RAF Grove has previously been posted on DP but I have not seen any recent reports regarding the site. So I thought it time I put up my shots taken over two visits in April 2010.
Grove was built in 1942 as a three runway spare bomber airfield for 91 Group. In the early days of the airfields use Grove was used by 15 OTU flying Wellingtons. However with so much nearby gliding activity the Wellingtons left and the field transferred to Flying Training Command. During early 1943 Whitley’s and Horsas from Brize Norton used the airfield. Then Hawker Typhoons were at Grove taking part in Operation Spartan. At this time the airfield was far from complete but had been earmarked for use by the Americans. In 1943 the US 9th AAF Support Command took control of Grove and used the field for repair and maintenance of C-46 Commandos and C-47 Dakotas.
In March 1944 a dramatic event took place when the prototype Vickers Armstrong Windsor, DW506, force landed and was written off. This was a highly secret bomber being flown by a new pilot. Technical failure to one of the aircrafts propellers resulted in the forced landing which broke the bombers back. This incident led to a temporary halt to operations but flying did continue until February 1946. The Americans then left and the field reverted back to the RAF. It was then used as a relief landing ground and also by No 6 Maintenance Unit who were then busy dismantling surplus aircraft.
Grove has now reverted back to farm and industrial use. The airfield also has a resident ghost which is sometimes seen in full flying gear walking between the buildings. It is thought the figure maybe related to a nearby Lancaster bomber crash. The aircraft attempted to land at Grove after developing engine trouble en-route to Germany. The bomber failed to reach the field and crashed causing the bomb load to detonate. All on board were killed. Had I known about the ghost before I visited I would maybe have been a bit more unnerved when entering some of the very dark abandoned buildings on my own in isolation.
A view towards the firing range
Firing Range gun butts
This truncated pole would have held the range flag
After a bit of urban excavation this aircraft tie down point came to the surface
M&E Plinth
Electrical equipment box within the M&E Plinth
The makers name inside the electrical box
The latrine block connected to the operations block
A very old cast iron cistern
The mens room
Cubicles and sink units
The Operations Room - the operations boards still exist on the far wall
Close up of one of the operations boards
Further view of the Operations Room
One of the rooms within the Ops Building
Remains of the electrical installation
Abandoned buildings near the Ops Building
I believe this may have been a guard house
Internal view of guard house
A fusing shed with the perimeter track on the left
The airfields sewage farm
Sewage farm settling tanks
Further view of the settling tanks
Elevated pipework runs
One of the sewage beds
Sewage farm buildings
The inside of an abandoned Nissen Hut - the graffiti stems from another earlier era in automotive history
A view from a window - Nissen Hut
A decidedly old sink unit or is it - what else could this be ?
A favourite place for spiders
De Havilland Venom FB.54 - J-1758 now stands guard at the entrance to the former RAF Grove
Thanks for looking.
Grove was built in 1942 as a three runway spare bomber airfield for 91 Group. In the early days of the airfields use Grove was used by 15 OTU flying Wellingtons. However with so much nearby gliding activity the Wellingtons left and the field transferred to Flying Training Command. During early 1943 Whitley’s and Horsas from Brize Norton used the airfield. Then Hawker Typhoons were at Grove taking part in Operation Spartan. At this time the airfield was far from complete but had been earmarked for use by the Americans. In 1943 the US 9th AAF Support Command took control of Grove and used the field for repair and maintenance of C-46 Commandos and C-47 Dakotas.
In March 1944 a dramatic event took place when the prototype Vickers Armstrong Windsor, DW506, force landed and was written off. This was a highly secret bomber being flown by a new pilot. Technical failure to one of the aircrafts propellers resulted in the forced landing which broke the bombers back. This incident led to a temporary halt to operations but flying did continue until February 1946. The Americans then left and the field reverted back to the RAF. It was then used as a relief landing ground and also by No 6 Maintenance Unit who were then busy dismantling surplus aircraft.
Grove has now reverted back to farm and industrial use. The airfield also has a resident ghost which is sometimes seen in full flying gear walking between the buildings. It is thought the figure maybe related to a nearby Lancaster bomber crash. The aircraft attempted to land at Grove after developing engine trouble en-route to Germany. The bomber failed to reach the field and crashed causing the bomb load to detonate. All on board were killed. Had I known about the ghost before I visited I would maybe have been a bit more unnerved when entering some of the very dark abandoned buildings on my own in isolation.
A view towards the firing range
Firing Range gun butts
This truncated pole would have held the range flag
After a bit of urban excavation this aircraft tie down point came to the surface
M&E Plinth
Electrical equipment box within the M&E Plinth
The makers name inside the electrical box
The latrine block connected to the operations block
A very old cast iron cistern
The mens room
Cubicles and sink units
The Operations Room - the operations boards still exist on the far wall
Close up of one of the operations boards
Further view of the Operations Room
One of the rooms within the Ops Building
Remains of the electrical installation
Abandoned buildings near the Ops Building
I believe this may have been a guard house
Internal view of guard house
A fusing shed with the perimeter track on the left
The airfields sewage farm
Sewage farm settling tanks
Further view of the settling tanks
Elevated pipework runs
One of the sewage beds
Sewage farm buildings
The inside of an abandoned Nissen Hut - the graffiti stems from another earlier era in automotive history
A view from a window - Nissen Hut
A decidedly old sink unit or is it - what else could this be ?
A favourite place for spiders
De Havilland Venom FB.54 - J-1758 now stands guard at the entrance to the former RAF Grove
Thanks for looking.
