RAF Tain, Ross-shire, Scotland.

The airfield was started in 1940 with three runways. It was built on the edge of the pre war Tain Bombing Range. The airfield was opened as a Fighter Sector Station on September 16, 1941 with RAF Lossiemouth. There were Bellman, Blister and 'T2' hangars used here, (I do not have a site plan so, I am guessing what some of buildings were used for). Occasionally Tain was designated as a forward base for bombers, attacking the battleship Tirpitz in the fjord at Trondheim in Norway. In October 1942 the USAAF arrived to extend the runway, and use the station as an Advanced Strike Base. In 1943 a Torpedo refresher school was formed to keep crew up to date with the torpedo training and both RAF and FAA crews used the facilities. In May 1944 the NE-SW runway was extended in preparation for the arrival of the RAF Liberators. One of the first actions by 66 squadron Liberators from Tain was fought on 26th June 1944 when a U-boat was spotted on the surface. Two attacks were made, and on the second, three depth charges exploding on the starboard side of the U-boat caused it to turn over and sink. The Liberator had been damaged by gunfire and had to land at Stornoway where it was found that a shell had gone through the main spar. After six years of flying operations Tain reverted to its original role as a weapons range and now it is one of the busiest ranges in the UK, used by RAF, USAAF and NATO planes. (from SecretwikiScotland)

 

Watch Office with Met section 518/40. All building numbers are guess work on my part, as I do not have a plan.

1940's reconnaissance photo taken by a Germans fighter/bomber. During World War II, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) used aerial reconnaissance to photograph Britain, Ireland, and other European countries for targeting and intelligence. The Luftwaffe's reconnaissance efforts were less sophisticated than the Allies'.

Wartime air photo of RAF Tain airfield site with dispersed sites on the low hill behind.

25yd Machine gun butte 127/41.

Air-raid shelter, presuming they are all Stanton types.

50 foot perimeter track.

Watch Office with Met section 518/40.

Main entrance.

Main entrance.

Gymnasium and fire tender house.

Fire tender house.

Fire tender house.

Main store - TB - 8199/40 on Google with the right hand building in tact. .

Main store 8199/40.

Main store 8199/40 the centre section is the fabric store, aircraft fabric would be hung from the roof. the two side sections, were for general stores and aircraft stores.

Main store 8199/40 the double doorway on the left, the floor is higher to allow lorries to unload over their tailgate.

Main gate with the guard room and fire party on the right and the Fire tender engine house on the left

Gymnasium probably a TB - 16428/40.

Main gate with the guard room and fire party.

This I am very unsure, I thought a fuel store, but it only has one entrance?

This I am very unsure, I thought a fuel store, but it only has one entrance? The entrance.

This I am very unsure, I thought a fuel store, but it only has one entrance?

Another view of the control tower.

Stanton air-raid shelter. It would have had earth heaped up over the top.

Crittall window in the gymnasium.

Another Stanton air-raid shelter.

RAF Liberator PPW-K 898 No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF. in 1945.

No. 86 Squadron and RAF Tain. Extracts from Memories of No 86 Squadron and RAF Tain by Peter D F Drummond-Hay. An article on Tain museums website, very interesting.

Tain Air Gunnery and Bombing Range 1938, Bye-Laws. Ashley Walk, New Forest, Critchel Down, Dorset and many other ranges were bought War Office just prior to the war.

Tain Air Gunnery and Bombing Range with low flying wild life.

Operations Block.

Operations Block. The air vent inlet, chimney and water tower.

Operations Block.

Intelligence office RAF North Coats 1944.

Air men's dinning room pos. - TB - 8221/40. If you count the blast shelters, multiply them by 32men, you have the amount of men that could be accommodated in that area. 8x32=256.

Picket Post.

Unknown.

Bulk Petrol Instillation (Aviation). 36,000 or 72,000 gal.

Sewage Site.

This looks like an M&E plinth, plus a small electrical cabinet.