RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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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.

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RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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AM site plan 1757/55

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RAF Silverstone

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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.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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Silverstone circuit, now probably Britain (The worlds) premier car racing track.
Situated right on top of a WW2 airfield.

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The circuit this also shows the runway layout.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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AM site plan 1757/55

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RAF Silverstone

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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

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12779/41 was the type of control tower that was here..

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A half size 'A' class bomb store, now a driving test track.

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Site No.2 a full instructional site was here to train bomber crews.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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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.

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16ft Nissen hut.

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24ft Nissen hut.

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Jane tin hut.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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TB Temporary Brick style hutting.

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12779_41 Water towers & hangars were ST - Steel.

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PB Perminent Brick.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.

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Plan

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Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41 plan.
Red - three generator sets.
Grey - Diesel furl tanks.
White - electrical control boards.
Blue - Fuel tanks.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.

RAF Silverstone

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03 March 2013

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Left view.

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Generator set.

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Switch gear.

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16302/41.from above.

RAF Silverstone

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03 March 2013

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RAF Silverstone

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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.

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Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41 plan.
Red - three generator sets.
Grey - Diesel furl tanks.
White - electrical control boards.
Blue - Fuel tanks.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Right view.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Right side cable trenches.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Rear view.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Entrance to the oil tank store.

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Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41 plan.
Red - three generator sets.
Grey - Diesel furl tanks.
White - electrical control boards.
Blue - Fuel tanks.

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Steps up to a higher level, so that the oil tanks can be dipped to check on how much fuel there was.

RAF Silverstone

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03 March 2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.
Oil tank beds.

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Oil fuel tanks.

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RAF Silverstone

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03 March 2013

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RAF Silverstone

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184 - Standby Set House - PB - 16302/41.

RAF Silverstone

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03 March 2013

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RAF Silverstone

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Right site 5, left site 7 & straight on site 6, all living sites.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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In these trees are lots of hut bases and communal buildings foundations.
Left 174 - Sergeants Mess for 300 - N - 12869/41. Right, site 7.

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Sergeants Mess for 300 - N - 12869/41.

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24ft Nissen Sergeants mess.

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Living site, dispersed Nissen huts.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03 March 2013

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RAF Silverstone

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Blast shelter for 32 men.

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Blast shelter for 32 men plan.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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176 - Dining room (for 1200) - Nissan - 12854/41.

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Plan12854/41.

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Dining room in Nissen.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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176 - Dining room (for 1200) - Nissan - 12854/41.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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To Site 5.

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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Hut base.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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Hut base.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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The metal plates from a Braithwaite water tank. By bolting multiples of these square sides, large water tanks can be erected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Force India.

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Braithwaite water tank.

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High level tank.

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Ground level tank.

RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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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

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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108 - Shadowgraph trainer & Post Office 130x18ft TB.
A teaching aid for air gunners.

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RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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RAF Silverstone

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25 April 2010

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RAF Silverstone

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