RAF Middleton St George dump area
Thread Starter
RAF Middleton St George dump area
There is supposed to be a dump containing surplus aircraft spares at RAF Middleton St George in the North of England. Is there anyone on here who has memories of the dump and its location. Supposedly on the far Southern boundary.
The Canadians who were based during WWII also supposedly buried stuff during their stay. It has also been said that they disposed of spares and equipment when they left at the end of the war.
The Canadians who were based during WWII also supposedly buried stuff during their stay. It has also been said that they disposed of spares and equipment when they left at the end of the war.
There can hardly be an airfield in the country that isn't reputed to have a dump full of all sorts of aviation treasures.
The odd thing is that no significant finds have ever been made afaik.
The odd thing is that no significant finds have ever been made afaik.
well its now Teesside Airport - you can still see the old bunkers on the SE side on Google Earth
Where did this report come from?
Where did this report come from?
Thread Starter
Persons no longer alive talked about their time in the RAF. The bunkers are no more Peel holdings the previous operators flattened almost all of them. On a recent survey we only found two air raid shelters.
I am looking for someone who was stationed who might know so the rumour can outed.
I am looking for someone who was stationed who might know so the rumour can outed.
The RAF left in 1964 so any digging had to be done before then - you're looking for people aged 78 and over
Similar things said about Manston while I was there: ditto Kemble and others. All complete tosh. Just contemplate why you'd bury anything when every RAF station had a scrap area and arrangements with local scrapyards to dispose of same.
Buried Merlins and Spitfire bits !!! Well we did have some at Kenley in the 60's, the Merlin was in a disused flight hut (to big and heavy to spirit away) and various aircraft parts could be unearthed if keen enough. In fact a substantial Spit fuse was 'rescued' many years later. Kenley was the location for two films (Angels One Five, and Reach For The Sky) so several items were left behind after them (Kenley acquired a Spit 16) although the Hurricanes returned to Portugal.
The Kenley dump was on the edge of the airfield alongside the local common so quite accessible to a bit of 'exploring' by locals. The area was run over by a dozer on a regular basis so you had to be quick to rescue anything. Of course the area also was the resting place for all manner of things,:- old cars and engines, office equipment, aircraft harness, rocket tubes, washing machines, filing cabinets, instruments, surplus spares, and time expired items. This rather spoilt the use of latter day detecting equipment which sent back signals that convinced operators they had complete airframes under their feet. The local youngsters were not averse to using suitable panels and airframe parts to make 'camps' in the local woods and indeed I well remember some of these before I was old enough to join the local ATC unit on the airfield.
The Kenley dump was on the edge of the airfield alongside the local common so quite accessible to a bit of 'exploring' by locals. The area was run over by a dozer on a regular basis so you had to be quick to rescue anything. Of course the area also was the resting place for all manner of things,:- old cars and engines, office equipment, aircraft harness, rocket tubes, washing machines, filing cabinets, instruments, surplus spares, and time expired items. This rather spoilt the use of latter day detecting equipment which sent back signals that convinced operators they had complete airframes under their feet. The local youngsters were not averse to using suitable panels and airframe parts to make 'camps' in the local woods and indeed I well remember some of these before I was old enough to join the local ATC unit on the airfield.
A friend of mine told me that when he joined the RAF in 1959, he was sent to North Coates to help prepare it for use as a Bloodhound site.
He was detailed by an SNCO to look at a particular 'Robin' hangar which being padlocked, had to be broken open under the direction of a sergeant.
On opening it they found it was stacked up to the roof with what he called Beaufigher toolkits. Now whether there was such a thing I don't know but it was obvious that these items were not on inventory and thus had to be accounted for, so the sergeant directed my friend and his companions to dig a large hole and dispose of them.
He was detailed by an SNCO to look at a particular 'Robin' hangar which being padlocked, had to be broken open under the direction of a sergeant.
On opening it they found it was stacked up to the roof with what he called Beaufigher toolkits. Now whether there was such a thing I don't know but it was obvious that these items were not on inventory and thus had to be accounted for, so the sergeant directed my friend and his companions to dig a large hole and dispose of them.
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Buried. Spares
This I can vouch for!About 1965/6 a Valleta fuselage turned up on a Queen Mary and deposited on the fire dump area at the west end of the main runway.It was full(fuselage floor removed first)of electrical generators,starter motors and other assorted electrical spares.Lot of copper there ,worth money,station policeman spoke to us rather sternly so we left wellalone!I have passed this info on to a restoration group .This station is now slowly turning into a small town!
This I can vouch for!About 1965/6 a Valleta fuselage turned up on a Queen Mary and deposited on the fire dump area at the west end of the main runway.It was full(fuselage floor removed first)of electrical generators,starter motors and other assorted electrical spares.Lot of copper there ,worth money,station policeman spoke to us rather sternly so we left wellalone!I have passed this info on to a restoration group .This station is now slowly turning into a small town!
