RAF Welton Dispersal
 

looking at the photo (its actually better in Google Earth)

The Airfields Of Berkshire Welford

anyone any idea what those pads are on the extreme east of the base?

they look like some sort of dispersal pad rather than a munitions store - they also look newer than the rest of the place...................

RAF Welford - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look under RAF Use

Probably are for dispersed aircraft..

RAF Welford
 

Heathrow Harry

I think you need to consider what use the site was to be put to in the mid 1980s by US forces...

It appears to be an armament depot. The revetter bunker complex on the left has stores visible. The revetments down the runway are empty. A further revetment comlex to the east is under construction.

The date of imagery is given as 2004 which suggests it is an active site. There is a photo of the main gate that is accessible from Google Earth.

In 1945 it was a USAAF 435th Troop Transport Group. It remained in USAF hands thereafter.

Access to the M4
 

As Welton was one of if not the largest USAF munition stores in Europe with its own entry to the M4 and looking where the roads go to these dispersal sites, could I suggest, I do not know, that these were loading bays for accepting or distributing munitions?
Meant to say Welford....

RAF Welton Dispersal
 

Do I get a prize for spotting the deliberate mistake ?

RAF Welton ( aka Dunholme Lodge ) is/was approx 2 miles east of Scampton in Lincolnshire not Berkshire. :confused:

Well that was certainly a bum steer :E

From 1959 to 1964 RAF Dunholme lodge was home to 141 Sqn Bloodhound Missiles, prior to that Lancasters were based there during ww2 of which 120 were lost:ok:

Welford was (and still is) only a few miles distant from Greenham Common. Perhaps it had something to do with the wotsits stored there in the 80s?

yes Welford has its own eastbound M4 exit marked "Works Unit" but in red which is a bit of a giveaway - plus the CND mob regularly paint some abuse on the sign (which is then repainted)

From the M4 westbound you can see what looks like standard USAF type security tower but not the site - which is a monster arms dump

Whenurhappy 's suggestion is interesting - its only a short drive from Greenham Common and is a "Secure site" and those pads on the eastern side are are quite long with sweeping entry ways - just the thing for a 60 ton GLCM launcher

hmmm...................

HH,

I think that you might be right, but then I couldn't possibly comment...except to say that GLCM were not intended to be fired from either Greenham Common or Molesworth, but from pre-surveyed, prepared TEL sites.

For those who take an interest in such things, travel west on the M4 / A48 to the land of the viet taff - and the former RAF Caerwent. The CND types were never convinced that it did not hold WMD. ( It did have its own iron age hill fort and roman villa )

Hmm - and the School of Military Survey is/was just N of Greenham Common near Newbury

Am I being too simplistic by suggesting they are the hard standings at the end of the WWII runway which is now mainly built over by the munitions store?

The suspense is too much!

The 4 open semi-re vetted hardstandings at the extreme east of the site were built as 'remote' launch positions for GLCM (Pershing II). . The route from their storage bunkers was carefully siurveyed for turning radii, asphalt compressive strength , bridge loadings etc and upgraded as appropriate. This work was done between c1983-86 by PSA on behalf of USVF.

Launch azimuth etc can be garnered from the positioning of the revettment, designed to deflect the blast from the cruise missile launch. There were other sites as well.

The storage bunkers at Molesworth are still in remarkable condition and occasionally made available for public inspection.

Whoops, ignore the above I can't tell my East from my West

Pershing II was a tactical ballistic missile - don't think it was ever officially deployed in the UK. The GLCM Gryphon was 'the' cruise missile which caused such a fuss when it arrived at Greenham.

I know there were several launch sites on SPTA. My mate stumbled on one when he was on weekend manoevres with the TA. He and his chums were told in no uncertain terms to p*ss off by the paras who were on stag.

Same goes for those at Greenham. For some reason they are still fenced off. The rest of the site is now a rather pleasant nature reserve, renowned for its breeding population of Nightingales.

Excuse slight drift, but direction this thread is going reminded me of an interesting day in early '84. I had gone as staff gopher with three recently graduated IOT studes on an exchange visit to the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy. After a week of their hospitality my head hurt, and even more so after the "dinner/dansant" - formal dinner, where I had to make the toast to the then King, presented Commandant with a bottle of Port (to demonstrate what his studes had been doing to my head all week), all night dance, followed by breakfast, still in mess kit, in downtown Trondheim. There, in my slightly befuddled state I was introduced to a former student of the Academy, who just happened to be their Secretary of State for Defence.

Back to Academy to change for travel, bus to airport, climb onto plane going to Oslo - where the "former student" sees me, changes seats to sit next to me and explains that he is on his way to Oslo for the Parliamentary debate on whether or not GLCM s are to be allowed on Norwegian soil. "What do you think?" he asks, "Should we allow them?" Fortunately the flight was only half an hour, and I don't think I caused a diplomatic incident. But it was kind of scary. I think in the end the Norwegians said "No". Don't think I influenced the decision, but strange end to a very enjoyable week.

Some pilot's eye views of RAF Welford can be seen here

Pilot's Eye Views • WWW.SECRET-BASES.CO.UK © 2011

Scroll down to RAF Welford

Dead @an,
My error. Pershing II were withdrawn under START II, IIRC. And yes there were several sites on SPTA.