RAF Kingston Bagpuize
USAAF Station 403, Berkshire.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

RAF operations started in January 1942 as a Relief Landing Ground (RLG) with No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School RAF (EFTS) who left in May. Between January and April 1943, No. 4 Glider Training School (GTS) operated from here.
In March 1943 No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit ((P) AFU) used the airfield as a satellite for the Airspeed Oxfords, but left in July.
The airfield was then closed while contractors enlarged it. The works were completed by January 1944 when the USAAF Ninth Air Force moved in. They used the airfield for maintenance work, mainly on Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters and the photo-reconnaissance version, the F-5, and North American P-51 Mustang fighters. Their main use for the airfield appears to have been the testing of wire mesh as a runway surface, and some intensive testing was done from March to May, mainly with large numbers of Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and several Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports. The testing was completed by August 1944 when the airfield was handed over to 3 MU who used it for storage. The site was permanently closed on 14 June 1954. Most of the land reverted to agriculture, but some buildings remain in agricultural and industrial use, and some other buildings, including the control tower, remain in a derelict condition.
Wiki.

No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School DH Tiger Moth.

No. 4 Glider Training School, Hotspurs.

Airspeed Oxford.

P-51 Mustang fighters.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

When the airfield opened, it would have been just grass and maybe some laid out strips as runways. As training increased, it was found. Especially in wet weather, that the grass got very muddy. laying out concrete and tarmac runways were expensive so on many of the training stations, Sommerfeld matting (tracking) was used as a cheaper alternative. When the Americans came in, they had first the P38 Lightning and then the P-51 Thunderbolts. Both these planes were very heavy compared to the British trainers. So this may be where the PSP was laid down. Two PSP (Perforated Steel Planking) metal tracking runways also several different metal mesh's were also used. It was also a good experiment for when Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG's) being planned to see what surfaces were best for them.

Army tracking.

Sommerfeld matting.

Bar & Rod.

PSP planking.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

The original entrance with a guard & fire party house, then a gas clothing store & workshop. One of two T2 hangars (site of). Crew locker rooms in Seco, a parachute store and four of the Romney huts. Two were Main Store & two Workshops.
The control tower (CT) was out in front. The air photo here was Google around 2005 of what remained.

Airfield Site Plan 5542/43, this was before the Americans arrived.

1 - T2 - Aircraft Shed - 3653/42.
6 - Armoury - 2419/43.
10 - Fuel Compound (wire enclosure). - 3722/43
12 - Gas Clothing & Respirator store & Workshop - 3130/41.
14 - Guard & Fire party House - 13404/41.
17 - Lubricant Store - 12406/41.
18 - Main Store - 2981/43.
20 - Main Workshops - 823/43.
21 - MT Shed (4 Bay) - 12773/41.
22 - MT Office - - 12773/41.
25 - Parachute Store - 9294/42.
26/27 - Squadron & Flight Offices - 1451/42.
29 - Technical Latrines - 9026/41.
31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
32/33 - Crew Rest & Locker Room (Seco) - 2862/43.
34/35 - Squadron Armoury - 2406/42.
37 - Photographic store Block - 4781/42.
39 - Sub-Station - 11574/42.

Administration Area

40 - Station Office - 12400/41.
41 - Operations Block - 228/43.
42 - interrogation office - 228/43.

T2 - Aircraft Shed - 3653/42.

18 - Main Store - 2981/43.

25 - Parachute Store - 9294/42.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.

Hangars:
2 x Butler sheds.
2 x T2 hangars.
2 x Blisters large.
1 x Blister small.
There were 50 PSP hard stands around the airfield as well.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.

Ground floor 343/43.

First floor 343/43.

Steal stair case up to the first and onto the roof.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.

Ground floor 343/43 the yellow square is a room only accessible from outside, this the switch room where all the power and signals come through.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
There were two types of windows in a 343/43. Here are the smaller windows for night flying.

This is inside a 343/43 at RAF Metfield with the Americans in occupation.

The watch office.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Flair cupboard, this cupboard has a window on he outside and a steel door. Flair guns and flair cartridges were stored here and if there was an explosion, the blast would break out the windows and the steel door would save the people inside.

Flair gun British No. 1 Mk1.

lair cartridges.

 

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

Stair well with original metal stair rail handle.

Plan.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Corridor with on the right the Controllers rest room.

Plan.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Duty pilots rest room.

Looking along the centre corridor. On the right was the flag cupboard, where all the signal flags were stores.

Controllers rest room.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Control room.

Control room under American ownership, (pos. RAF Metfield).

Plan.

 

WAAF in the tower.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Control room, the far door leads out onto the balcony.

Out on the balcony.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Private Branch Exchange (PBX), the box in the corner may have something to do with the telephone system.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Private Branch Exchange (PBX), the box in the corner may have something to do with the telephone system.

 

 

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
The hole in the wall was to pass messages

Signals office.

Signals office.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
Out on the balcony looking back at the, 32/33 - Crew Rest & Locker Room (Seco) - 2862/43.

 

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.
View over the airfield.
Feb. 1944 an advance party from IXth USAF moved in to begin trials on a wire mesh covering over original runway surface in preparation for the invasion of Europe. P-38's used intensively to test new surface and frequent repairs were needed. RAF Christchurch had terrible trouble with P38's using PSP planking on a rough surface, bombs would rattle loose on take-off and fall around the perimeter.
By June 1944 the experimental surface was removed and possibly reused in France and beyond on ALG's.
It all goes quiet until Dec 1944 when 3MU take over until June 1954. 3MU were a storage unit and post war they had thousands of tons of bombs, rockets and bullets left over and had nowhere to store them, so airfields were taken over and the bombs stored out in the open until they could be removed and most were tipped into several areas around the Channel Islands and Scotland in very deep water.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

31 - Watch Office - 343/43.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

32/33 - Crew Rest & Locker Room (Seco) - 2862/43.

Drying room.

 

 

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

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Romney huts and the heating plant chimney for the Seco huts.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

Romney huts.

Romney hut.

 

Main workshop.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

Romney huts.
Originally there were four, two 18 - Main Store - 2981/43 and two 20 - Main Workshops - 823/43.

Workshops.

Workshops.

Main store.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

Romney huts.
Most of this area has now been removed and new buildings constructed.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

37 - Photographic Block - 4781/42.

Photographic Block.

Processing.

 

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

Trianco air-raid shelter. You can just see the escape hatch at the far end.

Trianco air-raid shelter.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

It was Site No. 7 and a living site (1943 plan), but later seems to have become a storage/repair site. There were two large Blister hangars on the left of this road.

Plan.

Plan.

1944 air photo the arrows show the enlarged Blister hangars..

Enlarged Blister hangar.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

This is now north of the airfield. It may have been a HF/DF site (radio and direction finding) or a searchlight/anti aircraft gun site?

Radio operator.

 

Bofors AA gun.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

A TB temporary brick standard hut

A TB temporary brick layout.

Possibly a 9023/41.

 

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

At the rear is what I think it may have been an Armstrong or Jane tin hut, wooden frame and outer skin of corrugated iron.
The front half is a Nissen hut that may have been placed here recently and not originally here?

Armstrong hut.
An Army hut.

Jane hut this was a Ministry of Works for the RAF.

Nissen hut being erected.

RAF Kingston Bagpuize/USAAF Station 403

Details

© 2013 Richard Drew