Acklington

[PNK]

Acklington 1976

The long hot summer of '76 didn't seem to affect Northumberland.
The main airfield site at Acklington was an open cast mine, very big and very deep. The photo below was taken using a telephoto lens, hence the poor quality.



I think the shot was acroos the mine from the north east. There was a surface shelter behind which contained charts and weather reports (telex). I assume this was to do with the ASR flight that was based there a few years before.
The local pub was being refurbished and there were marks on the wall where squadron crest were once hung. I wonder if they were ever put back.

Peter

[Stevo]

HI

Great picture.

Is it a Gaydon hanger? Looks like it might be.

Like the one at RAF Machrihanish http://www.dreamlandresort.com/black_pr ... _trip.html

Dont think they where built at many RAF bases, RAF Wittering, RAF Coningsby, RAF Valley, RAF Macrihanish, RAF Gaydon and now it seems Aklington?

Anyone know anyother places the Gaydon was built

Was Aklington a large base?

Stevo

[Stevo]

Its still there eh, now part of the prison.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.29559 ... =6&src=ggl

Stevo

[PNK]

Stevo,

It does look like a Gaydon type but I can't see why they would build one at Acklington. I think it was mainly a fighter base extended during wartime and further extended post-war for jet fighters. I don't know if Acklington was set aside as a V bomber standby base.

Looking at the Falsh Earth aerial I find it hard to believe there used to be an open cast mine in the middle of the aifield. They have done a good job returning it to agriculture.

Peter

[Stevo]

HI

Yeah thats what I thought, but it does look like one. In the book cold war it has a map of all the V force main and dispersal airfields and Acklington isnt one of them.

Stevo

[PNK]

I think it is probably a 'J' type with extra doors for tall tails which, I assume, the Gaydon was a modernised version of.
The link below includes pictures of both 'J' and 'K' hangars adapted this way.

http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk/publi ... _02-02.pdf

Most of my reference books are in the loft whilst we are decorating (for the last two years!) otherwise I could confirm this.

Peter

[Stevo]

Hi

I dont think so, the Gaydon has 7 doors and the J/K has 6 doors, from the pic it seems to have 7. I just measured a Gaydon at RAF Valley on google earth and it's 323feet same as Coningsby. This hanger at Acklington is longer by 10feet. Both the same width 163feet

The J/K is 300x150feet

Strange!!!

[PNK]

Why bother with the loft when a search of my own hard drive serves just as well.


Sorry about the size but I think you can just make out the words.
I'd forgotten I ordered this. It seems to suggest 'F' x 2!
Problem with these documents is they are not always correct and it may be the original ones were replaced post-war. Not conclusive but another piece.

Peter

PS I am not sure about posting this pic due to copyright issues.

[Stevo]

HI

The F hanger is here http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.29784 ... =0&src=ggl and the other was about here http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.29469 ... =0&src=ggl which you can see on this website http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_image.asp?digital_doc_id=540 if you press zoom then zoom in.

I cant make out the other words on your pic, but the next one down looks like a single hanger. Also the Gaydon wasnt built until the 50's and the above pic looks like 1944.

[olympusman]

PNK

Are all the WWII airfields taken in that book... ?