Good Morning Posters,

Norwich Paul may have some answers to some of my queries.

Most 'expansion period' stations had the pre war standard of bomb store to AM Drawing 3054/36. Bicester is an example.

The pattern consisted (usually) of two groups of bomb stores each with six buildings. A number of support buildings were within the site including a Component Store, Incendiary Bomb & Pyro Store, Fuzed Bomb and Spare Bomb Store etc..

Here are some FlashEarth links to specific buildings at BICESTER for which I need confirmation of the AM Drawing Number and function:

1. The first is an Incendiary Bomb and Pyrotechnic Store to (I think) AM drawing 1003/36 (37?) but it has only two stores instead of the usual three.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.91060 ... =0&src=ggl

2. The second is a 4 compartment (hollow squares) traversed. This is standard on every 3054/36 layout I have seen. Probably a Fuzed Bomb Store. Did the compartments (bays) usually house a single building? What was the AM drawing Number?
What was the function?

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.91181 ... =0&src=ggl

3. The third is an unknown building although the plan view is familiar.
Drawing Number and function please.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.91341 ... =0&src=ggl

4. This is a Fuzing Shed. AM drawing Number please.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.91315 ... =0&src=ggl

5. And finally, the two remaining single buildings which are (I think) Component Stores. AM Drawing number please.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.91228 ... =0&src=ggl

Over to you,

with regards,

Peter H

The first pic is the incendiary bomb store 3164/37 as you said

Next is a fused and spare bomb store 3164/37 (same number) - four large open concrete traversed bays for open storage.

Next is a Danger building 3181/40 - SAA store (the same as recently discussed at Exeter and duxford only bigger, There were two of these at Bicester, but one is demolished.

Next is a ultra heavy fusing point building 7900/42

The next is a component store 3164/37 and the other nearest to the SAA store was used as a 2 pounder SAA Store but may have been originally a Component Store. I presume this was for storing Bofors 40mm ammunition.

Just out of interest, why is someone who is resident in Thailand, interested in Bicester's Bomb Stores - LOL?

Thanks for that Paul.

You will recall I previously asked about a couple of buildings at Exeter and similar types at Duxford. That's why the building at Bicester seemed familiar yet, still I didn't recognise it!

I gave Bicester as an example, there are plenty of extant prewar bomb stores at other airfields but Bicester was familiar because I was based there in the mid '60s with RAF Bomb Disposal (BD) and knew the 'dump' well.

My interest in WW2 airfields started because I was on BD and our 'bread and butter' job was the clearance of airfields (especially bomb stores) before return to agriculture.

Between 1964 and 1970, apart from BD work, I visited around 250 WW2 airfields (no time for romance!) and took thousands of 35mm transparencies all of which were lost when they went to the bottom of the sea as part of a 1971 seamail consignment to me in the Middle East. I will never get over that loss.

Since I retired, I have more time for my hobby but must do so long distance ably assisted by the PC, Internet and satellite imagery and forums such as these.

thanks again, there will be more questions.

with regards,

Peter H

Your also forgeting the WWII bombs store at Bicester, adjacent to the original, it had one WWII pattern open store Type 'D' (3164/42), a pyrotecnhic store (Nissen) (12725/41), an incendiary store type 'C' (4734/42) plus an ammo store group XII (362/31).

There were four ultra heavy fusing point buildings located close to the original stores but these along with the 'new' bomb store were all built at the same time, c.1942.

Forgot to say, that is a very sad tale, re the transparences. I can well understand you grief over this, as it would have affected me this way too. Its not the same, but for me I always regret having cocked up a visit to record the Barlow airship shed. I went there when it was in use by the Admiralty as a store and was refused permission to photograph it. Some years later I was on my way there again after it had closed and a wheel bearing failed on my motorbike. Then some weeks later I finally got there and the damn thing had gone! Its one of my biggest regrets along with getting poor pics of the Molesworth cold-war tower and then that going, then Heston, Kenley, Hornchurch, Chelveston - the list is almost endless and it still cuts me up even now.

I already had the Type D plotted Paul.

As you probably know, many airfields which had the pre-war pattern bomb stores and others which had the Type C pattern 5416/40 had additional bomb stores built to supplement the original inefficient designs which could not cope with the increased demands for more and heavier bomb loads.

Bicester of course did not contribute greatly to the bombing offensive so perhaps the upgrade was uneccessary.

Peter H

Everytime I read a post in an airfield forum which says ' Has anyone got a picture of XXX at XXX' I say to myself 'Yes', I've got one but have you got a deep sea divers suit?'

Peter H

Hi Peter,

Below is an extract from an article I wrote a long time ago on the Woodhall Spa Bomb Stores.

Building 12 is the standard permanent brick incendiary and pyro store, one of which is found on the vast majority of operational airfields. This is a heavily protected unit which dates back from the expansion period when two compartment buildings were provided as standard on all bomber airfields, e.g. Bicester. This design soon gave way to the three-compartment store, (one for pyro, and now two for incendiary), of which there are several similar patterns, this one being a type B (18185/40).

I am curious why Bicester had 'Ultra Heavy' fusing stores, as I have always assumed that these were for bombs of 4,000lb and upwards, and it was never a heavy bomber station. The terms heavy / light / ultra-heavy etc refer to the internal layout of the structure, rather than the building itself. Deployment of these buildings is also a mystery - there are several Lancaster stations which did not have any UH sheds, only a Heavy, and a Heavy / Light.

Re I visited around 250 WW2 airfields (no time for romance!)

Surely visiting airfields is better than romance !

Just wondering if you visited Woodhall Spa during your RAF days, as it has two very substantial buildings on the WWII dump which were added post 1945. They are of 27.5in brick construction and I have been unable to trace their function.

Hello Graham, how do you do?

You are referring to your article on the Woodhall Spa bomb stores published in No 56 in April 1993. Was it really 17 years ago?

As to the installation of Fuzing Points Ultra Heavy at Bicester, perhaps there was a policy intention to upgrade the airfield to Class A as a Bomber OTU which was then cancelled. Only one additional Bomb Store to 3164/42 was built - instead of the usual three or four - to supplement the original pre-war 3054/36 layout plus the Fuzing Points and other supplementary buildings. Or maybe it had to do with air-dropped mine preparation.

Can any readers shed light on this with some Bicester history?

I found out early that romance and exploration don't mix especially in the summer. To many places to hide and allow oneself to be distracted instead of concentrating on recording!. So girlfriend in tow was discouraged.

I visited Woodhall Spa - in an unofficial capacity - in 1969 according to my diary. I found, when visiting sites, that wearing my RAF uniform and a polite approach to the landowners hinting at bomb disposal interest would gain me permission to explore private land. I seldom had a refusal, and if I did, it was often backed up with foul language and dogs!

Your Woodhall Spa article (see above) queried the function of two post war structures that had been built on the bases of two of the former WW2 Fuzing Points. In my experience they would seem to relate to the testing of rocket motors and igniters. I cannot recall if they were there in 1969 but they probably were. My notes were lost along with my photographs.

Perhaps posting your plan view drawings of the structures in this forum might elicit a response.

Peter H

Wouldn't be anything to do with the Thousand Bomber Raids of May to August 1942 would it? OTU bombers took part in these raids after all.

Possibly Paul, but with Bicester being a grass field it would have been operating light bombers with (relatively speaking) light bombs.

Peter H

Hi Peter,



I revisited the dump about 7 years ago - it was heavily overgrown - amazingly ten years ago seemed to have changed it more than the previous 30.

I will publish the Woodhall Spa info on a new thread in a few days, when I find the relevant info and photos.

It's worth a shot Graham. Someone may have a lead to the function of those structures.

Peter H

Not quite on the subject of bomb stores, but the following in the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4337232/NEEDS-PIC-Fight-to-save-WW2-bomber-base-for-the-nation.html

Bicester's contribution to the WW2 bomber offensive was relatively small. But, I agree that it would be wonderful if the base could be saved and turned into heritage centre. The will is there but pots and pots of money will be required.

The starting point is for a very rich philanthropist to inject the starting capital to purchase the whole site since in these days of economic decline Government cash will need to go to more pressing needs.