RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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Opened in November 1940.
Closed in July 1945.
Pundit code HI
Men - 785.
WAAF - 210.
13 OTU November 1940 to
July 1942. Blenhiem.
16 OTU July 1942 to April 1943. Wellington I.
1478 Flt April 1943 to July 1944.
Whitley V.
Signals Development Unit (SDU) June 1643 to July 1944. Oxford, Anson, Master.
1 x B1 Hangar.
1 x T1 Hangar.
23 x Aircraft dispersals.
Blenhiem.
Anson.
Wellington I.
Whitley V.
Oxford.
Master.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomber Command OTU
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PB - Pill Boxes.
BHQ - Battle Head Quarters (group defence).
OTU - Operational Training Unit.
Bomber Command OTU : -
Before joining an operational squadron, newly trained aircrew would spend a period at an OTU,
the most complex of which was the bomber OTU. Here pilots, navigators, gunners etc would
come together for the first time, form a crew and learn to work as a team.
The training at an OTU was in effect a postgraduate course as all air crew taking part were
qualified to wear their appropriate badges: pilots’ wings, the single wing of observers or the air
gunners’ badge. Crews were formed and trained together, being taught to work on the actual
type that they were to fly on an operational squadron.8
These stations were similar in construction to the operational units, the principal difference
being the addition of an instructional site which provided a number of synthetic trainers. The
latter were frequently devices invented by an individual, then developed at a particular site.
If submitted and approved by the Air Ministry´s Synthetic Training Committee they would be
manufactured and installed at a number of airfields, depending on their function. From Nine Thousand Miles of Concrete (Airfield Research Group).
Crew.
Whitley crew.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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The drive from the village through some lovely countryside.
Plan,
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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The north entrance to the airfield, you can drive in and there is a car park for the parachute people.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
FW3/22 pillbox
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The first pill box an FW3/22 pillbox and I am not sure about the summer house.
FW3/22 pillbox plan
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25 April 2010
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
FW3/22 pillbox
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FW3/22 pillbox with a pistol port above the door. I have hardly ever seen door fittings or a steel door. So I have no idea what they would have done.
details
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
FW3/22 pillbox
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Called a Port or Embrasure. These started out in the early models just for rifles and later changes so machine guns could be fitted. This one was only for rifles..
Bren gun.
Lee Enfield rifle.
.303 ammunition.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
03 March 2013
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
FW3/22 pillbox
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Inside looking at the embrasures and a central support for the roof, usually they had an anti ricochet wall shaped like a Y inside.
details
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
FW3/22 pillbox
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The commanding views across the airfield.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
FW3/22 pillbox
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Dispersals
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To the right a three circular dispersal
Plan.
Plan.
Circular or frying pan dispersal, there were 23 Pan type here.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Dispersals with a Robins type 'B' hangar.
Details
The hangar is not from here and may have been brought in from an RAF MU storage unit, possibly when the Signals Development Unit (SDU). Or there was also stationed here in 1945, the Radio Vehicle Storage Unit. They prepared radio trucks for the battle field and may used the hangars as workshops.
Robins 'B' type hangar.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Dispersals with a Robins type 'B' hangar.
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Robins 'B' type hangar.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Petrol Instillation (Aviation)
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One of two here.
Petrol Instillation (Aviation) pump house.
Underground tanks,
Fuel arrived from the POOl government suppliers and then distributed by RAF bowsers.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
PBX
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PBX - Private Branch Exchange, local telephone exchange for the camp.
Plan.
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PBX
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One of the doorways into the small rooms.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
PBX
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Another room. More cupboards than rooms.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
RAF Chilbolton's PBX
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
RAF Chilbolton, Hampshire's PBX
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Showing all the rooms.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Stanton Shelter
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Stanton Air-Raid shelter with the escape on the left and entrance on the right,
Construction.
A shelter that has been dismantled.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Barrack huts
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A row of four huts.
Nissen hut.
Laing hut.
Temporary brick huts.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Barrack huts
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Looking at this air photo of the huts I would say they were barrack huts with latrines and air-raid Stanton shelters.
Latrine block 9026/41.
Latrine block 9026/41 plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Stanton Shelter
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Stanton Shelter and Fuel pump house.
Inside.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Huts
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
25yd machine gun range
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The back wall of the range.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
25yd machine gun range
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The red flag pole fittings.
The red flag.
Plan..
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
25yd machine gun range
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Looking from the firing butts 13292/39.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) 72,000gal 9846/41
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Most RAF airfields from the 1930's had two Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation). One each side of the hangar site. Later in the war they were dispersed away from the hangars.
Note the hole in the wall is where pipes would have entered the building.
Plan.
External pipe work on a 9846/41 pump house.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
25 April 2010
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) 72,000gal 9846/41
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This side is the inlet side and the far side the outlet side.
Delivery Scammell tanker.
Fuel bowser out on an airfield re fuelling.
Matador bowser.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
My plan Pump plan (ARG)
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) 72,000gal 9846/41
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My plan of the 9846/41 and the (ARG) elevation of a pump house and pump fittings.
Pump house gauge.
Pump.
Fuel tanks.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
03 March 2013
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bulk Petrol Installation (Aviation) 72,000gal 9846/41
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Fuel bowsers could pull up here and fill, then drive around the building and back out onto the airfield.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Hangar base
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I do not know which hangars where where. If this was a T1 Hangar its a 3/4 sized type of the T2 standard RAF hangar. 3/4 because it did not need to be so high as there were only smaller twin and single engined planes.
T1 hangar.
T1 hangar door showing a 3/4 sized door.
Inside a T1 hangar.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Hangar to perimeter track
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The other hangar was a B1, a MAP (Ministry of Aircraft Production).
A large repair hangar made for (MAP) . They were used on bomber stations as heavy repair hangars to supplement the airfields usual T type hangars and usually manned by civilians repair parties.
B1 MAP plan.
Inside a B1 at RAF Chilbolton.
B1 at RAF Stratford.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
The airfield.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Perimeter track
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
The connecting track from the perimeter track to the hangar base.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Control Tower
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A unique design and total unlike most control towers. Now demolished.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Flight hut
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The Squadron/flights would have had their offices in here.
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Main runway
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Perimeter track
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Track to three dispersal pans
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Plan.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Pill box type Mushroom or Oakington
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From Spotters Guide to Pillboxes Pillbox Study Group.
The FC Construction Pillbox is described on official Air Ministry plans as the FAIRLOP, the MUSHROOM, or the OAKINGTON and is associated with drawing numbers: TG14, 9882/41 and T/5291. It consists of an open, circular, concrete pit with wall 3ft high, and a domed concrete roof, cantilevered off a central pillar, either cruciform or butterfly, and forming Anti-Ricochet walls. A tubular rail, holding two, movable, clamped mg mountings, is fixed below the parapet giving a 360-degree field of fire. A medium machine gun could be used here.
Vickers MM gun.
Bren.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
25 April 2010
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Pill box type Mushroom or Oakington
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The three foot wall has been removed. These would have been manned by the local Home Guard, an Army regiment billeted in the area of even RAF ground staff, picking up their rifles and taking up a defensive position.
Plan. (Tim Denton PBSG).
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Lorry inspection ramp
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Stationed here in 1945 was the Radio Vehicle Storage Unit. They prepared radio trucks for the battle field and had workshops on the airfield
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Lorry inspection ramp
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With such a long vehicle ramp, they must have used an industrial scale of servicing on a sort of conveyor belt method.
Radio truck.
Bedford Ql radio truck.
Morris radio van.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
One of three dispersals
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There were three aircraft dispersals for heavy bombers.
Aircraft dispersal.
Plan of the dispersals.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Perimeter track
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
25 April 2010 Plan Google
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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3 x Seagull trenches.
2 x Oakington pillboxes.
1 Battle HQ.
Plan.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Seagull trench.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Seagull trench.
Rifle trench.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Seagull trench.
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Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Seagull trench inside.
Ammunition niche.
Rifle trench.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Seagull trench entrance.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Behind the trench is an Oakington pillbox.
Plan.
German paratroops.
German paratroops.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Oakington pillbox. The domed roof and 360° viewing slit.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Oakington pillbox inside. A tubular ring runs right around the pillbox so a medium machine gun can pivot all the way around.
Inside showing the anti-ricochet wall which also holds the roof up.
Vickers K Gun on a ring mount that may have been the type used here. (Turbosquid).
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Oakington pillbox entrance
The steel tube and bracket.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters.
Plan.
BHQ plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters cupola and escape man hole.
Manhole cover.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters looking in into the viewing slit.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters man hole looking down. Left into the BHQ and through the small entrance to under the cupola.
Manhole cover.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters inside the passageway from the main BHQ to the cupola and the escape man hole.
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Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters inside the cupola.
The officer commanding the station, when the order came. Would assemble his defence organisation and take over the BHQ. There would be two or three in the cupola, one in the PBX room, two or more runners, the OC, senior warrant officer and maybe one other. No shooting would happen from here, it is purely a HQ. If paratroops were to land on the airfield then the BHQ would run the battle from here and order troops, airmen and pillboxes what they should do. The view from the cupola, was over the whole of the airfield but away from the main site, so attackers would head strait for the Control Tower or hangars.
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Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters defence officers room The OC would have had a phone with connections all around the airfield defences and through the shuttered windows were, the lef, runners that could be sent with messages if the phone connection stopped working. On the right the PBX room. PBX - Private Branch Exchange where a signals airmen would run the telephone exchange.
details
Barbed wire defence being built.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Battle Head Quarters main corridor with: - first left into the runners rest room, next the defence officers room and straight in front the WC.
A toilet seat in a BHQ.
There would be an Elsan toilet bucket and a wooden door.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Battle Head Quarters Defence
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Trench leading into the next Seagull trench.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Perimeter 50ft wide
Details
Continuing on.
Plan.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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03 March 2013
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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The road to the bomb store.
Plan.
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03 March 2013
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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On the way we found some Stanton shelters.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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Stanton shelter inside.
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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Stanton shelter escape.
The escape with its hinges in place and a steel door would have been attached to the hinges.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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Fuzing Point Building 7900/42 possibly. The bomb train would drive past out to the far bomb store, collect all their bombs and continue back to the Fuzing point. A 24ft Nissen hut. They can drive in and have each bomb fuzed and then the train continues on the the perimeter track and out to the aircraft.
Bomb train.
Loading a bomb train.
WAAF driving a Fordson tractor and a bomb train.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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Fuzing Point Building, a 24ft Nissen hut with doors at each end.
Building a Nissen hut.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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The view under the door.
Plan.
Bomb train inside the hut.
Check and double check.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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The second fuzing point.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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The end brick wall with doors and hoops of the Nissen hut.
Fuzing a large bomb.
Loaded bomb trolleys awaiting.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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Looking like Whale bones.
Iron picket post for barbed wire in the hedge.
Barbed wire defence.
Barbed wire and posts.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Bomb Store
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Lamp fitting.
Door bolt
Incendiary bomb-lets being loaded.
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RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
Main runway
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Blenheim.
Wellington bombing up.
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