Grevillers? JU88 base I think.

Although it's not for me to decide, but if ASW22 is still with his head into the cumulus, Dave Wilson is spot on, would be my verdict. Made it too easy it seems.
Apologies to ASW22 for the complete hijack of your post. But please give us some more info (and any other nice historic pic's available??) of Irles-Grevillers.

Courtesy of 'Anciens Aérodromes'
Aerodrome-Grevillers-n043_20-03-2010_14-17-03 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Aerodrome-Grevillers-n072_20-03-2010_15-28-38 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Being as I only chanced upon this thread an hour or so ago I'm quite happy to hand over to someone else as I don't know if there are any rules and regs, plus I don't know what's gone before!

Well Dave, just passing by and having the correct answers straight away, seems to indicate to me that you're more knowledgeable than you care to admit.... I'm not an expert on rules and reg's, but if you check the http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...est-lists.html list on what has been published before, find a nice aerodrome picture that is not yet all over Google, you're about ready to make a new entry in this thread; unless you're about to leave on a 2 weeks holiday (without wifi that is). Better still if you have some personal experience or background info to complement the quest at the end.
If non of these are available for the moment, you declare it Open House.

Crikey just had a look at the list, not a lot left! However...I have this lurking in my photo collection. I took this on the 2nd July 2011. A nice easy one for Christmas.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3b2acf8d.jpg

Dave Wilson? Is this Whiz Wilson of CX fame???

Nope, it's Dave Wilson of no fame at all.

By the way, noting the international flavour of this thread I might add that the pic is in the UK.

I thought we'd done Binbrook before.

chevvron

I can't see Binbrook on the list.

Dave

Chevron has the lead. I couldn't see Binbrrok in the list either. I was at Binners from 85-88 until it closed, what you are looking at there is the bomb dump, although it was actually the missile dump. I worked in the large building lower centre of the dump which was known as FARTS or Firestreak And Red Top Servicing. It's hard to believe that just over 25 years ago it was a hive of activity.

You can't really see it from the air but the top road which leads down to the wooded area was actually a fairly deep valley where we used to keep the warheads and 30mm ammo for the Adens. It was also a haven for wildlife and a great place to skive off to on a sunny afternoon where you had that odd juxtaposition of being in the middle of the English countryside combined with the roar of Lightnings.

Dave,

What a sad photo. I have very fond memories of Binbrook. It was the location of my first UBAS summer camp in 1967, when 5AC were there with their F6s.

I flew there dual to deliver one of our Chipmunks, before the camp. We landed at the west end of 09 ( running across the bottom of your picture) and had to expedite across the main runway 04, to make room for a Lightning on final.

We continued to the end of 09 and were about to turn right onto the peri track, when we were nearly run over by the same Lightning, which had landed and taxied all the way back without us noticing! :eek:

I remember they taxied very fast - >20 kts?

Yes they would run away at idle power, I think the main problem was actually keeping the taxi speed down without duffing the brakes. Also where the taxiway goes around the bomb dump in the photo was a quite steep (for taxiways) downhill bit.

I've landed on that cross runway in a 172, last 50 ft or so is right by the dump which I thought was a bit dodgy!

Hello all!

Merry Christmas to everyone...

I am sorry for my lateness but 5 days after posting the challenge I did not have any answer and I was quite busy at the time so it did slip from my mind!!! Sorry about that...

It is indeed Irles/Grevillers in the french designation, but the Germans did know it better as Achiet. The look on Google Earth will show you that there are indeed quit a lot of remains to see including an half complete runway.
When visiting it is amusing to notice two very distinct qualities of concrete: the good one was made by the locals under British contract (however the airfield was not finished in 1940) , the sh..ty one was done by the same under German tenure...and presumably not the same enthusiasm! The difference is quite spectacular, and this very hastily and badly cast concrete can be found in several former airfields around, especially those from the initial period (2nd half of 1940) .

Amically,

JVM

PS I will be more awake for the next one...or I will have landed (even if these times I am more used to 2nd seat of a K13):):):)

Asw22, did your picture come from a private collection or book?? Couldn't find it on the web (yet). If it's available on a website, please let us know which website it came from. Thanks.

"Yes they would run away at idle power, I think the main problem was actually keeping the taxi speed down without duffing the brakes."


For your interest, it was SOP to shut down the no.1 engine after landing and taxi in with the no.2 at fast idle (58% on the throttle detent) in order to keep the AC on line via the air-driven turbine.


If it was necessary, idle thrust could be selected with the loss of AC.


Under such conditions the aeroplane did not run away from you. If the 'chute had candled on landing then one had to be aware that the brakes were hot and caution was required. The Lightning did not have nosewheel steering and taxying was achieved with differential braking.

Sorry for my tardy response; got some sort of 'lurgy' yesterday and was laid low (not it wasn't too much Christmas cheer!)
In '66 when I went there as a cadet, there was a sort of 'leadership' course laid out in those trees bottom right. Also close to the east end of 09 was the 25 yd rifle range. We used to sit outside when not shooting watching the aircraft in the circuit.

Open House!

That's it, I knew there was a reason that the idle had to be kept up, couldn't recall it, thank you very much. What did you do in the descent then, or did they windmill enough to keep the gennies online? One other question, I remember a pair coming back low on fuel (been a c*ck up with the tanker I think) and they were running on one engine. Was there a prefered engine to shut down because of the thrust line?

And one other thing...:) did you have a favourite mark? I fly occasionally with an ex Lightning jock and was surprised when he told me by far the best one to fly in terms of handling was the Mk 1.

OK here's another one not on the list. Taken April this year.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/...pseffb60af.jpg

I had to look Bobbington up! Jenkins is correct. Bobbington better known to me as Halfpenny Green, well done that man. How did you ding the prop?

Also now, according to its owners, but somewhat illogically, known as Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green...

I've only ever known it as Halpenny Green, right from flying gliders at Cosford late 80's early 90's. I'm pretty sure that's what it was on the half mil. When did they change the name? From Bobbington that is?

The name was changed from Bobbington to Halfpenny green in September 1943. Bobbington had frequently been confused with Bovington with fairly obvious consequences.

Hen ddraig
Time to spare, go by air.

I'll stick one more up being as no one else has. Sporting theme, UK, taken June 2012.

Fore!

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6aea8d77.jpg

The only way to arrive at a golf club.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/...psc1a3b4b6.jpg

Hen Draig: I think you meant Bovingdon not Bovington. Bovingdon (Herts) was an airfield allocated to USAAF whereas Bovington (Dorset) is an Army base. T.E. Shaw (better known as Lawrence of Arabia, met his demise nearby.

Chevvron you are right, just demonstrates how easy it is to get names confused. The same problem happened with RAF Shotwick which became RAF Sealand and RAF Scopwick which became RAF Digby.

Hen ddraig
Time to spare, go by air.

Crikey, correct again! Well done that man. Have a go, I'm running out of pictures!

@DIBO:

This is an extract of the IGN photo of 1947. It is freely accessible (as is the rest of France) on GEOPORTAIL:

Le portail des territoires et des citoyens - Géoportail

Cdly

JVM

Hello!

Considering the relative lack of activity here (and also that I am back from under my cumulus), I propose this one:

http://imageshack.com/a/img822/8986/zigi.jpg

It should not be very difficult; however I will give a clue there (note that the A/C type is relevant):

http://imageshack.com/a/img833/323/4g6b.jpg

Good luck!

asw22

There's a fort like that near Hal Far (Malta) and it's been well bombed.

Aren't they Douglas Devastators? And I was thinking of 1 Sqdn and NW France before the fall.......I suspect I might be heading up a dead end.....Rgds Sid

Boulogne-Alprech, France


OH, if so

Excellent Cuefaye!

Boulogne Alprech it is (how did you find out by the way?)!

The A/C were Chance Vought V156F ("Vindicator" in US designation) from the French Navy AB3 squadron. They were destroyed by He 111 on May 10th, 1940.

Amically

asw

As OH by cuefaye


https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/97...0/836/r87q.jpg

sylt ? or similar

No, sorry, it`s further south

thought they looked Belgian but dunno if the Greeks had them.

Heraklion? (or even Iraklion!)

Greece is correct, but not Iraklion. The pic is from 1986. The City is already in the Aerodromelist, but not as Airport.

maleme?? perhaps??

No, too far south