After doing the pillboxes at Mitford I thought I would have a look a short distance South to Raf Morpeth to see what was still there. The DoB has a few goodies for the place marked up although it turns out there is quite a bit more. A second visit is due shortly as my camera batteries died on me and I had forgot to pack spares like the plonker I am lol.
A bit of history on the place taken from Wiki
Tranwell Airfield, real name RAF Morpeth, is a former World War II Airfield in the English county of Northumberland, is situated about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Morpeth and was an air gunners school. The site was home to No.80 (French) Operational Training Unit. Today the site has reverted to agriculture; several of the buildings remain and are used for storage. Parts of the hard standing remain and are used for a weekly car boot sale every Sunday.
The official title of this airfield during WW2 was Royal Air Force Station Morpeth, or more commonly known as RAF Morpeth, and initially housed No 4 Air Gunnery School (4 AGS). Accommodation was in 10 dispersal sites to the north and east of the airfield near Tranwell village and The Whitehouse Centre (following the war this area became a children's hospital). The main aircraft used during its early existence for teaching air gunners was the unpopular Blackburn Botha, which was very heavy and under powered, often taking the whole of the runway to get airborne. Following several crashes and collisions, it was eventually replaced with the Avro Anson. Most of the air gunnery practice occurred off shore at Druridge Bay where several of the original wartime structures still exist at the National Trust site, and flew between Newbiggin By The Sea and Coquet Island near Amble. Many of the airmen who flew here were Polish and several settled in the Morpeth area following the war. A large number of Polish casualties including airmen from this base are buried in St Mary's Church, Morpeth
A more indepth history can be found here (makes a good read) http://tranwell.wordpress.com/home/heritage/raf-morpeth-60-years-on-article/
Anyway on with the photos I did manage to get
Blast Shelter with the last remaining Miskin Blister hangers in the distance
The DoB says there are 3 of these blast shelters well I found 5 so far all built to the same design
Number2
number3
number4
number5
Firing range butts again the DoB says there is one well there is in fact 2 of them again both to the same size and design
number1 (not on the DoB)
this one still has its earth bank at the front of it where the other hasn't
The other one (couldn't get near it because the farmer was moving livestock into the field and didn't want me frightening them)
The remains of what I believe was a Stent prefabricated pillbox
some of the taxi ways are still in pretty good condition (although covered in black ice)
Water storage
and lastly one of the surviving buildings
Like I say I'm going to head back there and find the rest very soon because I know there are some fire control tanks in front of the other firing range, another couple of buildings, the remains of some anderson shelters, some aircraft tie down points and supposedly an ROC post on the site oh and I want to get nearer to that hanger. God knows what else I will find
Thanks for looking
Jon
A bit of history on the place taken from Wiki
Tranwell Airfield, real name RAF Morpeth, is a former World War II Airfield in the English county of Northumberland, is situated about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Morpeth and was an air gunners school. The site was home to No.80 (French) Operational Training Unit. Today the site has reverted to agriculture; several of the buildings remain and are used for storage. Parts of the hard standing remain and are used for a weekly car boot sale every Sunday.
The official title of this airfield during WW2 was Royal Air Force Station Morpeth, or more commonly known as RAF Morpeth, and initially housed No 4 Air Gunnery School (4 AGS). Accommodation was in 10 dispersal sites to the north and east of the airfield near Tranwell village and The Whitehouse Centre (following the war this area became a children's hospital). The main aircraft used during its early existence for teaching air gunners was the unpopular Blackburn Botha, which was very heavy and under powered, often taking the whole of the runway to get airborne. Following several crashes and collisions, it was eventually replaced with the Avro Anson. Most of the air gunnery practice occurred off shore at Druridge Bay where several of the original wartime structures still exist at the National Trust site, and flew between Newbiggin By The Sea and Coquet Island near Amble. Many of the airmen who flew here were Polish and several settled in the Morpeth area following the war. A large number of Polish casualties including airmen from this base are buried in St Mary's Church, Morpeth
A more indepth history can be found here (makes a good read) http://tranwell.wordpress.com/home/heritage/raf-morpeth-60-years-on-article/
Anyway on with the photos I did manage to get
Blast Shelter with the last remaining Miskin Blister hangers in the distance
The DoB says there are 3 of these blast shelters well I found 5 so far all built to the same design
Number2
number3
number4
number5
Firing range butts again the DoB says there is one well there is in fact 2 of them again both to the same size and design
number1 (not on the DoB)
this one still has its earth bank at the front of it where the other hasn't
The other one (couldn't get near it because the farmer was moving livestock into the field and didn't want me frightening them)
The remains of what I believe was a Stent prefabricated pillbox
some of the taxi ways are still in pretty good condition (although covered in black ice)
Water storage
and lastly one of the surviving buildings
Like I say I'm going to head back there and find the rest very soon because I know there are some fire control tanks in front of the other firing range, another couple of buildings, the remains of some anderson shelters, some aircraft tie down points and supposedly an ROC post on the site oh and I want to get nearer to that hanger. God knows what else I will find
Thanks for looking
Jon