Mystery building at RAF Bicester
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Sneaking up on the Runway and leaping out to grab it unawares
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The RAFGSA Centre moved from Bicester to Halton some years ago.
These days the 'Windrushers' club flies from Bicester.
These days the 'Windrushers' club flies from Bicester.
Bicester Building
Always difficult without seeing it in context of its surroundings, however if it overlooks the airfield it 'may' be an early airfield Battle HQ designed to be the point from which the Airfield defences would be controlled if it came under a direct assault. We had something similar at RAF Kenley; built in brick during the expansion period. Actual wartime ones were concrete with observation slits but early ones were a basic OP that could coordinate whatever airfield defences were available.No doubt these were in consideration of parachute landings or even enemy troop machines and i suspect in their day had a direct landline link to the local ops/sector centre. At Kenley the works and bricks removed it at the same time as they destroyed the historic Sector ops room (looks like a bungalow) thereby completing the failed Luftwaffe's attemps to do the same. !!!!
"RAF Bicester" by Paul Francis, Airfield Research Publishing (pub. 1996), seems to indicate that this is Building G (ie not allocated an AM building number). It is described as a small brick and concrete air raid shelter close to the North Aviation Fuel Installation (Building No. 72), for use by personnel caught using the latter at onset of an air raid.
There was indeed a Battle HQ, part of an a/f defensive system in the North Sector "between the North dispersal track and the North Sector of the perimeter track, for co-ordinating a/f defence during invasion. It was surrounded by five pillboxes. That doesn't quite tally with the OP building I would suggest.
There was indeed a Battle HQ, part of an a/f defensive system in the North Sector "between the North dispersal track and the North Sector of the perimeter track, for co-ordinating a/f defence during invasion. It was surrounded by five pillboxes. That doesn't quite tally with the OP building I would suggest.
Last edited by Chugalug2; 5th Dec 2016 at 11:57.
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: West Midlands
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Possible for a valve pit - but why enclose it without banking (assuming for blast protection) or damp proof it? Seems small for a pump house but without details of the former tank farm it would be difficult to tell. Above-ground tankage would provide some static head to prime pumps, but if they were centrifugal then I'm not sure how effective they would be situated that far from the fuel.
Perhaps an electrical distribution station to power the BFI?
It would be interesting to have a gander inside.
Edited: Ignore my last - just read the previous post. That makes a lot of sense.
Perhaps an electrical distribution station to power the BFI?
It would be interesting to have a gander inside.
Edited: Ignore my last - just read the previous post. That makes a lot of sense.
