RAF Swingate Ammo Stores

I'm not sure if this one should go in this forum really - but they are hardened and they had a defensive role, so here goes.These are what remains of the Ammo Stores for RAF Swingate, which was Dover's Chain Home Low radar station during WW2. There were six originally, though none of them are on the Defence of Britain kml overlay, which was why I thought it might be worth sticking some photos up. Three of them remain in a reasonable state, two being locked and secured and the other one being open but mostly back filled with earth. RAF Swingate was obviously a really important site, and the MOD still maintain a presence there having run an early warning system from the transmitters as well as letting the USAAF run an "Ace High" tropo unit from the facility as well. You can't get onto the main site as it is quite regularly patrolled with dogs and the police stop by a lot too. These buildings (or what remains of them) are in a farmers field next door, and are helpfully enough, right on a public footpath.
Anyway, on with the pictures.

One of the stores which is still a complete structure:



The only open store, half submerged and backfilled with earth




Interestingly, each of the remaining stores still has clear drainage channels half way up them. This seemed a bit odd..

There are also the remains of three other stores all of which have now been demolished


Obviously, you can still get quite a good look at the Swingate transmitters from here too...


I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any comments to make about Swingate, or the stores or the photos in general!

GDZ

godzilla73 said:

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any comments to make about Swingate, or the stores or the photos in general!

GDZ

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What the heck is it with bomb stores and buckets????

As seen at Crimond airfield...

I have no idea!!!!! Emergency toilet facilities ? ("Sorry soldier, you can't leave the bomb store unguarded....")

Love the lone, crumpled bucket.
Lovely pics, GZ. Interesting to see them above ground too. Would these have been banked up with earth originally?

Foxylady said:

Love the lone, crumpled bucket.
Lovely pics, GZ. Interesting to see them above ground too. Would these have been banked up with earth originally?

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Thats an interesting question Foxy. The one that is banked up with earth looks as if it was originally done that way. On one of the wrecked ones, there appears to be a significant cavity underneath it which suggests a submerged foundation. Whether or not this was there original state or not I don't know, but it seems very odd that two would be above ground, two half submerged and two underground. I don't know if anyone else can shed any light on this or not.

All the ones I've seen are banked up with earth but they can also be partially dug in too, presumably the spoil from the hole being used as the banking. I'd guess it depends on the water table level if they are dug in or not.