Yardley Chase & Salcey Forest

[Ossington_2008]

SALCEY FOREST explosive store Jul 96

Somewhere between Netherthorpe and Cranfield, I found this place. Army or RAF use anyone?

[Carnaby]

Army or RAF use anyone?

Roade / Salcey Forest was 72 MU, Ground (Static) Equipment Depot during WWII. Like the one down the road from you at Cuckney

There's a Forestry Commission guidebook to woodland walking, and the one in this area begins with the words, 'A walk on RAF concrete ...'

AFAIK I don't believe the RAF had explosives there, but are those buildings traversed?

Graham

[Carnaby]

Just had a closer look at the photo - it's not Salcey, but Yardley Chase - ex Army.
This document states:
Nearby Fulbeck training area, part of a disused airfield, is used for dry training and vehicle harbour exercises. Yardley Chase is a disused ammunition depot which provides wooded areas and storage buildings for training. Part of the site is old parkland dating back to Norman times as a hunting chase.

Note - July 2009 - above link is now dead

Graham

[endeavour]

Hi folks, I am interested in the RAF presence in Salcey Forest during and after the war. Does anyone know more about this subject? I see refs to munitions and I know that they operated a maintenence base there until
1957. Thats it. Can anyone expand please?
Endeavour
PS I am not a military man and do not necessarily know the terminolgy!!

[PETERTHEEATER]

I have never found any reference to the Yardley Chase (Salcey Forest) sites being used by the RAF.

The layouts of earth traverse protected buildings are typically Army storage of that era and would have stored just about every type of ammo in the inventory including HE Shell. Having said that, access appears only to have been by road (trucks) with no railway system which would make for laborious handling.

I suspect that the ammuntions involved would have been boxed to enable a one man lift.

The Corsham Quarries were used to store loose shell of every calibre.

It is always possible that some RAF stocks were stored there by arrangement but under control of the Army.

I fell sure that I have some detailed notes (somewhere) on my shelves and will see if I can root out more.

For Carnaby - pse check yr PMs.

[Ossington_2008]

More Salcey/Yardley. Taken the same time.



I have noticed on GE that there are two separate areas of woodland storage. This second photo is of the one further to the south and east. Unlike the first site I can't make out any gentle loops indicating a rail connection even though a railway line passes by both.
Were they part of the same setup? Run by the same people?

[PETERTHEEATER]

Looking again, there is evidence of a spur line running from the mainline into the southern part of the NW site and, possibly the remains of another into the SE site. That is likley since it would give an independent railhead to each site but, I don't think there was any internal rail network, just roads.

I would be happy to be proved wrong!

[endeavour]

Hi Folks, am I right in thinking that the photographs and recent discussion are entirely relating to Yardley Chase as distinct from Salcey Forest, Hartwell? The latter was certainly a munitions factory and maintenance establishment run by the RAF mainly operated by civilians. It closed in 1957. Salcey had an old railway connection, closed in the early 1900's, but (I think) opened again for a while in wartime and after until it was ripped up and wasted.

I am trying to establish more about the Salecy site and am awaiting info from people who worked there in wartime. I find from electoral registers that there were certainly RAF connections in 1945 and some staff living in the forest were connected with ENSA and a military hospital. All buildings in the forest were removed during my youth although I am sure that it is still possible to find the concrete bases.
Endeavour

[P Bellamy]

If nothing more than for clarification, I've traced the rail lines for the entire site, titled in one source as "Yardley Chase Royal Ordnance Depot":



Main line in red, internal rail in yellow including a spur to the built-up area of the depot.

All the best,
PB

[Carnaby]

... there were certainly RAF connections in 1945

No.72 MU was formed at Roade 1.3.1942 as an Equipment Dispersal Depot (EDD). These units were forward facilities, acting as the link between the seven 'megastores'. (the Universal Equipment Depots, UEDs) and the airfields. They would store 'everything from split pins to aircraft engines' (quote from 'Maintenance'). As a forward depot they worked in conjunction with Barrack and Clothing Depots to provide everything that an airfield would need.

The nearest UED (later Aircraft Equipment Depot) was 25MU Hartlebury.

RAF Roade was generally known as Salcey Forest. It became an Equipment Distributing Depot on 7.5.42, then a Ground Equipment Depot (GED) in August that year.

On 31.5.46 it was reduced to depository basis under 55 Maintenance Wing (Derby), then to 57 Wing (Bicester). It disbanded on 31 July 1957.

Graham