Wroughton Tower

[NigeF-51]

Just logged on this evening and found the following on my BBC Homepage,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-11583970

Nige

[ww2nut]

what a waste, wroughton is so huge and this building is so small, i cant help thinking that theres really no need to loose one of the most important buildings, moth ball it and leave it till the financial climate improves, i am sure some group of other will step in eventually.

[WiganMick59]

Blimey it's a science museum as well! I suspect wierd science meself.

[mawganmad]

I couldn't believe this when I saw the news on Key, especially being on the site of one of our main museums.
Does anyone know the tower design by the way? It's the closest looking tower to Trebelzue that I have seen, but can only go off that one picture.

[Carnaby]

The tower was in a very bad condition in July 2010 - modified since its WWII days
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/grahamcrisp/DSCN9012.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/grahamcrisp/DSC06327.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/grahamcrisp/DSCN9030.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/grahamcrisp/DSCN9035.jpg

Graham

[PETERTHEEATER]

Your Image 2 shows an example of a Ready Use Pyrotechnic Cupboard which hasn't been ripped out for scrap.

[Carnaby]

Your Image 2 shows an example of a Ready Use Pyrotechnic Cupboard which hasn't been ripped out for scrap.
I believe this should have been also accessible from the outside - but it wasn't. Building modification?

Graham

[Richard Drew]

This really annoys me, they are the people that we trust our heritage too and all they do is try to remove it. If it was a Roman remain all hell would be let loose. There are more Roman remains in Britain than WW2 sites and I believe there are even less WW1 sites.

[norwichpaul]

The recording of Wroughton control tower was carried out under the auspices of the Airfield Research Group. We are very grateful to the Science Museum for allowing us to do this!

[PETERTHEEATER]

I believe this should have been also accessible from the outside - but it wasn't. Building modification?

Graham

I have never seen an example with external access too. But then, most were on the top floor in visual control area. As you know, there was usually a main Pyrotechnic Ready Use store near the Watch Office (Tower) from which the cupboard would be replenished as required.

[Dave Smith]

Wasn't this "external access" a blow-out panel in the case of fire in the cupboard?

[PETERTHEEATER]

Yes, that sounds more like it assuming the inner door was secured:)

[Carnaby]

Makes sense

Graham

[canberra]

Slightly off topic, but in my time in towers we usually had half a dozen pyro carts in the tower of three colours ie 18 cartridges in total. If we needed to replenish then we just nipped to the pyro store.

[PETERTHEEATER]

In late '50s there was a 'scale' of what had to be on-hand in visual in the cupboard which was checked daily by the Duty Armourer as part of his rounds. Apart from RED, YELLOW and GREEN there were WHITE Smoke Puffs and Birdscarers, the latter not popular because of the recoil! All 1-1/2 inch calibre and with rolled cardboard cases and copper bases. Birdscarers were subsequently withdrawn due to debris from the cartridge causing damage to aircraft tyres.

Adjacent to the tower was a small square hard stand on which was mounted the dreaded Projector, Signals Airfield Locating. This was a single barrel electrically fired device which could be hand-loaded with a long aluminium cartridge about 3 inches in diameter containing shell that could be fired vertically upward to burst above any covering cloud layer and give a visual signal to homing aircraft as to the location of the airfield. It was only loaded (by ATC) when weather conditions applied and could then be fired remotely from visual approach. Like all electrically initiated devices of that era it was subject to 'stray volts' and static electricity which caused the loader some fears even with the plug disconnected.

One day I shall tell you a story of a similar contraption mounted on a helicopter which gave me a serious fright.

[Airtrooper]

This decision amazes me!!! Surely there must be a petition, or some other form of action that can be taken by us as a group??