actually the fresh air inlet. Gas is heavy so the chimney protrudes above the gas could and sucks in fresh air. It is then put through a filtration system and also an air conditioning plant.

Chimney as this would have looked like.

Part of a heating plant that may have been here.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The RAF entrance.

Humber Staff car.

Hillman.

US Jeep.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The roadway in.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Very well hidden in the trees, it would have been camouflaged in some way as well.

It can be seen from this air photo. The long thin building is the Nissen hut.

Very hard to see in this low level picture.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The gate is styled on a Ministry design but is galvanised, which possibly makes it post war military/government.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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154 - Picket Post. - TB - 12404/41.
Unfortunately I do not have a picture of a 12404/41, but this is an 8218/40 probably not dissimilar. Here you would be stopped by a Service Policeman and show your pass to be allowed inside.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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153 - Library a Nissen hut, 24ft wide and quite long.
It would have been for maps, plans, aircraft recognition models, etc. Everything that a pilot & crew could use to help them. The second photo is an American squadron studying plans with model aircraft above.

 

 

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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This is the Cold War I think Police or local Government aerial. For more information go to Subbrit.org.uk.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Base of the aerial.

Police emergency response, pressing the alarm.

Cold war siren.

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The front of the Block. Now I may have said, four entrances, the whitish painted wall in front is actually a blast wall for another entrance, so there may have been more than I originally thought. The small water tanks could be Cold war period. The large brick structure on the roof is the original water tank,

Layout of the door.

Elevation.

Plan

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Side entrance with its blast wall.

 

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Another corner entrance and blast wall.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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I was looking through these pictures and wondered how I got on the roof, later I found this photo.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The flat roof, full of age damage and leaks like a sieve.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The water reservoir for the wartime air conditioning plant.

Heating plant room.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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These hooks could be for an aerial guy rope or for a camouflage net?

Camouflage netting.

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Age.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Post war oil fuel tank.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Blast wall and entrance, ignore the doors that litter the place and windows, they are nothing to do with the building.

Blast wall.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The plan of the block, The four entrances on the corners, the grey passageways running around, with offices on the outside and large rooms in the middle. I have NO plan of this and also it was 2008 when I visited twelve years ago, my memory is a bit dim from there. Sorry.

2337/41 basic plan.

Elevation.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Entering the passageway that runs round the inside. As I may have said. NO lighting and no windows, so pitch black.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Some of the original light fittings and some are post war additions

Light fitting.

Light switch.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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One of the rooms.

 

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Charts would line the walls.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Cold war stretchers left over.

Government officials looking at the designs.

Cold Ear exorcise.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Not at all sure what room did what but this one has several Elsan toilet buckets.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Elsan toilet buckets.

Elsan toilet

 

Elsan toilet in the rear of a Lancaster bomber.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Charts would line the walls.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Charts would line the walls.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Passage continues.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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More wall boards and air conditioning pipes running through. The long florescent lights would be Cold War.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Cold War telephone exchange.

Essex Secret Bunker.

Post Office engineers van. He would have known every cold war exchange, bunker and connection.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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I believe this is one of the middle rooms.
More air conditioning and panels on the wall.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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As the last picture.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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These rooms would have held briefing for pilots.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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An Operations Room (not here) on D-Day at the 385th Bomb Group, 549th Bomb Squadron USAAF.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Window to the next room but not outside.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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The heavy reinforced concrete roof.
Planning for the movement of Horsa Gliders to North Africa in 1943 would have taken place here. They started by flying a combination (Horsa & tug Halifax) all around Britain 1,400mls and took 10hrs. To prove that it could be done. When it was proved, then the operation went ahead. The code name was "Turkey Buzzard".

Halifax Horsa combination.

Horsa Glider.

Pilots view.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Protected Teleprinter room looks very like the last picture..

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Cupboard off one of the main rooms with what look like steel filing cabinets for large plans. The left side is air conditioning system.

1939 air map.

East Anglia.

Dorchester.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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One of the semi-armoured doors.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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About an inch of water nearly all over the floor.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Another of the outer rooms.

Route board.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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RCAF Ops Room No.405 Sqn around 1941.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Imagine this is your office.

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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WAAF planners.

WAAF´s.

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Along one side.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Dog leg in the corner.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Wall lit panels, Cold War.

The bomb.

NATO.

East & West Germany.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Up dated toilets.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Urinals.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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This could be the telephone connection room.

Telephone exchange RAF Talbenny, Wales.

Essex Secret Bunker.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Up graded kitchen Cold War.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

Details

Well has to be Way Out.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Cold War.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Another room in the centre a much larger room. The office behind has steps up and a senior officer can sit at the window looking down on a map table.

details

details

Teleprinter room. A lot of information was sent via teleprinter. That way radio was not used and harder for an enemy to break your radio codes.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Another part with steps up like a stage.

 

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Looking into this space and another very large window from another room.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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This is looking through that window.

Route map.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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Well thats it and outside basking in a lovely Autumn evening after a very wet day.

RAF Holmsley South, Operations Block

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RAF Holmsley South,
Operations Block

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© 2013 Richard Drew