Donnington airfield (sic)

[Dave Smith]

That's what it says as a caption to this photo on Flickr. Could be Castle Donington except that this field doesn't seem to have had a Runway 01.
Opinions anyone, please?

[PNK]

The tower looks wrong for Castle Donington as it looks like a fort type. Could be wrong. I can only assume the Donnington is a typo, Honington maybe?
The only Donnington near an airfield was Atcham but I don't think it was that.

[stevie]

It's definitely not Castle Donnington. The wrong type of tower.

[P Bellamy]

Ok chaps, this one should be reasonably simple to locate by deduction...

1: It would appear to be an Expansion-era "Watch Office with Tower".
Both the upper and lower floors seem to have cement render, so the original building could be either the brick version (1959-60/34) or the concrete version (207/36).

2: The background would tend to indicate a UK-built example.

3: The as-built Tower looks to have been replaced by the WWII-era Control Room to AM Dwg. 4698/43.

4: Most of the 4698/43 modifications used the original internal spiral staircase to serve the first floor, this example however seems to have a new-build straight stairway.

5: The majority of the UK examples backed on to the hangars and the technical site, whereas this one looks to be somewhat isolated.

6: The given runway heading is 01, that should narrow things down even further.

Aeroarchitectology Detective Team Go! :)

[Dave Smith]

Paul has summed this up extremely well. I thought it looked like a modified fort type but didn't want to display my ignorance by saying so! Atcham had a 518/40, Peter. I assume you were thinking of fairly nearby Donnington camp.

Sudden thought, runway numbering by magnetic heading did not come in until 1944 so that helps date the photo.

Honington is a good suggestion but it would have been USAAF by 1944.

[airfields man]

Where ever it is most look very happy, maybe something to do with the tea-pot the two chaps have in the front row. The chap at the far-right back row doesn't look too-pleased, perhaps he's the one who has to make the tea :roll:

[Dave Smith]

The mention of the teapot has just struck me that this is probably almost the entire complement of Flying Control staff, plus perhaps Met and Teleprinter sections. Air Traffic Control as it became postwar has always been fuelled by tea, as I well know. Thus the teapots are symbolic!

[Bomber]

I agree with Paul & Steve most defanatly not Donington for one thing if i am correct fort type towers were only put up on expanstion airfields & having seen the book on the history on Castle Donington there is apicture of the tower when Donington was derolect.
The tower appered to be a standard war time tower .
Regards ,

Bomber .

[PNK]

With the Honington in mind and the 1944 date, could it be the RAF contingent (I assume there was one) as the USAAF base. The teapot would also make sense in that scenario. Not sure of runway heading or tower at Honington.

[tigger]

Honnington had a fort type tower originally but I don't think it ever had a runway close to '01'

[bvs]

How about Condover ?
Not far from Dorrington RLWY station

[Dave Smith]

Good try but the tower is wrong.

[bvs]

Hi Dave...what about the original tower ??

[Dave Smith]

That's still there beside the later one but it's a single storey "blockhouse" type.

[airfields man]

Honnington had a fort type tower originally but I don't think it ever had a runway close to '01'

Probably had a similar teapot though.....sorry :roll:

[Dave Smith]

A stirring idea. I'm sorry, too.

[MGC]

Could it be West Raynham? The tower looks similar to me, though the background may be a little too sparse and I'm not sure of runway headings.

[ianbache]

It does look like West Raynhams, according to Control Towers, Castle Bromwich had what looks like a Fort style tower, could it be a mix up from Castle Donnington, to Castle Bromwich, but as above have no idea of runway headings

[Carnaby]

West Raynham's main was 04/22, and the subsid was 10/28

[MGC]

Here's another suggestion - Leconfield.

It has a 4698/43 modified Fort tower, with no large buildings behind (if my memory is correct), and has an 01/19 main runway.

[P Bellamy]

And Leconfield's tower appears to have had a couple of unusual features also seen in the photo, the "bars" over the lower windows and the straight external staircase.

[bvs]

I would go along with leconfield,these are some screen grabs from 'Conflict of Wings' which was filmed at Leconfield etc in the 50's (1954 ?) ,the RAF obviously had bought galloons of whitewash by then,sorry the screengrabs are wrong ratio but I guess it is because it was recorded off the telly years ago LOL

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/PDVD_024-1.jpg

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/PDVD_026.jpg

I also include a gratuitous pic of a Swift ;)

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/PDVD_032.jpg

rgds baz

[P Bellamy]

A quick resample to 800x600 for you Baz:

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/ramc181/CW1.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/ramc181/CW2.jpg

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/ramc181/CW3.jpg

:)

All the best,
PB

[bvs]

Thanks PB...that looks much better...could you PM me and tell me how you did it please ?
I am not that good on computing skills LOL

rgds baz

[Dave Smith]

MGC, Paul B and bvs - what a team! Superb detective work.

[bvs]

The photo was posted by Peter Owen.
The photostream was about his family inc Flt Lt Norman Owen who was an operational Lanc pilot with 57 sqn at East Kirkby.
I think Norman Owen may be the LH pilot in the above photo,he has something above his RH tunic pocket,which may match the crew photo in the flickr stream.
So did Norman end up in Leconfield Tower after being shot down and evading in 1944 ?

Link to flickr photostream...

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=norman+owen+57+sqn+RAF+east+kirkby&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CG4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F7845272 9%40N00%2F445980706%2F&ei=w5TdT_27N9KW0QXqidHSCg&usg=AFQjCNGUOxHf2Q34v3Z6mkal9tR56Wb_Ew

[Dave Smith]

Thanks for clarifying the origins of that photo, bvs. I believe that RAF policy for evaders was to take them off operational flying in case they were shot down again. This was to avoid possibly compromising their civilian helpers and the Escape Line in general.

[bvs]

Generally speaking that was the policy,I believe he had done 36 ops anyway so well due for a 'rest' !
As usual there were exceptions to any rule or policy of course :)

[REF]

Is it worth moving this to the Leconfield thread now?