RAF Binbrook Battle HQ, Lincolnshire - April 2009
After an exhausting day at Stenigot, but well worth it, i decided to look in on one of my old childhood stomping grounds, RAF Binbrook. The sole purpose was to find a certain underground place which me & a few mates used to explore in our teens. Sadly, my memory isn't as good as it was so i decided to at least take in the WW2 Battle HQ one last time. Stupidly i left my wellies at home & should have known what to expect so shots from inside were limited.
I don't have any history on this actual HQ but the following link gives an insight into what one would have looked like inside & it's role;
http://www.pillbox-study-group.org.uk/battleHQpage.htm
My personal history of this location is one of fond memories, watching the Lightnings take off & many NATO Exercises with Phantoms, Starfighters & many more when the base was operational. Then watching the making of Memphis Belle from a hill not far away & witnessing the day that one of the B-17's crashed during filming. The HQ was located just outside the perimeter of the base itself, near one of the Crash Gates (No.2 i think), & this gave the most amazing view of the QRA Shed where Lightnings were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in the Cold War days, an awesome sight to see when you're a kid!
Enough waffling & on with the pics...
View of the Battle HQ with the former Lightning QRA Shed in the background
Another exterior view
The old entrance, once accessible via the undergrowth, now buried under rubble
Inside the Observation Post with steps leading to the roof
Looking into the Observation Post, with the concrete step & the 360 degree viewing slit
Inside the OP, looking into the short corridor that leads to the large Control Room to the right, ladders lead up to the escape hatch
Looking down the short corridor from the escape hatch ladders, realising at this point i forgot my damn wellies lol
A brief glimpse into the Control Room, flooded with roughly 8-10 inches of water
After an exhausting day at Stenigot, but well worth it, i decided to look in on one of my old childhood stomping grounds, RAF Binbrook. The sole purpose was to find a certain underground place which me & a few mates used to explore in our teens. Sadly, my memory isn't as good as it was so i decided to at least take in the WW2 Battle HQ one last time. Stupidly i left my wellies at home & should have known what to expect so shots from inside were limited.
I don't have any history on this actual HQ but the following link gives an insight into what one would have looked like inside & it's role;
http://www.pillbox-study-group.org.uk/battleHQpage.htm
My personal history of this location is one of fond memories, watching the Lightnings take off & many NATO Exercises with Phantoms, Starfighters & many more when the base was operational. Then watching the making of Memphis Belle from a hill not far away & witnessing the day that one of the B-17's crashed during filming. The HQ was located just outside the perimeter of the base itself, near one of the Crash Gates (No.2 i think), & this gave the most amazing view of the QRA Shed where Lightnings were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in the Cold War days, an awesome sight to see when you're a kid!
Enough waffling & on with the pics...
View of the Battle HQ with the former Lightning QRA Shed in the background
Another exterior view
The old entrance, once accessible via the undergrowth, now buried under rubble
Inside the Observation Post with steps leading to the roof
Looking into the Observation Post, with the concrete step & the 360 degree viewing slit
Inside the OP, looking into the short corridor that leads to the large Control Room to the right, ladders lead up to the escape hatch
Looking down the short corridor from the escape hatch ladders, realising at this point i forgot my damn wellies lol
A brief glimpse into the Control Room, flooded with roughly 8-10 inches of water
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