Gerry,

Just to note there were also civilians who died during the raid. One was Norman Arthur Roberts, who was in charge of the met office and on observing duty. He had just completed the 1700 GMT observation (Calm, no cloud, visibility 12miles) when the bombers struck. He was unfortunate in that he was in the air-raid shelter that was hit by one of the bombs.

Although he had served in the RAF for 12 years before joining the Met Office he was not offered the same recognition as the other fatalities, although his family laid him to rest in the Star Lane cemetery. His grave is almost lost at the at the other end of the cemetery from the CWGC section, the bit that is vandalised and uncared for. There is no headstone and it took me ages to find it.

Brian

Rob,

Suggest you obtain a copy of ‘Wings over Wiltshire’ by Rod Priddle (Pub ALD Design & Print; ISBN 1-801-587-34-7) which includes a history of the airfield at Stonhenge with a considerable number of photographs. Amongst these is one of the ‘coupled GS Aeroplane Sheds’ – I don’t know if this is what you are after, but if you email me I’ll try and scan a copy for you.

Stonehenge was operational from October 1917 to 1920, with the Domestic and Technical sites extending a considerable distance either side of the A303, just west of the fork with the A344. Local legend has it that one of the COs requested that Stonehenge be removed as it constituted a hazard to aviation!

Brian

I have a similar photo found in the National Archives that’s dated 1938, but I wonder if anyone could suggest a date for Chumpy’s.

Brian

Upavon without a doubt. I’ve aerial photos of the airfield dating from 1913 to 1937; the clump of trees behind the hangers on the left of the photo and general road pattern are distinctive. Any chance I could have a copy? I’m particularly interested in one of the minor buildings – it was the very first airfield met office and is still there today.

The first photo is taken from the south (give or take a few degrees) over what was known as the South airfield; the North airfield is just visible to the top right.

The annex along the hanger was converted into the met office in 1944, and was used as such until 1972 – I worked in it from 1966-72.

Brian

Barracuda,

If your are sure it’s a Spam, right click on the address in the mailbox, and you should be presented with a drop down box full of options – including ‘delete’.

Brian

John,

Not ‘Bump’ – try posting your query on the RAF Commands forum at http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=1.

(Unless you have already, but if you have I can’t find it.)

Brian

With respect Chris,

Rainfall patterns are always shifting, ’twas ever thus, but to assume they are going to continue following a trend is living in cloud cuckoo land. What happened at Fairford was unfortunate, but nothing unusual. Summer has always been a season in which there is localised heavy, thundery rainfall events. If you go back through weather records you will find many similar instances – the Lynmouth floods of 1952 are a case in point.

Last Sunday I was at a show in Wootton Bassett, about 7 km from Lyneham; during the afternoon there was a very heavy shower, yet Lyneham remained dry. On the afternoon that Fairford was washed out, we had hardly any rain at all in Devizes, about 35 km to the south.

Fairford was plumb unlucky, I’m sorry people were disappointed and were out of pocket, but it happens – it’s the nature of British weather. Just because it’s happened this year does not mean that it will happpen next.

Brian