RAF Stracathro, Angus, Scotland

RAF Stracathro, Angus

Details

Our visit to RAF Stracathro on 28 September 2023 was very successful. We were on a Scottish road trip from Edinburgh airport via Blair Atholl, Montrose, Crail and then the East Lothian airfields. You never have all the time in the world on these trips, but we managed a nice walk around two sites at RAF Stracathro with the permission of Mr John Zimmerman and his Son. We met them at the Airfield site and they allowed us access to the Communal by the farm. Thank you to you both.
Also I would like to thank Graham Innes for his help. Last but not least, Terry Grace for a great trip.

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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RAF Stracathro, Angus

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1940 Luftwaffe high level reconnaissance.
Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Operations German aerial reconnaissance of Scotland, for military use during WWII, was first carried out by Theodore Rowehl in 1938-9. Under the guise of checking out new air routes for the German airline, Lufthansa, he used a civilian Heinkel He-Ill fitted with concealed cameras to clandestinely photograph the North Sea coast of Scotland and Eng land, the Channel coastlines of both England and France and the Baltic coast as far as Leningrad. Once WWII had commenced, Luftwaffe (German air force) Dornier Do-17, 00-2 15, 00-217, Junkers Ju-86, Ju-88, Ju-188 and Arado Ar-234 aircraft were all used to take photographs of parts of Scotland, usually flying at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet (I O,OOOm) to evade interception by British fighters, but occasionally arriving at low level to obtain oblique images.
(Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.)

Heinkel He 111 in classic Lufthansa Livery.

He111 reconnaissance plane shot down by an RAF fighter 7 November 1939.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Landing area grass.
3 x runways.
8 x 69' Blister hangars.
329 Officers and men.
RLG to RAF Montrose.
No 2 Flying Instructors School (Advanced). (FIS).
No 8 Service Flying Training School with Miles Masters . (SFTS).
No 1541 Beam Approach Training Flight with Airspeed Oxfords. (BAT Flight). 17 May 1943/11 July 1945.
No 260 Maintenance Unit. (MU).
Planned as a relief landing ground (RLG), opening in 1941 as a RLG for RAF Montrose with Miles Master. When 2 FIS took over at Montrose in January 1942, the RLG remained in operation. The airfield normally had around 200 personnel assigned, but they were not lodged on the station. Instead, they were bussed here every day from Montrose.
No 1541 BAT Flight was formed at Stracathro in April 1943.
After the war was over, the site was used as a storage site for munitions by No.206 MU, until July 1948 and then reverted to farming.

69' Over Blister hangar.

Design of the base of a Blister hangar.

Blister hangar frame work.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Airfield site.
I cannot get any plans as Hendon seems closed to any inquiries So this is the best I can do and also copying Graham Innes's flickr site.

No 8 Service Flying Training School.
Awarded: September 1937

Blazon: In front of two Keys in saltire Or and a Claymore erect proper a double Rose Gules seeded and barbed proper.

Link: One key stands for the skill required to fly whilst the other represents the knowledge needed to operate aircraft in war. The Claymore alludes to courage and, together with the rose for Montrose, the location in Scotland.

Motto: Latin: More Optimo Exercemur – We train in the best traditions.

History: Formed Montrose 1 January 1936. Disbanded Swinderby 19 March 1964.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence ablutions, bath house and latrine.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence site latrine, possibly a 9026/41 type. I have seen several of these up here that seem to have more doors and larger windows?

Latrines9026/41plan.

RAF Tarrant Rushton.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence unit ablution and bath hut 10026/41

Plan of a 7665/39 ablutions block.

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence unit ablution and bath hut 10026/41
Through the window.

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence unit ablution and bath hut 10026/41.

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence unit ablution and bath hut 10026/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Defence unit ablution and bath hut 10026/41.
Looking out on the airfield.

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air Ministry Timber Hutting.
There may have been a few more smaller huts around?

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air Ministry Timber Hutting.

Air Ministry timber hutting.

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air Ministry Timber Hutting.
This could be the administration building for the airfield and where the Co's office would have been.

 

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air Ministry Timber Hutting.
One of the chimneys and the main entrance.

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air Ministry Timber Hutting.
One of the chimneys and the main entrance.

Heating.

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Squadron Offices & Crew Rooms 3469/41

14532/41 flight office plan.

 

Flight office paperwork.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Squadron Offices & Crew Rooms 3469/41

 

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Squadron Offices & Crew Rooms 3469/41.
Turned into a Piggery.

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Squadron Offices & Crew Rooms 3469/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Squadron Offices & Crew Rooms 3469/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.
Romney huts were constructed of a clamped tubular steel frame with a central entrance.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.
Usually the steel hoops would be bolted down to a concrete foundation. By extending these with angle irons, it has lifted the hut that much higher. Expanding the inside space and allowing larger vehicles access. Now was this done post war by the farmer, or is it an original build. Graham states it was built on the site of a Blister hangar? Either may be true.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.
Rear entrance door.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.
Sheeted in concrete/asbestos sheets but could be covered in corrugated iron sheets.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.
The hoops come in a standard length and bend, so any length can fit in any position. Then wooden stringers added to allow the outer sheets to be bolted on. Windows added both sides as needed.

Romney hut.

Wooden stringers.

Romney hut.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Romney hut.
So was it a Blister hangar base. I am not sure, looking at the area around the base, there seems to be no sign. So this may have been a shed for a fire tender, the re-fuelers, aircraft tractor tugs and any other vehicle.

Coles EMA 6 ton Electro Mobile Aerodrome crane.

Over 200 men were shipped in and out daily from RAF Montrose.

Fuel trailer bowser.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Entrance from the Romney hut/Blister hangar to the perimeter track.

Miles Master.

Miles Magesters.

Airspeed Oxford.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Perimeter track and airfield. It is hard to define the size of the airfield today, it was either the size of the fields there today, or its larger and the woodland on the right has been added.

Oxford of the BAT Flight.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Armoury/Maintenance Unit 3470/41
This was two buildings, first the armoury and then the maintenance unit. Now joined when turned into a piggery

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Armoury/Maintenance Unit 3470/41.
Centre corridor.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Armoury/Maintenance Unit 3470/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Armoury/Maintenance Unit 3470/41.
Left over foundations for the perimeter track, large pebles from a beach somewhere.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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We now move on to the Communal site by the farm.

 

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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The communal site 2006.

A simple method of finding out how many people were on an air station, Count the air raid shelters and multiply by 50. A rough guide.
Here that makes at least 300 people.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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The entrance into the Communal site.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.
Pre cast entrance.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.
These all have wooden door frames in place.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.
Looking down its length to the escape ladder at the end. Designed exactly like a Stanton shelter, but made of cast concrete not bolted pieces.

Stanton shelter being bolted together.

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.
The second one here.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Air raid shelter.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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View towards the airfield.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Unknown building foundations.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41

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NAFFI girl.

NAFFI tea wagon.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
Plan.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
The entrance porch. The reasons for this is to have two doors. So at night, you open, enter and close the outer door. Then open and close the inner door, to stop the light showing up in the blackout.

Black out.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
Inside.

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.

NAFFI canteen.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
Note the very smooth plastered lower walls. And painted green/blue.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
One of the entrances.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.

Hat and coat rack.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
Kitchen where the coal/coke stove would have sat.

Stove.

Another stove.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
The flu cleaning accesses.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
Store.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
E Flight's room. Its a very narrow room, almost a store room.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.
Nice set of light switches.

 

 

 

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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Institute NAAFI Staff Quarters 3468/41.

RAF Stracathro, Angus

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© 2013 Richard Drew