RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
Information
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
Details
Originally built as a grass runway fighter airfield in 1939. It became a Fighter satellite to RAF Church Fenton. Later it became under Flying Training Command's No.21 Group. It was then transfered again to Bomber Command. Taken on charge of No.4 Group Bomber Command and promptly given to the Air Ministry in 1943 to convert to a bomber station, attached to RAF Riccall. It then promptly went into 'Care & Maintenance'. It seems so far nobody wants it. It was then used by the local Heavy Conversion units as a satellite. As for that and a few other uses, by December 1945 it was placed back into 'Care and Maintenance'.
Perhaps 'AC' should just never have happened??
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
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RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
Details
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
Information
Plan of the airfield site and all the dispersed sites.
Details
Situated south of the A64 below York, I drove from Copmanthorpe junction south to the huts I found were near the village and not part of the airfield but were RAF style Laing huts.
Ground crew.
Oxford cockpit.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Laing Hut.
Details
I found these huts back near the village and they may have nothing to do with the airfield.
History : Laing huts were first designed in 1940 and made of timber framed, plaster board and covered in tarred felt sheeting. Inside was just plaster board. The roof is corrugated asbestos. This small camp has about 5/6 huts left and some have been re-clad with modern materials.
Plan possibly a supply camp?.
Plan possibly a supply camp?.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
Information
Another hut and it looks as if these have been used for chickens and now as small factory units.
Details
History : RAF Acaster Malbis opened in 1942 as a fighter station for No.12Group, Fighter Command and a satellite to RAF Church Fenton as a fighter base for one squadron. The first unit to arrive was No.601 with American Airacobra, not a very popular aircraft at all. They proved useless and were discarded in favour of Spitfires by March 1942.
Airacobra with 601Sqn.
Airacobra with 601Sqn.
Spitfire with 601Sqn.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Site 10 'Quarters'.
Details
Picket post of this small domestic site with several huts remaining.
Plan of the site today. I see from the air photo that the field 'B' across the road from where I took this photo also had some huts and a roadway, now all removed?
Site plan 10 quarters.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Picket Post with attached Toilet site 10.
Details
7900/40(14509/41) attached on the left of this picket post is a small toilet block.
Inside the main room.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Latrines Officers. A standard Latrine block 9026/41 found on all wartime airfields with a door in each end and a urinal and toilet one side and two toilets the other.
Details
Some additional details will go here
Plan of a 9026/41 latrines, there could be several combinations for urinals, Elsan buckets or flush toilets.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Nissen Hut Quarters Officers.
Details
Plan of a Nissen hut.
Iron stove usually there were two to a standard Nissen hut.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Nissen Hut Quarters Officers.
Details
This one is arraigned with a brick face, door, two windows and an air vent. There are many combinations that can have been used with this type of hut, wooden ends or just open for general storage.
Nissen hut internals.
Site 10 plan.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Sub Station (Electrical).
Details
A protected electrical substation with a pitched roof and blast walls.
History : April 1942 Acaster Malbis was turned over to 21Group Flying Training Command as No.15 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit with Oxfords.
Oxford training.
Crews under training.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Sub Station (Electrical).
Details
Inside there are two ducts sunk into the floor running L/R and set into the walls are four vents with adjustable covers.
One of the vents.
Plan.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Sub Station (Electrical)
Details
A Yorkshire Brick from Castletown.
The yellow square is the sub station.
Plan of 1942 airfield with six fighter pens and five Blister hangars.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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25Yrd Machine Gun Range.
Details
Set behind this house is the 25yd machine gun range now a garden.
The butts are in the red square.
25yd range from above.
Plan of a rifle range.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Technical Site.
Details
History : in 1943 all flying ceased and the airfield was re built as an 'A' class heavy bomber station. This included three runways, two T2 & one B1 hangar, 12 dispersed sites and a perimeter track with 36 of the later spectacle aircraft dispersals.
The yard circled in white and where I parked to walk the airfield.
On the original airfield it was designed as a fighter base with six double pens and that meant it could hold one squadron of 12 aircraft.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Crew Rest, Locker & Drying Rooms.
Details
Crew, restroom, locker & drying room 1191/43 a building where pilots and crew could hang all their flying clothing in a heated room.
Crew, restroom, locker & drying room 1191/43.
Bomber crew.
History : Local Halifax training squadrons used Acaster Malbis.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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MT Shed.
Details
Marston sheds could be clad with tin (as in this one), asbestos sheeting and brick. A very flexible building. Portable easy to dismantle & assemble.
This one is NOT on the plan and may have been moved here at a later date?
Marston Shed at RAF Enstone.
Another Marston shed.
Inside one.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Perimeter Track.
Details
I walked the perimeter track in a clockwise direction.
History : The only problem here is that the airfield was built on low lying land close to a river which creates fog on too many occasions. This caused many flying accidents and the airfield was never used as an operational base. Several local airfields used Acaster Malbis as a training field by.
Oxford crew.
Image Caption
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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NW/SE Runway heading 16
Details
150ft wide.
Image Caption
Three runways 150 feet wide.
Airfield construction.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Battle Head Quarters.
Details
In the event of an attack by paratroopers the airfield defence commander would go straight here and run the battle via his viewing slits, his telephones and his runners to deliver messages.
Home Guard
Fallschirmjaeger.
Plan of a battle HQ.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Battle Head Quarters.
Details
Battle HQ 11008/41.
The stairs and passage.
Escape man hole cover.
View through the cupola.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Petrol Installation Aviation.
Details
In this northern corner the Petrol Instillation Aviation 72000gal 13022A/42.
Inside a pump house.
Fuel tanks.
USAAF tanker bowser fueling up at an RAF P.I.A.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Petrol Installation Aviation.
Details
AEC Matador fuel bowser.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Sub Station (M&E Plinth).
Details
Mechanical & Electrical Plinth to transform high voltage electricity down to the power used in this area This was used to power the fuel pumps in the bulk fuel installation and the several huts in this area.
Glass set into cement around the top of M&E plinths as a security measure.
Gate hinge on an M&E plinth.
Plinth gate design.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Perimeter Track North Side.
Details
North side.
X on the plan.
History : W/O Bertram Pinner DFM (pictured) received his investiture notification whilst at RAF Station Acaster Malbis (holding unit) 27th October 1945.
Lancaster's moving around a perimeter track.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Main Runway heading 22.
Details
Trees have been planted on the runway now so it will soon be woodland.
Perimeter track running around to the wood and the bomb store.
Lancaster's taking off.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Brick Slit Trench.
Details
This is the first part of the woodland, a barrier of concrete drains from the runways bars a small entrance into the wood where there is a road way, a small square bomb store and two brick slit trench defences.
History : These defences must have been part of the earlier airfield of 1940 vintage when defences were put in against the threat of German parachutists. By the time the second airfield was being built that threat had gone.
Concrete drains removed from the runways.
The red line is the roadway.
Small bombs on trolley.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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1940's 'L' Trench.
Details
These trenches may have been part of the pre 1942 bomb store.
Another view.
1940's plan.
Home guard defence.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Fuzed & Spare Bomb Store.
Details
Fuzed & Spare bomb store.
An earth travers running around the store with access for the road to come through.
A fused bomb store at RAF Keevil.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Main entrance off the Perimeter Track to the Bomb Store.
Details
A full 'A' class bomb store with four main storage areas and three fuzing points.
Airfield plan.
Plan of the bomb store.
Bomb train loading.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Roadway to Fuzing Points.
Details
There were 2 fuzing points along the entrance track on the right and on the left an A.I.S. Laboratory.
Jane type I.A.S Laboratory [54 on plan] 6211/43 steel. Aeronautical Inspection Service inspectors to check I presume quality. 'They were a nit picking bunch of job's worth at 16MU- most of them incapable of checking what they were tasked to do', from AIX.
140 - Fuzing point building, Nissan, Ultra heavy 7900/42 -4176/43.
142 - Fuzing point bldgs, Nissen, heavy light, 4773/41.
144 - Sea marker & flame float store, Nissen, 12725/41.
145 - Small Arms Ammu. [aircraft] store, Nissen,
12725/41.
146 - Component store, Temp. Brick, 4733,42.
54 -
A.I.S. Lab., Steel (corrugated iron), 6211/43.
Fuzing point building, Nissan, Ultra heavy.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Looking in to the Woodland
Details
At the base of the trees is a brick trench looking south.
The trench.
Home Guard defenders.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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The third Fuzing Point.
Details
History : Bomb trailers would pass through the huts and fuses fitted in. Paperwork would come down to the bomb store to say what bombs were needed, what fuze's and what settings. Then they would be collected, fuzed then driven around to the aircraft dispersed around the airfield.
142 on the plan is a 4775/42 fuzing point.
Inside s Nissan hut fuzing point.
How it would have looked.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Bomb Store roadway.
Details
History : A circular loop roadway with four main stores for heavy bombs and then different storage and hut for incendiaries and fuses, etc.
We are now here on the plan.
Plan of this corner.
Bomb storage.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Bomb Store Loops to Left & Right.
Details
If bombers had or were used here this would have been a very busy area.
Bomb store crew.
Bomb train.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Bomb Store.
Details
There was a brick wall with a concrete cap and a slope down. On the wall would be several iron rings to trammel the bombs off the lorries.
Trammeling bombs off of their delivery lorries.
Trammel rings.
Concrete ramp.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Incendiary Store 151 on plan 47344/42..
Details
There would have been a drive through earth traversed wall all the way around.
Incendiary store at RAF Keevil.
Incendiary bomb.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Perimeter Track & a Spectacle Aircraft Dispersal.
Details
As this was a late build 'A' class bomber station it had 36 spectacle aircraft dispersals.
Spectacle dispersals.
Spectacle dispersals.
Dispersed Halifax.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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T2 Hangar & Control Tower across the Airfield.
Details
Landing light concrete holder.
An electrical ducting tile.
Runway drainage.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Broken Runway Foundations.
Details
In this pile are pieces of lamp fittings.
Cast iron lamp fitting.
Another lamp fitting.
One of the many manholes.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Stanton Shelter Air-Raid Shelter.
Details
This is the area where the shelter is and its right out on its own, one hell of a run from the dispersals. 107 was an M&E plinth to bring electricity to the area.
Runway drain with cover now scrapped.
The type of drain cover..
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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50ft Perimeter Track running off to the B1 Hangar Base.
Details
Bomber bases usually had two T2 hangars and one B1 Ministry of Aircraft Production repair hangar. They repaired badly damaged aircraft with civilian workforce to take pressure of the RAF repair teams.
B1 MAP Hangar.
Wellington being repaired.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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The site of the B1 hangar, now a barn sits in its place.
Details
Eight aircraft dispersals & the base of a B1 hangar and one Nissen hut armament & equipment store.
The barn is modern.
Inside a B1 Ministry of Aircraft Productions hangar.
Civilian workers.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Perimeter Track to B1 Hangar.
Details
The B1 hangar and the armament & equipment hut, two huts general purposes, two technical latrines, thank you Terry.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Base of the B1 Hangar (how it would have looked)
Details
Halifax being repaired.
Halifax's moving around a perimeter track.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Nissen Hut 114 on the plan.
Details
Next to the B1 hangar [113] were several huts, two sets of latrine 117/118 and three Nissen huts. Nissen hut [114] 11420/41 was the armament equipment store.
Browning 303 machine guns.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Petrol Installation Aviation [120]
Details
The second petrol installation [120 on plan] on the airfield, one at each end dispersing the fuel in case of aerial attack. A 72,000 gal capacity type 13022/42.
120 Petrol installation 72,000 gal13022/42, 121 is the Picket Post a sort of guard room.
Fuel bowser.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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York Minster in the Distance.
Details
There were three landmarks for pilots to use when landing here, York Minster in the north, the York to Selby railway line in the west and the river Ouse that flows SE of the airfield.
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Oxford pilot.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Perimeter Track to the first T2 Hangar Base.
Details
The technical site.
Base of one T2 hangar and one T2 re clad, a control tower, several hut bases, some huts & fire tender house.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Base of the first T2 Hangar.
Details
[57 on the plan] T2 Type 3653/42.
T2 door runner.
T2 doors and runners.
Plan of the e technical area.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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The second T2.
Details
Re-clad with the doors replaced and now used as a potato store.
The original doors laid out behind.
T2 doors.
T2 roof.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Combined Instructional Building 92 o plan 1191/43.
Details
Right behind the second T2.
This is a plan of crew drying and rest room which was No.7 on the plan but here it is being used as an instructional building.
There would be a heating plant on the end of this building like this one.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Two Blast Air-Raid Shelters.
Details
The second shelter.
2360/41 32 man type shelter.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Pathway to Squadron Maintenance Block 'A'.
Details
More 24ft Nissen hut 90 on plan 12777/41 with 2411/43.
24ft Nissen at RAF Marston Moor it may have looked like this.
The blue hut in the middle.
The blue hut in the middle.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Works Service Buildings No's. 68 to 74 on the plan.
Details
68 - Wrks. store, Nissen, 10024/41.
69 - Wrks. latrine, Temp. Brick, 5538.42.
70 - Wrks. store, Nissen, 10024/41.
71 - Wrks. C of Wrks. & station Engs. Off., Temp. brick, 5538/42.
72 -
Wrks. Mess room carpenters & fitters shops, Temp. brick, 5538/42.
73 -
Wrks. store, Temp. brick, 5538/42.
74 -
Wrks. DSWO's Off. & AG'L Imp. Shed., Temp. brick, 5538/42.
Temp. brick hut 5538/42.
Another temp. brick hut 5538/42
Red square on the plan.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Floodlight Trailer & Tractor Shed.
Details
Floodlight Trailer & Tractor Shed 45 on plan 12411/41.
Chance floodlight.
RAF David Brown Tractor.
45 - Fl. & Tr.Shed., 12411/41
46 -
Sig's. & Int. Bldg., 4699/43,
47 - M&E Plinth [Transformer].
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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T2 Hangar No.2.
Details
T2 Aircraft Shed, [Hangar] 3653/42.
Chance floodlight.
Chance floodlight.
Chance floodlight.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Roadway behind the Control Tower.
Details
With the T2 on the right and a road leading along behind the control tower.
50 - fire tender shelter, Nissen,
12410/41.
51 - signals apparatus building, Steel, 4701/43.
52 - control tower [watch office], perm. brick, 345/43.
53 - balloon filling hut perm. brick.
BS - blast shelter.
Fire tender.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Watch Office for All Commands 50 - perm. brick 343/43.
Plan top floor.
Plan ground floor.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Control room.
Halifax doing a touch and go in training.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Oxford crews training.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Corridor from rear door to watch office.
A - met off.
B - duty pilots rest.
C - watch office.
D -switch room.
E - toilets.
Duty pilots rest room & toilet
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Met office with a toilet in left corner, rear left room.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
The watch office. I have tried to join two photos together.
The cupboard on the left is for Very pistol flair cartridges.
1941 British No3 mk1 Very pistol.
Flair cartridges.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Stairs up to landing.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Controllers rest room middle right.
Plan.
Duty pilots restroom.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
Signals office, middle left.
Plan up.
Plan down.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
There has been some modern alterations to the control room.
Plan up.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Watch Office for All Commands 343/43.
Details
View across the airfield.
Signals office hatch.
How it would have looked.
(Thanks to Terry for the Flight Sim image).
Radio room.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Signal Square.
Details
It would have had a large AM stating Acaster Malbis. Signs laid out here tell a pilot wind direction and runway to use.
Signal Square.
Ridgwells signal square.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
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Speech Broadcasting 23 on plan 10786/41.
Details
RAF speech broadcast speaker.
This was for speech broadcasting, the radio one of ww2, messages could be passed through this building and sent out to speakers all over the camp.
Yellow circle.
RAF Acaster Malbis, Yorkshire.
24 March 2008
Information
Site 4 RAF Communal. I will continue this site on a second page.
Details
This is a large dispersed domestic site.
The red square is where site 4 is situated.
France
Great Britain
© 2013 Richard Drew