RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
On the 27th April 2014 we managed to get inside the Watch Office at RAF Little Rissington and these are the photos that I managed to take.
RAF Little Rissington shield.
RAF Little Rissington crest.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The original Air Ministry plan of the airfield.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
On a very dull day, I have highlighted the Watch Office.
Hawker Audax flying at RAF Netheravon.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
How it may have looked except that here there are trees and the Air Ministry had only just started to plant trees to soften the buildings to the eye in the late 30's. They had their own nurseries where they grew the young saplings.
A picture of RAF Brize Norton in wartime and you can just see small trees in the background.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The Watch Office fly past around the end of the RAF's use of the airfield , before the army took over.
"How do I know when I'm slipping in on a Turn Please Sir?"
"Watching the ground about 50yds. ahead a little to one side"
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The flight line with four two seat Vampires trundling out to the main runway to take off.
"My helmet FEELS quite comfortable Sir, but I can't hear you very well"
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
A long shot of how it looked in 2011.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
2014 and it was in a real state, there seemed to be no plan or what to do with it, now it sits proud and has been turned into a very nice house. I must go back and see it.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The view through the window of the Chief Flying Instructors office.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
On the back wall a hatch to pass messages through from the clerks room to the Chief Flying Instructor.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Chief Flying Instructors office or his deputy. There are two identical rooms each side.
Somebody who may have used this room was as CFI was Flt/ Lt Harry A.M. Pascoe RAF(VR). Toward the end of WW2 he was posted as CFI to No 6 (Pilots) Advanced Training Unit at RAF Little Rissington
Flt/ Lt Harry A.M. Pascoe RAF(VR) CFI here near the end of the war.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
JP.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Rear corridor.
Cadet Wakeley pilot in training.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Rear corridor.
Air Chief Marshal Pathman Hariprasadha Mendis. As a Flt. Lt. he served here as a flying instructor. Became the first commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Probably the original toilet fittings.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The clerks office to the CFI with the hatch in the wall.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Not sure what this is but may have been a sort of strong box/safe.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Stairs to first floor.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Back of the observation room.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Observation room.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The view out over the airfield.
Early Red Arrows picture.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
A longer shot of the 'D' type shed part of the aircraft storage MU.
Inside the Dyson 'D' type at RAF Hullavington.
'D' type shed.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Passage way.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
This could be the rest room.
Rest room.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Watch room.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Rear room.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Stair way to heaven.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Control room access stairs.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Control room.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The flat roof of the watch offices below and the old ladder to the roof of the control room.
The Central Flying School was asked to provide an official team and, in 1965, the Red Arrows were formed at Little Rissington. Ray Hanna was selected to join the team and within a year he became its leader.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
This is a hatch to the roof, it could be used instead of the outside stairs or an escape route if the building below was on fire.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
Looking back at the hangars (sheds).
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The detail in the banister rails. I do hope they were retained.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
And down again.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The outside brick work, a yellow brick. With cavity walls and concrete floors and ceilings. Painted white outside.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36
The rear view.
RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester
Watch Office
1936 Chief Flying Instructors Block, 5740/36