70 MU Woodcote

[Carnaby]

Sandysyke appears to be the RAF name, the hamlet is Sandysike.
Sometimes known as Westlinton.

Equipment Dispersal Depot - 1.3.42
Equipment Distributing Depot - 7.5.42
Ground Equipment Depot - Aug 42
Disbanded 15 Dec 46, and became No.7 sub-site of 14MU Carlisle
Closed after May 1947

It's HERE. Railhead in the south-west corner.

Does anyone know what original buildings remain?

[norwichpaul]

Yes most of the sheds are extant

[spuduka]

Have any of you heard of this one. It's on the way to Reading I have seen parts of it from the road but always thought it an old army camp. Some history on it here.
http://www.mycetes.co.uk/b/index.html

[StuartBr]

There was a discussion over on the PSG Forum a couple of years about Woodcote.
http://pillboxstudygroup.freeforums....t544.html#p544
The link referred to on post 2 over there is the same as in your post, just on on a different URL. There is not much more information on the PSG forum.

[NJD]

Hi, Woodcote was part of No 3 M.U. Milton, as was Steventon, and Hermitage. Quite a big operation. I once spoke with a gentleman who worked at Woodcote from the beginning and some of the stuff he informed me of was fascinating, especially to the tins of black and white paint that suddenly arrived one night, about two weeks before D-Day. It was of course for painting the stripes on the aircraft, which was carried out only the day before to preserve secrecy. All this paint had of course to be distributed to all the airfields in the 3 MU area as late as possible. The Woodcote staff knew there was something afoot !

[Carnaby]

Hi, Woodcote was part of No 3 M.U. Milton, as was Steventon, and Hermitage.

Note Woodcote was an independent unit, 70MU from 1March 42 until it became 3MSU Milton on 31 October 1947. It was first classified as an Equipment Dispersal Depot (EDD), then a Ground Equipment Depot.

Hermitage was a 3MU sub-site using the Pinewood Brick and Tile Works. Steventon has definite but unclear connections and often described as being in Hants!

Status in 1955:
Maintenance Command Aircraft Equipment Depot, satellite of 3MU Milton.

Station Equipment stores in Nissen and Richmond huts
MT section garage and workshops in EDD sheds and temporary brick buildings; 2 servicing pits
Storage facilities
45 EDD sheds and blister hangar (total 348,000 sq ft, unheated)
Living quarters for officers and airmen (17 Nissen etc huts) also used for storage

SHQ, office accommodation and fire section in Laing, THorne and Nissen hutting

Quarters: 9 officers and 138 airmen (used for storage)
1 married officers quarters

Messing for 100 airmen and 600 civilians in one sitting

No electrical standby system
PA system on HQ site only

[IanDDavidson]

Note Woodcote was an independent unit, 70MU from 1March 42 until it became 3MSU Milton on 31 October 1947. It was first classified as an Equipment Dispersal Depot (EDD), then a Ground Equipment Depot.

Hermitage was a 3MU sub-site using the Pinewood Brick and Tile Works. Steventon has definite but unclear connections and often described as being in Hants!

Status in 1955:
Maintenance Command Aircraft Equipment Depot, satellite of 3MU Milton.

Station Equipment stores in Nissen and Richmond huts
MT section garage and workshops in EDD sheds and temporary brick buildings; 2 servicing pits
Storage facilities
45 EDD sheds and blister hangar (total 348,000 sq ft, unheated)
Living quarters for officers and airmen (17 Nissen etc huts) also used for storage

SHQ, office accommodation and fire section in Laing, THorne and Nissen hutting

Quarters: 9 officers and 138 airmen (used for storage)
1 married officers quarters

Messing for 100 airmen and 600 civilians in one sitting

No electrical standby system
PA system on HQ site only

Steventon depot is just north of the railway line between Didcot and Swindon, just west of the village of Steventon. It was converted as a hostel for security staff working to protect the building of the Newbury bypass. Some reference here too.

http://www.francisfrith.com/stevento...n=google.co.uk

There is another thread on this depot here.

Forum
Airfields
Northern Home Counties
Oxfordshire Airfields
Steventon


War Plan Uk by duncan Campbell lists Steventon as one of the Home Office Supply and Transport Stores in Region 6. I am sure its history goes back to WW2 as there is a depot to a very similar design adjacent to the railway at Honeybourne. Its next to Long Lartin Prison. Check it out on Google maps. If you find the entrance to Unipart Honeybourne Logistics and use the little yellow man to view the entrance road you can make out the bases for the nissen huts/ romney huts?, long demolished.


Ian