RAF Sealand
 

Rhydymwyn Valley History Society (RVHS) are with the co-operation of Mike Grant who was the co-author of the Wings Over Wales series going to write a History of RAF Sealand.
The South Camp is currently up for sale by Defence Estates. Some applications for listing certain buildings was refused on the advice of WDA as it wishes to dispose of the complete site as a package.
We have arranged to be given full escorted access, excluding some buildings with asbestos issues, to obtain a photographic record. This is for historic reasons and also for comparison with archive photographs for our book.
The East Camp is still an active site but we have again obtained an agreement for escorted access. We will be asked not to photograph certain sensitive areas.
If anyone wants any particular buildings to be photographed in greater detail please tell us.
Any information/documentation/photos will be gratefully received and attributed.
We think time is of the essence here

RAF Sealand

Many years ago the Merseyside Aviation Society did an excellent history of Sealand in soft back.If you could get your hands on a copy may help.Unfortunately I've misplaced my copy together with companion volumes on RAF Shawbury and RAF Burtonwood.

SF

RAF Sealand
 

The History of Royal Air Force Sealand was published in 1978 and is out of print. We understand the author is going to publish an updated version and we wish him well.
Although our proposed book will record the basic history it is not intended to be a military aviation volume. Sealand has been an integral part of the life of the local community for many years and we are interested in recording the experiences of anyone who has been involved or influenced by it. We hope to get a lot of people involved in doing history.
It will not be pure Studs Terkel but it will be influenced by him.
So any one with a Sealand story please tell us.

Sealand must hold a record for its longevity having opened in 1917 for flying training and still in military use...

Funny how things turn out.

I drove past there yesterday.

The new dual carriage way looks like it chops the front of the air field off.

I heard that there used to be an aircraft on display at the main gates.

Does anyone know what aircraft it was ?

Used to be two aircraft on display,one either side of the Queensferry by-pass.The one there longest was a Hunter on the east side.Can't be 100% about the west side but Swift seems to ring a bell.

SF

I recollect, as an ATC cadet, we used to have to 'eyes right' the Spitfire that was on the gate, whilst we were on weekend drill camps.

Funny old thing but some years later I flew many sorties in it (TD248) following its restoration back to its rightful place in the sky.

FW

There was a Spitfire at the gate in the late 80s, ex THUM/CAACU (Lt Snoring), and now resored and flying again. Was in silver with a red cheat line - 41 Sqn. DA will know the tech stuff like serial no and history..

In the late seventies there was a Spitfire at the North Camp gate and a Sea Hawk at the South Camp.

As a graduate of MCCTTS and then having worked at E&I wing, I have fond memories of the place, and would be interested in a copy of the history.

WRT the Seahawk, I saw it arrive from Culdrose, all in black and marked as SAH1. I recall it was a swap for the Hunter which had been used for the airframe courses and which was intended for export to one of the South American operators.

I have often wondered if the Ferranti ATLAS computer in the training school was saved for posterity.

When I was there, they had a MRT as a sub-unit of RAF Stafford, but IIRC then lost that privelege as a result of a weekend jape involving the removal of a mail coach from outside a public house near Capel Curig.:uhoh:

Spitfire LF16 serial TD248, now in camouflage colour scheme. Flying Legends 2009 photo at http://www.simplyplanes.co.uk/duxfor...s_airshow.html

Gate Guardians
 

This thread shows the gate guardians histories. I didn't know
UK - Gate Guardian Aircraft - January 2009 Update - Google Earth Community

As far as I am aware, the original Station gates now reside at the entrance to Cosford airfield.

Purely as an aside, the sports pavilion was there in the 60's as I changed in it as a space cadet, again in the 70's playing cricket for Valley and was still standing (just!) last time I looked in 2007. A miracle of construction.

You could also mention Cosford's Blanik....I think...which arrived there one day somewhat unexpectedly....after a decent wave flight.

According the Thunder and Lightnings web site -

In mid 2006 with Sealand's closure she (the Hawker Hunter) was sold to Nigel Spurr who had her moved and put on display within his facility on the Swinderby Road just south-east of North Scarle.

Hunter at North Scarle
 

Looks a nice display.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...75/Hunter1.jpg
Picture from Google Earth.(c) 2009 Tele Atlas

Still Pavilioned in Splendour
 

As of today there is a pair of gates on the East Camp on a skip behind the NAAFI. At Sealand there were three camps and many entrances so perhaps the ones at Cosford are one of these others but seem not to be the main gates.
We could not manage to cover the whole of two camps and the sports field but the pavilion is still standing and is vandal-proofed, not a pretty girl but durable.
The East Camp is pretty well complete but the South Camp is struggling.

The books referred to should of course be Wings Across the Border. Apologies to Mike and Derrick Pratt

Sealand Lives On-Well For Two Years
 

See the following interesting link

The Leader - Nothing will stop huge Gateway project to secure Flintshire's economic future

The End of South Camp, well most of it
 

Most of the South Camp will be gone by the end of this week.
Lead or Rumour info - RAF Sealand - Page 2 - UK Urban Exploration Forums

Goodbye to all that
 

The following pictures are the final days of the remains of the Single Officers Quarters. Most of the buildings are removed and after these two buildings all that will remain of South Camp will be the two C Hangars, the two Lamellas and the MT Section.

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/P4202777.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/P4202770.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/P4202762.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/P4202771.jpg

And Now The End Is Near
 

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...nBa/Final4.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...nBa/Final3.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...nBa/Final2.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...nBa/Final1.jpg

RAF Sealand
 

One of the Lamellas has gone and it is rumoured the Type Cs are going. The site is now almost completely clear

[IMG]http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...Ba/GoneTwo.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r.../GoneThree.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/GoneFour.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/GoneFive.jpg[/IMG]

This is one of the C hangars only one to go and one Lamella

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr82/ColinBa/one.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...inBa/Three.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...linBa/Four.jpg

:{ Driving past there is never going to be the same.......:{

These record the demise of the last C Type the Lamella in the background will be demolished by the year end.

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...inBa/Last1.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...inBa/Last2.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...inBa/Last3.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/r...inBa/Last4.jpg

The End of South Camp
 

This is the last major structure on South Camp. A number of the interiors were unrecorded. The developer despite prior agreement did not allow access to photograph and record.

We will be going on East Camp shortly to record as many interiors as possible, just in case it is sold.

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr82/ColinBa/05.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr82/ColinBa/06.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr82/ColinBa/10.jpg

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr82/ColinBa/14.jpg

Spitfire and a Vampire

Air pig.....care to elaborate on your last post please. ?

Be nice if someone could rescue the RAF Sealand base sign far right in the first pic of post 23.

Air pig..sorry, but just to clarify your rather cryptic post....are you saying there is a Spitfire and Vampire hangared at Sealand?.....as I suspect a lot of people would be interested to learn more if this is the case.

There are a number of pictures of the interior of East Camp taken recently on this link https://www.rhydymwynvalleyhistory.c...ry-sealand.htm we do have others if there is any interest

No, that that they were on display in the sixties and seventies.

My Uncle Tom was stationed at RAF Sealand during WW2 and was a Sgt Pilot(VR) Flight testing US aircraft reassembled after arrival from the US via the Liverpool/Birkenhead Docks, sadly he was killed test flying a P40 Tomahawk, I asked for a copy of the inquiry into his death and was surprised to read the Tomahawk was fully gunned up and armed, perhaps someone could tell me was this the way A/c were flight tested after re-assembly from the US, or would a flight test also be the delivery flight of that A/c to its intended aerodrome?
Peter RB

Spent five years there from 80-85 (after putting 'not Sealand' on my preferences for posting. lesson learned there...). Worked in 6 Sqdn on F4 stuff. Work was a bit boring but my kids were little, I bought my first house and it was an 8 to 5 job. Didn't like it at the time but looking back it was ideal from a family point of view.

The gate guardian was the Mk 16 Spit and I well remember looking at it thinking 'That bugger will never fly again'.

Most notable event was an earthquake when I was on Orderley Dog that put a ripple in the concrete floor of the guardroom.

Was there any means for aircraft to cross the railway which ran between the airfield and the hangars?

Yes.

"Another interesting feature of RAF Sealand is a facility to allow the safe movement of aircraft across the railway between North and South Camps. Sections of tarmac survive to the north and south of the line of the former railway and there are also traces of crossing barriers, to prevent accidental collisions with passing trains."

Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust - Projects - Recent projects - Airfields

Thanks Dave. Can see no sign of a crossing on google earth.

Looks like it was here: 53 13 27.5 N 3 00 40.0 W

Some photos: CPAT121196

And the location of one of the sliding gates:

http://www.nwrail.org.uk/jm-110222-sealand4.jpg

North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board 14 March 2011

hangar roof
 

If you want a bit of sealand to keep a reclamation yard in hoylake is selling sheets of hangar roof. Its good stuff her indoors got some for the allotment. They were in 30 foot lengths.