Expansion period airfields - why so many?
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Trenchard was a complete visionary. Not only did he figure the transient nature of the aircraft of the day and decided to put his cash into reasonable airfields he also, because of the depression after WW 1 and the consequent constraints on defence spending, decided rather than junking complete trades like they have done since the 1980s he would run each trade down to the minimum he could get away with. Result? Following the decision to expand he had the trades, and instructors, on hand which meant that the RAF manpower, as well as hard infrastructure, could be expanded relatively easily.
Quite. A couple of weeks ago I visited the RNZAF museum at Wigram (free entry and a very creditable museum). Most of the ex RNZAF base is now a housing estate but many of the buildings remain. And they are instantly recognisable, as is the base layout, for anybody who has been in the RAF.
The Lutyens design was not confined to the UK
Expansion period airfields were nothing to do with Trenchard and nor was the architecture.
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He had, still, an enormous influence with the Air Staffs of the time. From what I have read on the subject he was one of the prime instigators of the form of the expansion airfields.
The architectural design was art deco, but with a military edge to it, which was in vogue at the time.
The architectural design was art deco, but with a military edge to it, which was in vogue at the time.
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The earliest of the Expansion Period Officers' Messes (and MQs), and which served as the 'Show Home' for what came later, was of course RAF Hullavington (now Buckley Barracks, 9 Regt RLC).
Hullavington Mess is, of course, 3 stories as is the nearby Mess at South Cerney (29 Regt RLC).
According to English Heritage the Mess at Manby dates from the same era and was originally built as 3 stories.
I remember being told many moons ago that there were 5 classes of Officers' Mess from the immediate pre-War era which all had similar floorplans in the main part of the building, but which differed in size. Class A Messes such as Hullavington and Manby and Class B Messes such as South Cerney having 3 stories.
The reason for Hullavington and Manby being Class A Messes is that these Stations were originally built as Training Units and not Operational Units - Manby being originally the Armament Training School, and Hullavington a Service Flying Training School (including, from 1942, the Empire central Flying School).
What is interesting about Hullavington is that the land was donated by the Duke of Beaufort (IIRC) whose only stipulation was that the architecture should be in keeping with the locality. The upshot of this being that all buildings viewable from outside the camp (including part of the OMQs) were built/clad in local stone, whereas buildings further inside the camp (invisible to the public) were red brick. I believe this was the only Station done like this.
Hullavington Mess is, of course, 3 stories as is the nearby Mess at South Cerney (29 Regt RLC).
According to English Heritage the Mess at Manby dates from the same era and was originally built as 3 stories.
I remember being told many moons ago that there were 5 classes of Officers' Mess from the immediate pre-War era which all had similar floorplans in the main part of the building, but which differed in size. Class A Messes such as Hullavington and Manby and Class B Messes such as South Cerney having 3 stories.
The reason for Hullavington and Manby being Class A Messes is that these Stations were originally built as Training Units and not Operational Units - Manby being originally the Armament Training School, and Hullavington a Service Flying Training School (including, from 1942, the Empire central Flying School).
What is interesting about Hullavington is that the land was donated by the Duke of Beaufort (IIRC) whose only stipulation was that the architecture should be in keeping with the locality. The upshot of this being that all buildings viewable from outside the camp (including part of the OMQs) were built/clad in local stone, whereas buildings further inside the camp (invisible to the public) were red brick. I believe this was the only Station done like this.
Last edited by ExAscoteer; 10th Apr 2012 at 15:41.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The OMQ nearby are also in a cheap imitation of the local vernacular, is concrete made to look like stone.
pr00ne: Expansion period airfields were nothing to do with Trenchard
English Heritage
... describes RAF Bicester as
“retaining better than any other military airbase in Britain, the layout and fabric relating to pre-1930s military aviation….. it comprises the best preserved bomber airfield dating from the period up to 1945 ….. It also comprises the best preserved and most strongly representative of the bomber stations built as part of Sir Hugh Trenchard’s 1920s Home Defence Expansion Scheme”
... describes RAF Bicester as
“retaining better than any other military airbase in Britain, the layout and fabric relating to pre-1930s military aviation….. it comprises the best preserved bomber airfield dating from the period up to 1945 ….. It also comprises the best preserved and most strongly representative of the bomber stations built as part of Sir Hugh Trenchard’s 1920s Home Defence Expansion Scheme”
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
RP, it certainly had that feel.
Interestingly using standard building designs was not new. Throughout the Caribbean the powder magazines in different forts are identical and these is a similar one in Cape Town. I was also surprised to see the same design for married quarters in Barbados as my grandparents lived in in Calcutta. The same design is also to be seen in Malta at Tigne.
Interestingly using standard building designs was not new. Throughout the Caribbean the powder magazines in different forts are identical and these is a similar one in Cape Town. I was also surprised to see the same design for married quarters in Barbados as my grandparents lived in in Calcutta. The same design is also to be seen in Malta at Tigne.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
EngAl, that could be it.
ExAscot, Miss PN, in one right now, says it could be either so I guess EngAl has the size of it. I will take a hammer with me when I next visit.
ExAscot, Miss PN, in one right now, says it could be either so I guess EngAl has the size of it. I will take a hammer with me when I next visit.
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It would be interesting to find out PN.
I lived in Valletta Gardens when I was on Albert - the OMQs were used as a spillover Mess accom and MQs for Lyneham.
I lived in Valletta Gardens when I was on Albert - the OMQs were used as a spillover Mess accom and MQs for Lyneham.
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built as part of Sir Hugh Trenchard’s 1920s Home Defence Expansion Scheme
There were two "Expansion" periods. I understood that we were discussing the period 1934 - 1938 which was the second period of expansion (and much the largest). There was a smaller previous expansion in 1926 following the Conservative victory in the General Election. To save money, the expansion included the new Special Reserve (500 series) and Auxilliary (600 series) squadrons of part-timers.
RAF Waddington reopened at this time (having been closed in 1920) and a new Officers Mess "Newall House" (now the Creche and Hive) was built. The Station was completely re-designed in 1936-7 when the current mess and domestic site layout took over from the WW1 buildings on site. (WW1 buildings were demolished in 1943 when the runways were concreted).
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Bent Runways
Post war expansion of big airfields and closure of small ones produced some strange results
They insisted that the fighter airfields had 6000 feet for meteors
RAF Newton was a bit short so they pjut a 10degree bend in the middle, that fixed it
Were there any similar does anyone know or was Newton unique
They insisted that the fighter airfields had 6000 feet for meteors
RAF Newton was a bit short so they pjut a 10degree bend in the middle, that fixed it
Were there any similar does anyone know or was Newton unique
RAF Newton was an all grass airfield for all of it's life.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Just back from Valetta Garden Qtrs. May be Bath stone but definitely concrete blocks made of Bath stone 
The blocks were very regular but you could also see the concrete form of the blocks on the kitchen door lintel.
The next section of qtrs is in standard brick.
The blocks were very regular but you could also see the concrete form of the blocks on the kitchen door lintel.
The next section of qtrs is in standard brick.
