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FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
Musee du Chateau, Savigny les Beaune (2010 and 2011) - France
Gloster Meteor TT.20, SE-DCH Denmark Air Force
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My longest trip while stationed in Europe was a week-long summer trip by train to Scandinavia. The travel itself was, in many ways, the most exciting part. On two segments of the trip, they have to load the train onto ferries for crossing parts of the Baltic Sea. I found this whole process of train travel combined with loading the train onto a ferry, to be quite fascinating. And then from Copenhagen to Oslo, the tracks run close to the Baltic Sea through very scenic areas.
This is sailing into Denmark, from Germany.
Pictures in this set (Military Years) are from when I was in the military, from 1967-1970. All photos were originally slides, a friend spent very many hours restoring those slides to being viewable. Best viewed as part of the Military Years set.
Moment incredibil intr-un cos de gunoi din urba mea...Doua curente, oranduiri sociale, contradictorii din toate punctele de vedere reusesc sa co-existe intr-un mediu pe care il numim "GUNOI"
RAZBOIUL RECE s-a terminat si in Ploiesti!
Ce urmeaza?
A-4 Skyhawks were present at the retirement of the F-4F Phantom II from German Air Force service, celebrated by an airshow at Wittmund AFB. N432FS flew a spirited display with a stunning high speed pass.
Categories:
McDonnell Douglas - A-4 Skyhawk - Fast Jet - Cold War Aircraft - Wittmund 2013
RAF Defence Radar Museum information board - flic.kr/p/2iYmjad
In the Air Defence environment, if the fighters failed to shoot down the enemy, the last line of protection against air-attack is the ground-to-air missiles. Developed in the late 1950's to protect key airfields against high-level attack by Soviet bombers, the Bloodhound Mk.I missile entered service in 1958. The upgraded Bloodhound Mk.II, like the one here at the museum entered service in 1964.
Originally operated just in the U.K, the initial Bloodhound Mk.I deployment consisted of eight missile sites - RAF Dunholme Lodge, RAF Watton, RAF Marham, RAF Rattlesden, RAF Woolfox Lodge, RAF Carnaby, RAF Warboys and RAF Breighton with a trial site at RAF Nort Coates. The Bloodhound was also deployed by the RAF in countries such as Germany, Cyprus, Singapore and Malaysia. Switzerland also bought the Bloodhound.
At the time, the British Nuclear Deterrent was carried by the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant long-range bombers. The primary reason for the particular sites in the U.K being chosen was the defence of the ''V-bomber'' bases in East Anglia and Lincolnshire. After the Nuclear Deterrent role passed to the Royal Navy Polaris submarines in 1970, all Bloodhound missiles within the U.K were withdrawn and stored or transferred to Germany for airfield defence.
As time went on, the possibility of low-level attack by the Soviet bombers or cruise missiles led to a reappraisal of U.K air defences. This new threat resulted in the Bloodhound's arriving back in the U.K at RAF West Raynham in Norfolk in late 1975. With deployment of the new British Rapier ground-to-air missile system to Germany, all the Bloodhound's were returned to the U.K by 1983 and were placed in operation at four more sites in East Anglia - RAF Bawdsey, RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Wyton and RAF Wattisham.
By now, the Bloodhound force was directly under the Operational control of the RAF Neatishead ''Cold War'' Operations Room, now part of the RAF Radar Defence Museum ! Each missile flight could also act independently if needed. The Bloodhound system used both the ''fixed'' Type 87 and the ''mobile'' Type 86 radars for target detection and for semi-active guidance to the target. In 1990, as the Cold War wound down, the remaining missiles were relocated to RAF West Raynham and RAF Wattisham with plans to operate them until 1995 but they were retired from service in 1991.
The missiles could engage targets flying at 65,000 feet out to a range of over 50 miles. It was extremely fast, exceeding the speed of sound (760 mph) almost soon as it left the launcher, and at height, reach in more than twice that speed.
General characteristics -
▪︎Type: Surface-to-Air Missile
▪︎Place of origin: United Kingdom
▪︎In Service: 1958 (Mk.I) / 1964 (Mk.II) to 1991
▪︎Designed: 1950's
▪︎Manufacturer: Bristol Aeroplane Company
▪︎Number Built: 783
▪︎Variants: Mk.I / Mk.II / Mk.III / Mk.IV
▪︎Mass Overall: 5,000lb
▪︎Length Overall: 27ft 9in
▪︎Diameter: Main Body 1ft 9.5in
▪︎Warhead: Continuous-Rod Warhead
▪︎Detonation Mechanism: Proximity Fuze
▪︎Engine: 2 x Ramjets / 4 x Solid Fuel Boosters
▪︎Wingspan Overall: (9ft 3in
▪︎Operational Range: Mk.I 32 miles / Mk.II 118 miles
▪︎Maximum Speed: Mach 2.7 (2,072mph)
▪︎Guidance System: Semi-Active Radar Homing
▪︎Steering System: Control Surfaces
▪︎Launch Platform: Fixed Installation.
Sourced from - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodhound_(missile)
The placard on the side of the car suggests a fascinating trip. The city names indicate that the car was scheduled to go from Oslo, through Sweden to Berlin, Warsaw, Minsk, and then Moscow -- through the heart of what was then the Communist Block countries of Eastern Europe.
Pictures in this set (Military Years) are from when I was in the military, from 1967-1970. All photos were originally slides, a friend spent very many hours restoring those slides to being viewable. Best viewed as part of the Military Years set.
Built as an F.Mk.6A at Hawkers of Kingston Upon Thames. First serving with 19(F) Squadron before moving to 263 Squadron and 229 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit). It ended it's flying career with 1 Tactical Weapons Unit before completing it's service as an 'instructional airframe' at RAF Scampton. Marked as XG168 '10' of 229 OCU / 79 Squadron which operated from RAF Horsham St Faith and other Norfolk Bases during elements of their courses.
Unlike the specification for the Hunter FGA.Mk.9, the FR.Mk.10 was developed by Hawker Aircraft Ltd as a replacement for the Swift FR.Mk.5 then operating with the RAF in Germany. A trial installation of five Cameras in the nose of a test-bed Hunter F.Mk.4 (WT780) was followed by a revised installation comprising three Nose-Mounted Cameras in an F.Mk.6 (XF429) in this configuration, the aircraft was air-tested for the first time as the prototype FR.Mk.10 on 7th November 1959.
Apart from the Cameras in the nose, the FR.10 looked identical to the FGA.9 and in many ways it was, however, out of sight and buried within the airframe were a multitude of differences, the new Camera Bay required the removal of the Radar-Ranging Equipment and the relocation of the Gunsight to a fixed position, offset to the right of the centre windscreen panel, to give a clear view forward for the Pilot seeking his target while flying at extremely low altitudes and over treacherous terrain. To counter the weight reduction in the nose that resulted from these changes, armour plate was built into the cockpit floor and the port and starboard instrument console side panels to give added protection for the Pilot from small arms fire.
The FR.10 differed further in that UHF Radio replaced the standard VHF Sets of the Mk.9, and a Wirek Voice Recorder and Sub-Miniature Radio Compass were added. Other modifications designed to make the Pilot’s task easier entailed the repositioning of equipment, such as, the Compass, UHF Channel Controller, Stopwatch holder, fuel warning lights and Camera controls, so that they could be seen at a glance without the Pilot having to look down into the cockpit. Like the FGA.9, a fully tropicalised refrigeration and ventilation system and an increased oxygen supply were incorporated. Externally, provision was made for carrying two 230 gallon underwing tanks on inner pylons, two 100 gallon tanks on outer pylons and a braking parachute was fitted to the rear fuselage. No provisions were made for fitting rocket rails. From the outset, the Hunter FR.10 was powered by a non-surge, Rolls Royce Avon 207 engine rated at 10,150lb thrust.
A contract for the conversion of a further thirty-two Mk.6's to FR.Mk.10 standard was issued in 1959 and the first aircraft, XE585, was delivered to 19 Maintenance Unit at St Athan on 28th November 1960. Initial deliveries were made to 4 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh in the following month and 2 Squadron at RAF Jever in March 1961. The Hunter FR.10 quickly became accepted as the consummate Low-Level, High-Speed Visual Reconnaissance Aircraft and the annual NATO competition for this class of aircraft, Royal Flush, saw the two squadrons frequently beating American, French and German participants, by virtue of the Hunter’s superior flexibility and manoeuvrability under operational conditions.
Out in RAF Aden, ‘B’ Flight of 8 Squadron was still using four ageing Meteor FR.9's to fulfil its photo-recce commitments. The decision was taken to re-equip the Flight with the Hunter FR.10 and four aircraft were assigned to the Squadron in April and May 1961 with a fifth aircraft placed in local storage as Command reserve. On 1st May, 1963, just as the Yemeni Crisis was escalating, the FR.10's were transferred to the newly reformed 1417 Flight which became an integral part of Tactical Wing. Many hundreds of target photographs were produced by the FR.10's, to supplement the rather meagre maps of the area and thereby reduce the time to track down ground targets. The Flight was also responsible for ensuring Headquarters MEAF was made aware of possible reinforcements destined for the dissident bands up country and post-engagement positions were filmed for assessment by the Ground Forces.
By the middle of June 1964, when the ‘Radfan War’ uprisings were beginning to abate, the FR.10's of 1417 Flight had flown 120 sorties, exposed many thousands of frames and expended nearly 8,000 rounds of ammunition from their Aden Cannon. Serviceability-wise, although the Flight encountered the same climatic problems as the Mk.9's, they were amplified by the high percentage of continuous low-level flying demanded of the unit. The four FR.10's continued in service with 1417 Flight until its disbandment on 8th September, 1967, when they were reallocated to 8 Squadron. Two were flown up to join the Squadron at Muharraq while the other two remained at Khormaksar as a detachment to 43 Squadron until the final withdrawal in November of that year. Up in the Gulf, the Mk.10's remained in service until enforced retirement with the disbandment of 8 Squadron in December 1971.
▪︎Role: Fighter / Fighter-Bomber / Ground Attack / Reconnaissance Aircraft
▪︎National Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎Manufacturer: Hawker Siddeley
▪︎First Flight: 20th July 1951
▪︎Introduction: 1954
▪︎Retired: From Military Service 2014
▪︎Primary Users: Royal Air Force / Indian Air Force / Swedish Air Force / Swiss Air Force
▪︎Number Built: 1,972
Sourced from :-
Color slide of a photograph of a view looking out at Northeast Creek, taken from North Carolina Highway 24 near Camp Lejeune, NC, in 1957. Photograph taken while U.S. Navy Lt. (jg) Donald C. Gonder was stationed at the Base Dispensary at Camp Lejeune [1957].
From Donald C. Gonder Navy Slides, CLDW 83, Cold War Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.
20,000 GALLON STATIC WATER TANK –
To the south of building 63 is a covered 12,000 gallon water tank (Drg No. 400/53) and pump (Ta) for fire fighting. This was supplemented by three 20,000 gallon Static Water Tanks arranged around the inner access road.
RAF Barnham (also known as Barnham Camp) is a Royal Air Force station situated in Suffolk two miles south of Thetford, it is located to the north of the village of Barnham on Thetford Heaths, the camp is a satellite station of RAF Honington. During the 1950's and 1960's a part of RAF Barnham Station was set aside as high-security storage facility for Nuclear Weapons, this area of the site is now a scheduled monument. Earlier than that, RAF Barnham had been used as a Chemical Weapons Store and Filling Station from the 22nd August 1939. In the early 1960's, the Nuclear Weapons Storage facility was put up for sale, and now forms the privately owned Gorse Industrial Estate.
The Chemical Weapon Store and former Chemical Weapon Filling Station are situated down the dead-end Station Road. The present main gate of RAF Barnham can be found directly off the Bury Road A134 between Barnham village and Thetford, the entrance to the former Nuclear Weapons Store (now Gorse Industrial Estate) can be found on the Elveden Road between Barnham village and the old A11.
Military facilities have existed at Barnham since the First World War, and during the Second World War Barnham had been a Chemical Weapons Storage and Filling Station for Mustard Gas. During 1953 and 1954 construction began on a high-security RAF Bomb Store on the Thetford Heath. The site was to become known as RAF Barnham and construction was completed in 1955 with the site operational from September 1956. RAF Barnham was constructed as a sister-site to a similar facility constructed a few years before at RAF Faldingworth. Both sites were built to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs and RAF Barnham was able to supply the Bomber Squadrons at RAF Honington, RAF Marham, RAF Watton, RAF Wyton, RAF Upwood and RAF Bassingbourn, RAF Barnham came under the control of the RAF's No. 94 Maintenance Unit.
The operational life of RAF Barnham was relatively short, by the early 1960's this type of Storage Facility became obsolete as Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs were superseded as the weapon of choice, for the British Nuclear Deterrent, by the Blue Steel Stand-Off Missile. The storage and maintenance of Nuclear Weapons moved to the V Bomber Airfields. The last Nuclear Weapons were probably removed from the site by April 1963, the site was sold in 1966, and since that date it has been used as a light industrial estate.
The site was built specifically to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs, such as 'Blue Danube' this specific purpose was reflected in the facility's layout, the site was roughly pentagonal in shape, it consisted of three large Non-Nuclear Component Stores, surrounded by earthwork banking and a number of smaller Storage Buildings to hold the Fissile Cores, the Cores were held in Stainless Steel Containers sunk into the ground, with the larger buildings stored the Bomb Casings and the High-Explosive elements of the weapons.
The smaller Stores known as ''Hutches'' were constructed to hold the Fissile Core of the weapons, these Hutches were further divided into type 'A' and 'B'. The 'A' Type hutches having a single borehole for the storage of Plutonium Cores and the 'B' Type Hutches having a double borehole for storing the Cobalt cores. In total, there were 55 Hutches giving enough capacity to store 64 Fissile Cores. RAF Barnham had sufficient storage capacity for 132 Fissile Cores although it's likely that only a small number were ever stored there as only 25 Blue Danube Bombs were ever built at a cost of £1M per bomb !
In addition to the storage buildings, the site consisted of a number of other buildings including a Fire Station, RAF Police Flight, Administration Block, Mess block, Mechanical Transport Section, Kennels and Workshops. The Perimeter of the Site was protected by a double system of Chain Link Fencing and an Inner Concrete Panel Wall, all of which were topped with Barbed Wire. In 1959 security was enhanced by the building of Watch Towers around the Perimeter.
The former Nuclear Bomb Storage facilities are designated as a scheduled monument by English Heritage with several buildings on the site having listed building status. RAF Barnham is a Satellite Station for RAF Honington and is used by the RAF Regiment for training, It is used as an accommodation and training venue for the Potential Gunners Acquaintance Course (PGAC) The adjacent MoD Training Area remains the property of the Ministry of Defence and is still used by the RAF Regiment, as well as the Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force for training.
In January 2016, it was announced that RAF Barnham would close, A 'Better Defence Estate' published in November 2016, indicates that the Ministry of Defence will dispose of the site by 2020, domestic accommodation will be relocated to RAF Honington, with access to Barnham Training Area maintained, this was later extended to 2022.
Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Barnham
Aeronauticum, Nordholz (2015) - Germany
Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic, 61+14 German Navy (Bundesmarine)
Photo selection
STERILE AREA –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
A former RAFP Dog Handler stated that before being posted to Barnham, you and more importantly your dog had to gain at least 90% in exams/tests, meaning they had some of the best personnel and animals in the trade. In comparison, the RAFP Station staff stated that they received no special training as such for the role. They did get sent on a special security course, but that it was of little relevance or use to RAF Barnham. They simply classed it as another security related job. Some have stated that they spent a lot of time on the range, with many of the Police being marksmen. It has been reported that the RAFP were issued automatic 9mm pistols towards the end of the site's operational period, replacing the Smith and Wesson .38 that had been in common use.
The shift pattern recalled by most RAFP personnel spoken to consisted of 9 consecutive shifts comprising 3 evenings (1500-2300), 3 midnights (2300-0700) and 3 days (0700-1500) which would then be followed by 2 days off. Approximately 14 Station staff were on shift, comprising of one Sergeant shift controller, one Corporal deputy shift controller and 12 others, some made up of National Service personnel. Therefore, with an off duty shift, this meant a guard force of around 56, plus all of the ''X'' flight staff (the term used for those involved with the weapon convoys), which had around 14 personnel. It was usually an hour on and an hour off on the old wooden watch towers. The Dog Handler shift patterns were (1800-0000) and (0000-0600), with no day patrols, around 8 dogs were on site at a time.
This and other RAFP sources have said that the security personnel knew very little about the goings on inside, even with the vantage points of the towers. It is reported that all movements were specially screened to be hidden from view, with even the large bombs themselves sheeted. One RAFP officer had even reported as quipping to a convoy commander about ''another glider'' coming in, making reference to the similarity between the ''Blue Danube'' pantechnicon and a glider trailer.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html
Trabant 601S D612YEV at the RAF Cosford Airshow on the 8th June 2014. Built by VEB in the communist East Germany, the Trabant is the classic DDR car of the Cold War. Over 3 million were built.
'Airfix' SAM-2 missile launcher in 76th scale with fictitious Russian high-altitude SA-32 'Gameplan' missile, seen here on guard out by the airfield perimeter. The 'Gameplan' is actually a 48th scale Vympel R-40 (NATO reporting name AA-6 'Acrid') AAM from the old Revell MiG-25 'Foxbat kit.
INSPECTION ROOM BUILDING 69 –
In addition to the storage of nuclear weapons, RAF Baraham was also responsible with
the deep maintenance and refurbishment of weapons rotated from airfield stores. Amongst the buildings a number may be identified where components, or whole bombs, could be brought for stripping and testing. The precise activities carried out in these buildings will not be known until, if and when, the servicing manuals for ''Blue Danube'' are declassified.
At the southern edge of the north-western group of fissile core stores is building 69 (Drg No. 1249/53) which is surrounded on three sides by a 2ft 3½in thick brick traverse laid in English bond. The building is rectangular in plan, with cut-away corners on its northerneastern side. It appears to be constructed from brick, rendered with cement, and is roofed by a flat concrete slab. Entry into the building is through double steel doors 4ft wide, with a combination lock, on the north-west elevation, which give access into an entrance lobby and then a middle room lit by a Crittall metal window in the north-west elevation; on the northern side of the central room is small annexe. During the service life of this building there was a hole in the floor of this building, similar to those in the fissile core
stores. It is thought that this building was used for the periodic inspection of fissile cores.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
The British Bristol Bloodhound is a Ramjet Powered Surface-to-Air Missile developed in the 1950's during the Cold War Era, it was designed to Defend the RAF ''V-Bomber Bases'' the United Kingdom's 'Airborne Nuclear Deterrent' which included the 'Vickers Valiant' 'Handley Page Victor' and the 'Avro Vulcan' Long-Range Bomber Aircraft. The Bloodhound served as the United Kingdom's main Air Defence Weapon into the 1990's and was in large-scale service with the Royal Air Force and the Forces of four other countries.
From 1958 several RAF Fighter Squadrons were Re-equipped with Bloodhound MK.I Missiles and Air Defense relied on a combination of manned Aircraft and Missiles. If an Enemy launched an attack, the Squadrons own Radar System would track the Attackers, launching the Bloodhound Missiles and guiding them to their Target when in range. This equipment was sited in buildings around V-Bomber Bases when using the MK.I system, but the MK.II system was designed to use fully Air Transportable vehicles.
Although it never had to be used, the Bloodhound proved in tests to be very good at the job it was designed for, it was retained for Airfield Defence by the RAF until the 1990's, the system was also exported to Sweden, Switzerland and Australia.
In the Air Defence environment, if the Fighters failed to shoot down the Enemy, the last line of protection against Air attacks is by Ground-to-Air Missiles. Developed in the late 1950's to protect key Airfields against High Level Attack by Soviet Bombers, the Bloodhound MK.I Missile entered service in 1958, with the upgraded Bloodhound MK.II entering service in 1964.
Originally operated just in the United Kingdom, the initial MK.I deployment consisted of eight Missile Sites, RAF Dunholme Lodge, RAF Watton, RAF Marham, RAF Rattlesden, RAF Woolfox Lodge, RAF Carnaby, RAF Warboys, and RAF Breighton with a trial site at RAF North Coates. The Bloodhound was also deployed by the RAF in Countries such as Germany, Cyprus, Singapore and Malaysia, Switzerland also bought the Bloodhound.
At the time, the British Nuclear Deterrent was carried by the Vulcans, Victor's and Valiant Long-Range Bombers. The primary reason for these particular sites in the United Kingdom being chosen was for the Defense of the V-Bomber Bases across East Anglia and Lincolnshire. After the Nuclear Deterrent role passed to the Royal Navy Polaris Submarines in 1970, all Bloodhound Missiles within the United Kingdom were withdrawn, they were stored or transferred to RAF Germany for Airfield Defence.
As time went on, the possibility of Low-Level Attack by Soviet Bombers or Cruise Missiles led to a reappraisal of the United Kingdom's Air Defences, this new threat resulted in the first Bloodhound's arriving back in the United Kingdom at RAF West Raynham in Norfolk in late 1975. With deployment of the new British 'Rapier Ground-to-Air Missile System' to Germany, all the Bloodhound's were returned to the United Kingdom by 1983 and were placed in operation at four more sites in East Anglia, RAF Bawdsey, RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Wyton and RAF Wattisham.
By now the Bloodhound Force was directly under the Operational Control of the RAF Neatishead 'Cold War' Operations Room (which is now the excellent ''RAF Air Defence Radar Museum'') each Missile Flight could also act independently if needed. The Bloodhound System used both the 'Fixed' Type 87 and the 'Mobile' Type 86 Radar System for Target Detection and for Semi-Active Guidance to the Target. In 1990 as the Cold War wound down the remaining Bloodhound Missiles were re-located at RAF Raynham and RAF Wattisham with plans to operate them until 1995 but they were retired from service in 1991.
The Missile could Engage Targets flying up to 65,000ft out to a range of over 50 miles, it was extremely fast exceeding the speed of sound 760mph, almost as soon as its left the Launcher and at height reaching twice that speed.
Specifications:-
▪︎Type: Surface-to-Air Missile
▪︎Place of origin: United Kingdom
▪︎In Service: 1958 (MK.I) / 1964 (MK.II) to 1991
▪︎Designed: 1950's
▪︎Manufacturer: Bristol Aeroplane Company
▪︎Number Built: 783
▪︎Variants: MK.I / MK.II / MK.III / MK.IV
▪︎Mass Overall: 5,000lb
▪︎Length Overall: 27ft 9in
▪︎Diameter: Main Body 1ft 9.5in
▪︎Warhead: Continuous-Rod Warhead
▪︎Detonation Mechanism: Proximity Fuze
▪︎Engine: 2 x Ramjets / 4 x Solid Fuel Boosters
▪︎Wingspan Overall: (9ft 3in
▪︎Operational Range: MK.I 32 miles / MK.II 118 miles
▪︎Maximum Speed: Mach 2.7 (2,072mph)
▪︎Guidance System: Semi-Active Radar Homing
▪︎Steering System: Control Surfaces
▪︎Launch Platform: Fixed Installation.
Color slide of a photograph of pigs along a fence on a farm somewhere near Belgrade, NC, in 1958. Photograph taken while U.S. Navy Lt. Donald C. Gonder was stationed at the Base Dispensary at Camp Lejeune, NC [1958].
From Donald C. Gonder Navy Slides, CLDW 83, Cold War Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.
Portrait of the late East German leader Erich Honecker adds Coldwar period atmosphere to this Trabant, seen during the SALT-4 Rally, Wiltshire & Berkshire, June 2010. The SALT Rallies are the UKs only classic car tours designed specifically for Eastern European and vehicles of Cold War interest (vehicles must have been built on or before December 26, 1991).
Observasjons bunker med overbygd tak, konstruert under den kalde krigen. Denne bunkeren ligger på en base som ville bli benyttet av Nato styrker ved et angrep fra øst.
Observation bunker with covered roof, constructed during the Cold War. This bunker is on a base that would be used by Nato forces by an attack from the east.
Experience from WWII identified that there would be a need for increased protection from enemy aircraft if the UK was ever faced with the prospact of being at war again. Although the ROC was finding that aircraft monitoring was becoming increasingly difficult to plot with the development of new faster aircraft, new aircraft monitoring posts were developed to assist observers to monitor aircraft.
The idea for these new posts originated in 1947, however it was only during 1951/52 as part of the programme to update the air defences through the Rotor Plan that more substantial buildings were built to offer at least some level of protection from the elements or attack. Although some of these new structures were built of brick, many sites received pre-cast concrete panelled structures known as 'Orlit' posts, after the manufacturers of the structures Messrs Orlit Ltd.
These Orlit structures were split into two sections. The entrance door led into the smaller roofed section which was used as a shelter and store with a sliding door into the open section which housed the post instrument and chart on top of a wooden mounting. Two types of Orlit posts existed, the Orlit 'A' was at ground level and the Orlit 'B' was raised 6 ft on four legs with a ladder for access.
Schnellboot S58 Pinguin P6158. 5. Schnellbootgeschwader Olpenitz.
GUIDED-MISSILE PATROL BOATS
Type 148 Tiger class fast attack craft
5th Fast attack craft squadron
scrapped 2003
20,000 GALLON STATIC WATER TANK –
To the south of building 63 is a covered 12,000 gallon water tank (Drg No. 400/53) and pump (Ta) for fire fighting. This was supplemented by three 20,000 gallon Static Water Tanks arranged around the inner access road.
RAF Barnham (also known as Barnham Camp) is a Royal Air Force station situated in Suffolk two miles south of Thetford, it is located to the north of the village of Barnham on Thetford Heaths, the camp is a satellite station of RAF Honington. During the 1950's and 1960's a part of RAF Barnham Station was set aside as high-security storage facility for Nuclear Weapons, this area of the site is now a scheduled monument. Earlier than that, RAF Barnham had been used as a Chemical Weapons Store and Filling Station from the 22nd August 1939. In the early 1960's, the Nuclear Weapons Storage facility was put up for sale, and now forms the privately owned Gorse Industrial Estate.
The Chemical Weapon Store and former Chemical Weapon Filling Station are situated down the dead-end Station Road. The present main gate of RAF Barnham can be found directly off the Bury Road A134 between Barnham village and Thetford, the entrance to the former Nuclear Weapons Store (now Gorse Industrial Estate) can be found on the Elveden Road between Barnham village and the old A11.
Military facilities have existed at Barnham since the First World War, and during the Second World War Barnham had been a Chemical Weapons Storage and Filling Station for Mustard Gas. During 1953 and 1954 construction began on a high-security RAF Bomb Store on the Thetford Heath. The site was to become known as RAF Barnham and construction was completed in 1955 with the site operational from September 1956. RAF Barnham was constructed as a sister-site to a similar facility constructed a few years before at RAF Faldingworth. Both sites were built to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs and RAF Barnham was able to supply the Bomber Squadrons at RAF Honington, RAF Marham, RAF Watton, RAF Wyton, RAF Upwood and RAF Bassingbourn, RAF Barnham came under the control of the RAF's No. 94 Maintenance Unit.
The operational life of RAF Barnham was relatively short, by the early 1960's this type of Storage Facility became obsolete as Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs were superseded as the weapon of choice, for the British Nuclear Deterrent, by the Blue Steel Stand-Off Missile. The storage and maintenance of Nuclear Weapons moved to the V Bomber Airfields. The last Nuclear Weapons were probably removed from the site by April 1963, the site was sold in 1966, and since that date it has been used as a light industrial estate.
The site was built specifically to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs, such as 'Blue Danube' this specific purpose was reflected in the facility's layout, the site was roughly pentagonal in shape, it consisted of three large Non-Nuclear Component Stores, surrounded by earthwork banking and a number of smaller Storage Buildings to hold the Fissile Cores, the Cores were held in Stainless Steel Containers sunk into the ground, with the larger buildings stored the Bomb Casings and the High-Explosive elements of the weapons.
The smaller Stores known as ''Hutches'' were constructed to hold the Fissile Core of the weapons, these Hutches were further divided into type 'A' and 'B'. The 'A' Type hutches having a single borehole for the storage of Plutonium Cores and the 'B' Type Hutches having a double borehole for storing the Cobalt cores. In total, there were 55 Hutches giving enough capacity to store 64 Fissile Cores. RAF Barnham had sufficient storage capacity for 132 Fissile Cores although it's likely that only a small number were ever stored there as only 25 Blue Danube Bombs were ever built at a cost of £1M per bomb !
In addition to the storage buildings, the site consisted of a number of other buildings including a Fire Station, RAF Police Flight, Administration Block, Mess block, Mechanical Transport Section, Kennels and Workshops. The Perimeter of the Site was protected by a double system of Chain Link Fencing and an Inner Concrete Panel Wall, all of which were topped with Barbed Wire. In 1959 security was enhanced by the building of Watch Towers around the Perimeter.
The former Nuclear Bomb Storage facilities are designated as a scheduled monument by English Heritage with several buildings on the site having listed building status. RAF Barnham is a Satellite Station for RAF Honington and is used by the RAF Regiment for training, It is used as an accommodation and training venue for the Potential Gunners Acquaintance Course (PGAC) The adjacent MoD Training Area remains the property of the Ministry of Defence and is still used by the RAF Regiment, as well as the Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force for training.
In January 2016, it was announced that RAF Barnham would close, A 'Better Defence Estate' published in November 2016, indicates that the Ministry of Defence will dispose of the site by 2020, domestic accommodation will be relocated to RAF Honington, with access to Barnham Training Area maintained, this was later extended to 2022.
Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Barnham
STERILE AREA –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
A former RAFP Dog Handler stated that before being posted to Barnham, you and more importantly your dog had to gain at least 90% in exams/tests, meaning they had some of the best personnel and animals in the trade. In comparison, the RAFP Station staff stated that they received no special training as such for the role. They did get sent on a special security course, but that it was of little relevance or use to RAF Barnham. They simply classed it as another security related job. Some have stated that they spent a lot of time on the range, with many of the Police being marksmen. It has been reported that the RAFP were issued automatic 9mm pistols towards the end of the site's operational period, replacing the Smith and Wesson .38 that had been in common use.
The shift pattern recalled by most RAFP personnel spoken to consisted of 9 consecutive shifts comprising 3 evenings (1500-2300), 3 midnights (2300-0700) and 3 days (0700-1500) which would then be followed by 2 days off. Approximately 14 Station staff were on shift, comprising of one Sergeant shift controller, one Corporal deputy shift controller and 12 others, some made up of National Service personnel. Therefore, with an off duty shift, this meant a guard force of around 56, plus all of the ''X'' flight staff (the term used for those involved with the weapon convoys), which had around 14 personnel. It was usually an hour on and an hour off on the old wooden watch towers. The Dog Handler shift patterns were (1800-0000) and (0000-0600), with no day patrols, around 8 dogs were on site at a time.
This and other RAFP sources have said that the security personnel knew very little about the goings on inside, even with the vantage points of the towers. It is reported that all movements were specially screened to be hidden from view, with even the large bombs themselves sheeted. One RAFP officer had even reported as quipping to a convoy commander about ''another glider'' coming in, making reference to the similarity between the ''Blue Danube'' pantechnicon and a glider trailer.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html
INSPECTION AND REPAIR WORKSHOP BUILDING 85 –
Building 85 (Drg No. 2015/59) didn't have the blast walls like some of the others, suggesting it handled less explosive matter. With doors at each end, it is almost like a process line, in one way and out of the other, but it could have equally been used for other bomb components or even on-site support equipment.
RAF Barnham (also known as Barnham Camp) is a Royal Air Force station situated in Suffolk two miles south of Thetford, it is located to the north of the village of Barnham on Thetford Heaths, the camp is a satellite station of RAF Honington. During the 1950's and 1960's a part of RAF Barnham Station was set aside as high-security storage facility for Nuclear Weapons, this area of the site is now a scheduled monument. Earlier than that, RAF Barnham had been used as a Chemical Weapons Store and Filling Station from the 22nd August 1939. In the early 1960's, the Nuclear Weapons Storage facility was put up for sale, and now forms the privately owned Gorse Industrial Estate.
The Chemical Weapon Store and former Chemical Weapon Filling Station are situated down the dead-end Station Road. The present main gate of RAF Barnham can be found directly off the Bury Road A134 between Barnham village and Thetford, the entrance to the former Nuclear Weapons Store (now Gorse Industrial Estate) can be found on the Elveden Road between Barnham village and the old A11.
Military facilities have existed at Barnham since the First World War, and during the Second World War Barnham had been a Chemical Weapons Storage and Filling Station for Mustard Gas. During 1953 and 1954 construction began on a high-security RAF Bomb Store on the Thetford Heath. The site was to become known as RAF Barnham and construction was completed in 1955 with the site operational from September 1956. RAF Barnham was constructed as a sister-site to a similar facility constructed a few years before at RAF Faldingworth. Both sites were built to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs and RAF Barnham was able to supply the Bomber Squadrons at RAF Honington, RAF Marham, RAF Watton, RAF Wyton, RAF Upwood and RAF Bassingbourn, RAF Barnham came under the control of the RAF's No. 94 Maintenance Unit.
The operational life of RAF Barnham was relatively short, by the early 1960's this type of Storage Facility became obsolete as Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs were superseded as the weapon of choice, for the British Nuclear Deterrent, by the Blue Steel Stand-Off Missile. The storage and maintenance of Nuclear Weapons moved to the V Bomber Airfields. The last Nuclear Weapons were probably removed from the site by April 1963, the site was sold in 1966, and since that date it has been used as a light industrial estate.
The site was built specifically to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs, such as 'Blue Danube' this specific purpose was reflected in the facility's layout, the site was roughly pentagonal in shape, it consisted of three large Non-Nuclear Component Stores, surrounded by earthwork banking and a number of smaller Storage Buildings to hold the Fissile Cores, the Cores were held in Stainless Steel Containers sunk into the ground, with the larger buildings stored the Bomb Casings and the High-Explosive elements of the weapons.
The smaller Stores known as ''Hutches'' were constructed to hold the Fissile Core of the weapons, these Hutches were further divided into type 'A' and 'B'. The 'A' Type hutches having a single borehole for the storage of Plutonium Cores and the 'B' Type Hutches having a double borehole for storing the Cobalt cores. In total, there were 55 Hutches giving enough capacity to store 64 Fissile Cores. RAF Barnham had sufficient storage capacity for 132 Fissile Cores although it's likely that only a small number were ever stored there as only 25 Blue Danube Bombs were ever built at a cost of £1M per bomb !
In addition to the storage buildings, the site consisted of a number of other buildings including a Fire Station, RAF Police Flight, Administration Block, Mess block, Mechanical Transport Section, Kennels and Workshops. The Perimeter of the Site was protected by a double system of Chain Link Fencing and an Inner Concrete Panel Wall, all of which were topped with Barbed Wire. In 1959 security was enhanced by the building of Watch Towers around the Perimeter.
The former Nuclear Bomb Storage facilities are designated as a scheduled monument by English Heritage with several buildings on the site having listed building status. RAF Barnham is a Satellite Station for RAF Honington and is used by the RAF Regiment for training, It is used as an accommodation and training venue for the Potential Gunners Acquaintance Course (PGAC) The adjacent MoD Training Area remains the property of the Ministry of Defence and is still used by the RAF Regiment, as well as the Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force for training.
In January 2016, it was announced that RAF Barnham would close, A 'Better Defence Estate' published in November 2016, indicates that the Ministry of Defence will dispose of the site by 2020, domestic accommodation will be relocated to RAF Honington, with access to Barnham Training Area maintained, this was later extended to 2022.
Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Barnham
STERILE AREA –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
A former RAFP Dog Handler stated that before being posted to Barnham, you and more importantly your dog had to gain at least 90% in exams/tests, meaning they had some of the best personnel and animals in the trade. In comparison, the RAFP Station staff stated that they received no special training as such for the role. They did get sent on a special security course, but that it was of little relevance or use to RAF Barnham. They simply classed it as another security related job. Some have stated that they spent a lot of time on the range, with many of the Police being marksmen. It has been reported that the RAFP were issued automatic 9mm pistols towards the end of the site's operational period, replacing the Smith and Wesson .38 that had been in common use.
The shift pattern recalled by most RAFP personnel spoken to consisted of 9 consecutive shifts comprising 3 evenings (1500-2300), 3 midnights (2300-0700) and 3 days (0700-1500) which would then be followed by 2 days off. Approximately 14 Station staff were on shift, comprising of one Sergeant shift controller, one Corporal deputy shift controller and 12 others, some made up of National Service personnel. Therefore, with an off duty shift, this meant a guard force of around 56, plus all of the ''X'' flight staff (the term used for those involved with the weapon convoys), which had around 14 personnel. It was usually an hour on and an hour off on the old wooden watch towers. The Dog Handler shift patterns were (1800-0000) and (0000-0600), with no day patrols, around 8 dogs were on site at a time.
This and other RAFP sources have said that the security personnel knew very little about the goings on inside, even with the vantage points of the towers. It is reported that all movements were specially screened to be hidden from view, with even the large bombs themselves sheeted. One RAFP officer had even reported as quipping to a convoy commander about ''another glider'' coming in, making reference to the similarity between the ''Blue Danube'' pantechnicon and a glider trailer.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html
It was the first place MacArthur set foot upon his arrival in Japan in 1945. It was the main air station for the Imperial Japanese Air Force. The General then went on into Yokohama and checked into the New Grand Hotel, the first headquarters he had in Japan.
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II was retired from Luftwaffe service during an airshow at Wittmund AFB in summer 2013. Depicted here is 37+22 in Norm 90J, the last standard paint scheme of the Luftwaffe Phantoms from the 90's. #PhantomPharewell #F-4Phantom
Categories:
McDonnell Douglas - F-4 Phantom - Cold War Aircraft - Luftwaffe - Bundeswehr - Wittmund 2013
Schnellboot S58 Pinguin P6158. 5. Schnellbootgeschwader Olpenitz.
GUIDED-MISSILE PATROL BOATS
Type 148 Tiger class fast attack craft
5th Fast attack craft squadron
scrapped 2003
Foxtrot, een oude Russische onderzeeër.
Het schip ligt sinds 2002 in Amsterdam. De Foxtrot is in 1991 door ondernemers uit Den Helder naar Nederland gehaald. De onderzeeër - toen B80 geheten - werd in 2002 voor 56.000 euro naar de NDSM-haven overgebracht door een Amsterdamse architect. Het idee was er een presentatieruimte in te beginnen. Verder dan een brainstormsessie van Heineken en een modeshow van Hans Ubbink is het echter nooit gekomen.
De onderzeeër werd daarom in dat jaar voor negentigduizend euro verkocht aan de in 2008 opgeheven stichting Historische Schepen KNSM-Eiland Amsterdam. De stichting zag de Foxtrot als een aanwinst voor het Maritiem Kwartier Amsterdam Noord, het inmiddels gestrande idee voor een historische zeehaven.
De kade van de NDSM-haven werd in 2007 wel opgeknapt, maar profijt heeft de stichting daar niet van gehad: het huurcontract met het stadsdeel was in 2006 beëindigd.
In juli 2005 was het schip tijdens de voorstelling Kursk van componist Merlijn Twaalfhoven voor het laatst toegankelijk voor het publiek. ''Een fantastisch ding. In Nederland is geen onderzeeër te vinden uit die periode,'' zegt Jeroen Mutsaers, initiatiefnemer van de NDSM-haven, opvolger van het Maritiem Kwartier.
De B80, een schip uit de Zuluklasse, werd in 1956 gebouwd, in Riga. Mutsaers had de Foxtrot liefst zelf in bezit gehad, maar kwam er vorig jaar niet uit met de Amsterdamse advocaat die de Turkse eigenaar vertegenwoordigt. ''Ze wilden er een ongelooflijk hoog bedrag voor hebben.'' Over de hoogte hiervan wil Mutsaers geen uitspraken doen.
Dat de Turkse firma geld wilde zien, hield verband met staalprijs. Die was in juli vorig jaar 332 euro per ton, maar is nu gekelderd tot 78 euro. Hiermee lijkt de onderzeeër ook een strop te worden voor de Turken, die vorig jaar een exportvergunning aanvroegen.
Voordat de Foxtrot Nederland verlaat, moet een borgsom van ongeveer één miljoen euro worden betaald. Volgens de Vrom-inspectie is dat nog niet gebeurd. De Turkse firma krijgt die borgsom terug als aangetoond is dat de Foxtrot volgens Europese regels is gesloopt. Onderdelen van de Foxtrot zijn volgens de inspectie bestemd voor een museum in het Spaanse La Coruña.
De B80 maakte in de Koude Oorlog deel uit van Project 611, de naam van de Navo voor Zuluonderzeeërs. De importeurs uit Den Helder dachten een onderzeeër uit de Foxtrotklasse (gebouwd tussen 1958-1967) op de kop getikt te hebben. Toen de onderzeeër hier aankwam, bleek het om een oudere Zulu te gaan.
Schnellboot S58 Pinguin P6158. 5. Schnellbootgeschwader Olpenitz.
GUIDED-MISSILE PATROL BOATS
Type 148 Tiger class fast attack craft
5th Fast attack craft squadron
scrapped 2003
– KrAZ-255V (КрАЗ-255В) –
The KrAZ-255 is a Soviet three-axle off-road truck with six-wheel drive (6x6), intended for extreme operations. It was manufactured at the KrAZ plant beginning from 1967. The KrAZ-255 was developed directly from its predecessor, the KrAZ-214 (produced 1956-1967). Despite being very similar at first glance (both using the same cab, flatbed as well as the suspension) there are few major differences.
Firstly, the 255 used new and much more powerful engine - the YaMZ-238 (same used in MT-LB tracked APC) replacing the previously used and sensibly weaker YaAZ-206B which was used in the 214. The 255 also featured new and more reliable transmission, the YaMZ-236N, instead of the previously used YaAZ-204. It also featured new headlights (which were now, together with turn signals, located in their own housings mounted on the fenders) and, most notably, much wider tyres (1300x530x533 in dimensions) which offered lighter ground pressure and thus, even greater off-road capabilities when compared to its predecessor.
Along with Ural, ZiL, Kamaz, GAZ and MAZ, the KrAZ once represented one of six models of cargo/towing trucks (in its basic version, the KrAZ-255B) used by the Soviet Armed Forces, as well as by many civilian organizations in the former Soviet Union (mainly by various construction plants) where it was also used as a logging (the KrAZ-255L/L1) and dump truck (the KrAZ-256).
Since the KrAZ-255 was the heaviest (weighing 12 tons empty) and most powerful (using a 14,900ccm engine, producing 240 hp) of all Soviet three-axle 6x6 military cargo trucks, it was most often used for towing heavier artillery pieces (such as D-74, M-46 and 2A65 howitzers or T-12 anti-tank gun) and also for towing various aircraft from their hangars to runways, or vice versa (in tractor-unit version, the KrAZ-255V).
Furthermore, it was also used as a platform for control cabin and the antennas of PRV-9/1RL19 Naklon (NATO reporting name: ''Thin-Skin'') and PRV-16/1RL132 Nadyozhnost (NATO reporting name: ''Odd-Pair'') Soviet height-finding radars, as well as for various engineer duties in specially-designed versions (such as PMP collapsible ferryboat intended to be used as a pontoon bridge and TMM-3 mobile bridgelayer) which are still being used today by various military forces across the globe.
The KrAZ-255 ultimately evolved into a new model as its successor in 1979, the KrAZ-260, whose only difference was a new design of cab and the interiors. Despite that however, the KrAZ-260 did not replace it in production, but was actually produced alongside it up until 1994, when both were finally discontinued in favour to KrAZ-6322 (a modernized model of KrAZ-260).
▪︎Manufacturer – KrAZ, called Sungri 256 (North Korea) and Sungri 64 (North Korea)
▪︎Production – 1967–1994
▪︎Class – 6x6 Off Road Truck
▪︎Powertrain – 14.9L YaMZ-238 V8 diesel engine, 240 PS @ 2,100 rpm
▪︎Transmission – 5-speed YaMZ-236N manual gearbox
▪︎Wheelbase – 17 ft 5 in
▪︎Length – 28 ft 4.4 in
▪︎Width – 9 ft
▪︎Height – 9 ft 8 in
▪︎Curb weight – 26,350 lb
▪︎Predecessor – KrAZ-214
▪︎Successor – KrAZ-260
▪︎Top speed – 44 mph.
Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/KrAZ-255
The Landsverk Unimog Scout Car was based on the Unimog truck built in Sweden in the 1950's. The Irish Army purchased fifteen in 1971 for use by their United Nations Forces but delivery was delayed because of fear that they may fall into the hands of the IRA.
The Republic of Ireland had them modified for the Irish Cavalry which included the fitting of a mounting on the roof for a 7.62mm machine gun. Whilst being excellent off-road their road performance was poor due to the high centre of gravity. This led to a number of accidents and a mandatory maximum speed limit of 30mph.
In addition to the crew of two (driver and gunner) it could carry a four man squad in the cramped rear compartment. By mid 1978 all of the vehicles had been transferred to Reserve Defence Forces and rearmed with either a 30 calibre Browning, or a .303 Bren machine gun. The vehicles were withdrawn from service 1984, the only two remaining examples being the Museum's and another in a transport museum in Dublin.
Specifications -
▪︎Manufactured: 1955
▪︎Crew: 6 (driver, gunner and 4 troops)
▪︎Armament: 1 x 7.62mm machine gun / 1 x grenade launcher No. 7
▪︎Range: 180 miles
▪︎Speed: 50mph (limited to 30mph)
▪︎Armour: 5mm to 10mm
▪︎Weight: 5 tons.
Information from The Muckleburgh Military Collection.