RAF Silverstone
Opened at the beginning of 1943 with No.62 course the first and the last I can find was No.10-115, closed in 1946.
It was home to 17 OTU of 92 Group Bomber Command and used Vickers Wellington's to train bomber crews. There could be as many as 54 aircraft on charge. Multiply 54 planes with say five crew and you have 270, add to that instructors, maintenance crews, storeman, WAAF's, etc, etc and it is over 2000 personnel.
RAF Turweston was a satellite of Silverstone.
One type of exercise carried out from 17 OTU were Bullseye exercises. It was a simulated operation for bomber crew training, with searchlights, anti-aircraft guns and night fighters co-operating to make the exercise as realistic as possible and gaining useful experience themselves. Another was Nickeling, the dropping of leaflets.
There were 33 aircraft dispersals, one B1 hangar & four T2 hangars. The bomb store was a half size due to the fact it was an OTU and not a heavy bomber station.
RAF Silverstone
RAF Silverstone
A full A class airfield with a half size bomb store , With the airfield site there were 12 dispersed sites. This would have been a very busy airfield, with aircrew arriving, in training and then of to main force bomber squadrons.
RAF Silverstone
Silverstone circuit, now probably Britain (The worlds) premier car racing track.
Situated right on top of a WW2 airfield.
The circuit this also shows the runway layout.
RAF Silverstone
RAF Silverstone
Site 1 - Airfield
Bomb store
Admin site
Site No.2 Instructional
Site No.3 Communal
Site No.4 Sick quarters
Site No.5 (Living site 1)
Site No.6 (Living site 2)
Site No.7 (Living site 3)
Site No.8 (Living site 4)
Site No.9 (WAAF Communal)
Site No.10 (WAAF site 2)
Site No.11 Sewage site
Site No. 12 HF/DF site
12779/41 was the type of control tower that was here..
A half size 'A' class bomb store, now a driving test track.
Site No.2 a full instructional site was here to train bomber crews.
RAF Silverstone
The road from the airfield to the dispersed living sites. All I can cover is a small part of the airfield mostly Site No. 3 Communal.
Most of the huts were Nissen and Jane tin huts and a few Temporary Brick.
16ft Nissen hut.
24ft Nissen hut.
Jane tin hut.
RAF Silverstone
TB Temporary Brick style hutting.
12779_41 Water towers & hangars were ST - Steel.
PB Perminent Brick.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Plan
Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41 plan.
Red - three generator sets.
Grey - Diesel furl tanks.
White - electrical control boards.
Blue - Fuel tanks.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Left view.
Generator set.
Switch gear.
16302/41.from above.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Centre view looking inside. Three heavy generator sets would have sat side by side. The airfield would have been powered by the mains electric, but in an emergency these three generators could run the most important parts of the station. Control tower, landing lights, operations block, etc.
Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41 plan.
Red - three generator sets.
Grey - Diesel furl tanks.
White - electrical control boards.
Blue - Fuel tanks.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Right view.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Right side cable trenches.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Rear view.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Entrance to the oil tank store.
Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41 plan.
Red - three generator sets.
Grey - Diesel furl tanks.
White - electrical control boards.
Blue - Fuel tanks.
Steps up to a higher level, so that the oil tanks can be dipped to check on how much fuel there was.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Oil tank beds.
Oil fuel tanks.
.
RAF Silverstone
184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
RAF Silverstone
Right site 5, left site 7 & straight on site 6, all living sites.
RAF Silverstone
In these trees are lots of hut bases and communal buildings foundations.
Left 174 - Sergeants Mess for 300 - N - 12869/41. Right, site 7.
Sergeants Mess for 300 - N - 12869/41.
24ft Nissen Sergeants mess.
Living site, dispersed Nissen huts.
RAF Silverstone
Blast shelter for 32 men.
Blast shelter for 32 men plan.
RAF Silverstone
176 - Dining room (for 1200) - Nissan - 12854/41.
Plan12854/41.
Dining room in Nissen.
RAF Silverstone
176 - Dining room (for 1200) - Nissan - 12854/41.
RAF Silverstone
To Site 5.
RAF Silverstone
Hut base.
RAF Silverstone
Hut base.
RAF Silverstone
The metal plates from a Braithwaite water tank. By bolting multiples of these square sides, large water tanks can be erected.
Force India.
Braithwaite water tank.
High level tank.
Ground level tank.
RAF Silverstone
108 - Shadowgraph trainer & Post Office 130x18ft TB.
A teaching aid for air gunners.
A light is shone and models of aeroplanes can be placed upon the screen for recognition, aiming & practice shooting a machine gun.
One of the models used.
A model of a Shadowgraph trainer.
RAF Silverstone
108 - Shadowgraph trainer & Post Office 130x18ft TB.
A teaching aid for air gunners.
RAF Silverstone
RAF Silverstone
RAF Silverstone