On the way to Pool Parc to meet up with Urban SW I happened to notice a few buildings set back in the woods. I noted the location to come back to later in the day...come back we did here is the history and images:
Prees Heath or as it would later be called RAF Tilstock first opened in 1915 as a training camp for the British Army, with a capacity for training 30,000 men in trench warfare. Later it would also act as a store for supplies, with its own railway depot fed by a 1 mile length branch line from the LNWR's Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway. As casualties from the trenches mounted in the Great War, the camp would also be used as a hospital with a full length barracks.
Such was the scale of the camp it was responsible for the appointment of the first female police officers in the Shropshire Constabulary. They were to manage and restrain local women from heading to the camp.
The war ended, saw the downsizing of the facilities, with the British Government keeping ownership of the site for Army training purposes.
The outbreak of World War II in 1939, saw the site turn from a training base to an internment camp it was for screening Austrian and German refugees, large tent villages increased the capacity adding facilities for holding a further 2,000 men. Later the site was converted to a prisoner of war camp, eventually it closed in October 1941.
Mid 1942 saw the completion of work to turn the camp into its final military incarnation, RAF Tilstock, with a classic three concrete runway RAF "star" arrangement. Although until June 1943 the name 'Whitchurch Heath' was used. From 1 September 1942 and 21 January 1946, the airfield was used by No. 81 Operational Training Unit and No. 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit Royal Air Force for the training of pilots and crews in the operation of Whitley, Stirling and Halifax heavy bombers. During the 1950s, Auster AOP.6 'spotter' aircraft of No. 663 Squadron RAF used the facilities of the otherwise non-operational airfield during weekends for liaison flights with Royal Artillery units.
Today the airfield is still being used at weekends for skydiving. Skydivers have used the airfield for Tandem Skydiving and running Parachute Jump Courses since 1966. The direction of the remaining runway is 33 and 15.
Sadly the control tower is completely bricked up
explored in the great company on Urban SW
Prees Heath or as it would later be called RAF Tilstock first opened in 1915 as a training camp for the British Army, with a capacity for training 30,000 men in trench warfare. Later it would also act as a store for supplies, with its own railway depot fed by a 1 mile length branch line from the LNWR's Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway. As casualties from the trenches mounted in the Great War, the camp would also be used as a hospital with a full length barracks.
Such was the scale of the camp it was responsible for the appointment of the first female police officers in the Shropshire Constabulary. They were to manage and restrain local women from heading to the camp.
The war ended, saw the downsizing of the facilities, with the British Government keeping ownership of the site for Army training purposes.
The outbreak of World War II in 1939, saw the site turn from a training base to an internment camp it was for screening Austrian and German refugees, large tent villages increased the capacity adding facilities for holding a further 2,000 men. Later the site was converted to a prisoner of war camp, eventually it closed in October 1941.
Mid 1942 saw the completion of work to turn the camp into its final military incarnation, RAF Tilstock, with a classic three concrete runway RAF "star" arrangement. Although until June 1943 the name 'Whitchurch Heath' was used. From 1 September 1942 and 21 January 1946, the airfield was used by No. 81 Operational Training Unit and No. 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit Royal Air Force for the training of pilots and crews in the operation of Whitley, Stirling and Halifax heavy bombers. During the 1950s, Auster AOP.6 'spotter' aircraft of No. 663 Squadron RAF used the facilities of the otherwise non-operational airfield during weekends for liaison flights with Royal Artillery units.
Today the airfield is still being used at weekends for skydiving. Skydivers have used the airfield for Tandem Skydiving and running Parachute Jump Courses since 1966. The direction of the remaining runway is 33 and 15.
Sadly the control tower is completely bricked up
explored in the great company on Urban SW
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! I want to get back up there and re-shoot a couple of things aswell as a couple of sites, just looking at train fairs now as it would be easier I think... bloody expensive up that way mind!
