Mon 18th will see the demolition of the dispersal huts on the SE corner of the old airfield.
This weekend some were open and accessable and I took the following snaps of what appears to be A flight dispersals complete with painted chalk boards on the walls.
HK417 was a Mosquito NFXIII with 96sqn between 1943 and 44 at West Malling and took part in the D Day sweeps and V1 Op Diver patrols.
By: Peter - 18th August 2008 at 13:38
And yet more history is lost. I know we can’t keep everything but….
By: pagen01 - 18th August 2008 at 08:55
It’s an absolute shame (and a disgrace in my eyes) that this very historic site is being demolished and cleared like this.
Thanks for getting some photos and sharing.
By: Dave G - 18th August 2008 at 00:45
I am afraid to say that without a deep knowledge of the site that I cannot add much more other than what I found.
There was one dispersal hut further west by about 200 yds which had a tree through its roof and an Anderson next to it.
The one in the pic above is one of two next to each other. The one with the boards in was next to the one shown. With no artefacts or decoration they look quite bland sat there and its only when you find gems like these boards that you realise where you are so to speak.
Underneath the dispersal with the boards and the one with the tree in the roof there were underground shelters with escape tunnels direct to the outside. The one in the ‘board’ dispersal had a further hatch leading to an earthen tunnel which had caved in / been infilled.
Unfortunately vandalised over several years they will be no more in 24hrs time
By: Arabella-Cox - 18th August 2008 at 00:38
Amazing to see these photos. Sad, too, that this little bit of history will go. It brought back memories. I remember exploring this hut, and many others, when gliding there in the late 1960’s and early 70’s. I recall, too, an alarm bell and plaque outside a hangar which said “CRASH ALARM” and another hut with doors that said PILOTS, MET, FLIGHT COMMANDER & INTELLIGENCE OFFICER and others marked MAPS and FLYING EQUIPMENT. On the wall outside you could clearly see the 85 Squadron white octagon badge on a black square and painted below it “NONE EQUAL!”. Sadly, I didnt take photos. All now gone. Probably under a nice Tesco’s or something!
By the way, HK414, “D”, which can be seen (just) crashed at West Malling on 21 May 1944.
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August 18, 2008 at 12:23 am