Royal Air Force Greatworth

Roy

Nov. 05 2011 at 12:36 PM Hello Martin,

You've certainly gor the old grey matter working and I'm sorry that there were not too many cameras around in 1951 to record the scene.

The accommodation site I remember was about half a mile across the fields SW of the Main Site. (The aerial photo shows a later one with a tennis court on the Main Site, but that is not the one I remember). Our site was on the right hand side of a minor road W then N out of Greatworth. From the aerial photo there now appears to be a large expanse of greenhouses around there. A little to the N of these is another large building which looks as though it could be a farmyard. Either one of these is a possible although my guess is the farmyard. When I last saw the site in the late 1980s the huts and the COs house were no more - just acres of cornfield.

The COs house was about 100 yards from the old accommodation blocks on the village side and was sited about 50 yards back from the road. It was a detached house, and that's about all I can remember. If there was a garden, then it would have been a pretty big patch for anyone to manage.

You ask about the ablutions. They were separate from the Nissen Huts, at right angles to them and furthest from,and facing, the road. I believe they were constructed of stone or concrete, certainly something more durable than the huts. The boilerhouse with chimney and a small coal fired boiler was attached. The usual facilities were inside and comprised about half a dozen basins, two or three toilets and an ancient bath. All just about acceptable in Summer, but I don't like to think about what Winter must have been like there. And don't ask about the drains - at least they seemed to work.

If anything else comes to mind, I'll let you know.

Regards,

Roy