Royal Air Force Greatworth

Martin, following discussions last Wednesday at the Reunion about the postion of the old Nissen Huts, I contacted Derrick Savage (who was there at that time) I forward to you his reply, it appears that they were in the next field, to the LEFT, just over the hedge from the new accomodation block, Derrick thinks that they even used the same path across the Aerial Farm to the Transmitter Hall. So it looks as though the mystery is solved, the Nissen Huts were alongside the Public road B4525, next to the "new" Block.

Subject: RAF Greatworth old site position.

Hello Eric.

Thanks for your E-mail. Its amazing how information gradually disappears with time. I am firmly of the opinion, that there is no such thing as permanent record. Even in these modern times with advanced communications and information storage techniques, given enough time information details fade away.

Now to try to answer your question, I would like to know where the new accommodation block was situated relative to roads and the transmitter hall using the Google satellite image of that area.

I am assuming the Google default satellite view is showing north at the top of the page. Now centre your viewing of the Google satellite image over the cruciform shape of what was the transmitter hall and zoom in to include the B4525 road running east/west. Approximately 250 yards north of the hall there is another, what looks like some sort of industrial compound that has a well defined car park. This car park looks relatively recent. The northern edge of this car park was as far as I can tell the southern boundary of the old accommodation block. This extended right through to the B4525 road where there was an entry gate to the site. As one came through the gate, 6 nissen huts were on the left and on the right was the canteen /recreation nissen hut. I expect you have seen my photographs of these huts and that of the interior of the tranmitter hall.

Now two very interesting features of the satellite picture is a well trodden footpath stemming out from the corner of the car park towards the transmitter hall. I am fairly certain this was the access path to the hall we used, when I was there. I distinctly remember one of the rhombic 90 ft aerial towers being very adjacent to this path. The 2nd point of interest is the concrete bases of some of the aerial towers that can be seen in the field near to the industrial buildings (ex accommodation area), one of which is immediately next to the path.

The old accommodation block looked like a grim prison compound while I was there. It was bearable during the summer months, but there was nothing endearing about the camp site throughout the winter, when it was decided to rebuild the transmitter hall around the old decaying nissen style hall. One end of the hall, where the feeder lines went out of the building was open to the elements throughout the building process. It was so cold in there the mercury vapour rectifiers would not vaporise properly shorting anode to cathode causing the demise of the 3 phase contactors as they welded together and the fuse link holders shattered as the fuse ruptured violently.

Needless to say I was glad to get out of the place. Anyway I hope the above information is of assistance to you. Please keep in touch and let me know what you discover about the place.

Kind regards.

Derrick R. Savage