- Joined
- May 22, 2008
- Messages
- 191
- Reaction score
- 3
Visited in late 2008 with Kaputnik.
RAF Binbrook opened in early 1940 as a bomber base initially under 142 Sqn the station closed in 1942 to allow the laying of concrete runways. On 14 May 1943 Binbrook reopened as the home for 460 Sqn of the Royal Australian Air Force. This sqn suffered the highest loss rate o any Australian sqn and lost over 1000 men while stationed at Binbrook. It was quite erie when walking around to think that a thousand soles passed through the gate of the station never to return.
After WWII the base was again under RAF use with 617 sqn the Dambusters being based there for a time. The Canberra Britain’s first jet bomber was stationed here before the station was handed over to fighter command in 1960. The English electric Lightening was based here for a long time from 1962 to 1988. The station closed when 5 and 11 sqn’s were disbanded and the lightening removed from active service in 1988. Since then parts of the base have been used by industry with others becoming derelict. The contrast was quite surprising. The control tower has gone with only a few tiles remaining to show where it was.
^ We started off in the Officers mess which was in a bad way and is only a shadow of its former self!
^The former entrance to the officers mess. Earth has been dumped in front of the entrance some time after 2007 presumably to try prevent access.
^ Ante-Room
^ One of the accommodation wings in the officers mess.
^One of the fireplaces in the Officer mess.
^Upstairs Pano
^ One of the staircases leading to the accommodation wigs. I would have imagined this being a grand wooden banister here when it was in use.
^Batman’s Room
^Additional officers mess accomdation block, this of later build than the main officers mess block that dates from WWII.
^Inside
^ Squash court that has suffered greatly at the hands of arsonists.
^Garages outside officers mess.
^Next we moved on to have a look in some of the H-Blocks.
^Although one had some fire damage they were in a lot better state than the Officers mess.
^One of them was filled with TV’s I’m sure Kaputnik has some better pictures than this. I’ve never seen so many tellys in all my life there was hundreds of them!
^
^One of the blocks was still in a reasonable state and had various bits still remaining from it military use.
^ Toilet (well sort of) shot
^One of the hangers now used for storage.
^A WWII era nissen hut.
There was some sort of military surplus yard with loads of all vehicles that were for sale.
^Which also included a train!
Now finally we came across this!
The story of this particular aircraft unfortunately has a sad ending. Lightening tail number XR724 was constructed as an F3 at Samlesbury, with her first flight being on the 10th of February 1965. She was converted to an F6 almost immediately after construction and went into service with 11 sqn on the 16th June 1967. Most of her life was spent at Binbrook, with her final days being spent as a test bed for British Aerospace.
The plane was fully operational when the lightening association took over her. They used to run her up and down the runways until they were ripped up for hardcore. She used to be stored in the old 5 sqn hanger until it was sold off by the MOD and the new owners turffed it out. The engines have been removed and taken away for inside storage, XR724 now sits outside near to the old control tower slowly rusting away, there is talk of removing her but would mean cutting her up to allow it to fit on a low loader, her future is unclear.
A few pictures that didn’t really fit in anywhere else.
^ An old No.1 RAF Jacket that was made in 1956.
^Mini
^ Sea Harrier
There is quite a famous incident at Binbrook where a Lightening was “shot down” by a UFO. Click here for more info.
RAF Binbrook opened in early 1940 as a bomber base initially under 142 Sqn the station closed in 1942 to allow the laying of concrete runways. On 14 May 1943 Binbrook reopened as the home for 460 Sqn of the Royal Australian Air Force. This sqn suffered the highest loss rate o any Australian sqn and lost over 1000 men while stationed at Binbrook. It was quite erie when walking around to think that a thousand soles passed through the gate of the station never to return.
After WWII the base was again under RAF use with 617 sqn the Dambusters being based there for a time. The Canberra Britain’s first jet bomber was stationed here before the station was handed over to fighter command in 1960. The English electric Lightening was based here for a long time from 1962 to 1988. The station closed when 5 and 11 sqn’s were disbanded and the lightening removed from active service in 1988. Since then parts of the base have been used by industry with others becoming derelict. The contrast was quite surprising. The control tower has gone with only a few tiles remaining to show where it was.
^ We started off in the Officers mess which was in a bad way and is only a shadow of its former self!
^The former entrance to the officers mess. Earth has been dumped in front of the entrance some time after 2007 presumably to try prevent access.
^ Ante-Room
^ One of the accommodation wings in the officers mess.
^One of the fireplaces in the Officer mess.
^Upstairs Pano
^ One of the staircases leading to the accommodation wigs. I would have imagined this being a grand wooden banister here when it was in use.
^Batman’s Room
^Additional officers mess accomdation block, this of later build than the main officers mess block that dates from WWII.
^Inside
^ Squash court that has suffered greatly at the hands of arsonists.
^Garages outside officers mess.
^Next we moved on to have a look in some of the H-Blocks.
^Although one had some fire damage they were in a lot better state than the Officers mess.
^One of them was filled with TV’s I’m sure Kaputnik has some better pictures than this. I’ve never seen so many tellys in all my life there was hundreds of them!
^
^One of the blocks was still in a reasonable state and had various bits still remaining from it military use.
^ Toilet (well sort of) shot
^One of the hangers now used for storage.
^A WWII era nissen hut.
There was some sort of military surplus yard with loads of all vehicles that were for sale.
^Which also included a train!
Now finally we came across this!
The story of this particular aircraft unfortunately has a sad ending. Lightening tail number XR724 was constructed as an F3 at Samlesbury, with her first flight being on the 10th of February 1965. She was converted to an F6 almost immediately after construction and went into service with 11 sqn on the 16th June 1967. Most of her life was spent at Binbrook, with her final days being spent as a test bed for British Aerospace.
The plane was fully operational when the lightening association took over her. They used to run her up and down the runways until they were ripped up for hardcore. She used to be stored in the old 5 sqn hanger until it was sold off by the MOD and the new owners turffed it out. The engines have been removed and taken away for inside storage, XR724 now sits outside near to the old control tower slowly rusting away, there is talk of removing her but would mean cutting her up to allow it to fit on a low loader, her future is unclear.
A few pictures that didn’t really fit in anywhere else.
^ An old No.1 RAF Jacket that was made in 1956.
^Mini
^ Sea Harrier
There is quite a famous incident at Binbrook where a Lightening was “shot down” by a UFO. Click here for more info.
