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BUILDINGS DESCRIPTION.

TEMPORARY/HALF BRICK
These buildings were designed to have a life span of 10 years and were built of single brick, without a cavity wall, with piers at ten feet intervals. The walls supported a light steel frame carrying asbestos sheeting or board and felt roofing. Outside the brickwork was rendered with cement whilst inside the walls were painted a variety of colours. The buildings had concrete floors.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 1 Gas Defence Centre   48/40
HQ 5 Ambulance and Fire Station   (16696/39) & MC/281/42
HQ 16 AMWD Offices and Stores   MC/198/44
HQ 20 AMWD Rest Room    
HQ 21 Latrines to AMWD Rest Room    
HQ 22 Water Tower to ablutions    
HQ 24 Latrines   MC/288/41 & 35/WDT/98A
HQ 28 Officers & Airmen ablutions and latrines     MC/245/41 & MC/169/42
HQ 36 Battery Charging Room     S3/WDT/76
HQ 37 Forge   S3/WDT/78
HQ 41 Latrines to Storage Sheds   MC/341/41
HQ 42 Motor Transport Office 40' X 18' Not known
HQ 43 Drivers Rest Room 40' X 18' Not known
1 41a 15 x Latrines to Storage Sheds   MC/341/41
1 62a Sub Site Office 40' x 18' MC/309/41
1 64 Boiler House 16' x 11' S3/WDT/90
1 65 Search Room and Blast Shelter 11' x 10' S3/WDT/66 & TP/4038/41
2 41b 6 x Latrines to Storage Sheds   MC/341/41
2 20a Transportation Shed 300' x 100' MC/24/43
2 62c Sub Site Office 40' x 18' MC/309/41
2 65a Search Room and Blast Shelter 11' x 10' S3/WDT/66 & TP/4038/41
2 68 Bottle Washing Room    
3 41c Latrines to Storage Sheds   MC/341/41
3 62e Sub Site Office 40' x 18' MC/309/41
3 65b Search Room and Blast Shelter 11' x 10' S3/WDT/66 & TP/4038/41
3 73 Electricity Sub Station   13241/41
3 74 Sanitory Block   MC/288/41

WOOD
Huts were assembled using timber-framed sections. Each section bolted together to form huts of any length. The timber framed panels were covered on the outside with 3/4 inch rebated weather boarding with the inside walls lined with plasterboard and with standard metal windows. Roofs were timber trussed and panelled and covered externally either with corrugated asbestos or timber and felted. The floors were of timber.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 3 2 x Unit Buildings 25' x 10'  
HQ 7 Cycle Shelter    
HQ 8 Telephone Kiosk    
HQ 12 12 x Constructors Huts 15' x 10'  
HQ 31 Office/Store   7393/41 & Local Design
HQ 34 4 x Huts erected by Unit   Not known

LAING
By 1940 an acute shortage of timber led to the development of other forms of buildings for accommodation. The Laing hut consisted of standard prefabricated lightweight timber wall sections bolted together. End sections consisted of 2 corner sections 8 feet 3 inches high and one central door section 2 feet 8 inches wide. Side sections were usually made up of 10 sections, each 6 feet wide and incorporating a steel half window frame which when combined with a left or right hand section would form a standard sized window. The walls were lined both inside and out with plasterboard and additionally the outside covered with felt. Lightweight composite roof trusses were spaced every 4 feet and supported corrugated asbestos sheeting outside and inside with plasterboard.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO. 
HQ 13 Headquarters Office   MC/547/41 & S5/WDT/85 & S8/WDT/89
HQ 23 Canteen   MC/328/41 & MC/474/45
HQ 26 Airmen Dining Room   MC/402/41 & MC/291/44
2 70 Transportation Office 1/2 LAING 36' x 22' S3/WDT/94
3 71 Sub Site Canteen   MC/329/41 & MC/472/45

THORBEX
The Thorbex was a Ministry of Supply living hut but was different from other lightweight timber framed huts which had straight sides, in that the Thorbex had sloped sides. The gable ends were made of 5 sections of light timber studwork framing which were bolted together with the centre section containing the door. The sidewalls and roof all shared a common frame section except where windows were required. The walls were clad on both sides with plasterboard with the outside being felted. A typical hut was 60 feet long; 17 feet 3 inches wide; and 7 feet 3 inches minimum height.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 27c 3 x Barrack Huts (part of Labour Camp)    

CORRUGATED IRON
These huts have not yet been identified and if not one of those listed further on (Nissen; Marston; Richmond) were either Iris or Romney huts being semi circular 24 gauge corrugated iron sheeting fixed to a series of 2 1/2 inch tubular steel ribs. Whilst similar to the Nissen and Thorbex huts, these were primarily used as workshops and stores but could be adapted for use as canteens and cinemas.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO. 
HQ 2 Building 12' x 10'  
HQ 45 Bulk Oil Compound   Not known
HQ 46 Salvage Hut and compound   Not known
1 66 Hut erected by Unit    

RICHMOND
The Richmond was a type of Jane corrugated iron hut possibly manufactured by Boulton & Paul. It was made of lightweight timber framed panels covered on the outside with straight sheets of corrugated iron laid vertically and on the inside with felt reinforced with chicken wire. On the inside of the roof felt was nailed to common rafters while straight corrugated iron was fixed on the outside. The internal span was 18 feet; length in multiples of 3 feet panels, and internal height 8 feet.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 44 Accounts Office 60' x 18' Not known
1 63 2 x Dope Stores 60' x 18' Standard huts

MARSTON
The Marston was a light steel framed and corrugated iron clad building designed to be temporary and transportable. It had a reinforced concrete floor.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 39 Maintenance Sheds & Workshops   10303/41
HQ 40 Old Transportation Shed   1391/41
1 1-10,10a,11,12,12a,13 15 x Storage Sheds 150' x 50' 1391/41
2 14-23 10 x Storage Sheds 150' x 50' 1391/41
3 24-38 15 x Storage Sheds 150' x 50' 1391/41

NISSEN
From 1941 the Nissen hut began to be used for dispersed site living accommodation. It was constructed of lengths of 6 feet wide curved corrugated iron sheets fixed to a steel frame and had a concrete floor. The Nissen hut came in widths of 16 feet, 24 feet, and 30 feet and lengths of multiples of 6 feet with the 36 feet by 16 feet being used as standard. Corrugated steel sheets were laid horizontally on the inside and on the outside were 26-gauge corrugated iron sheeting. With wooden or brick ends each containing two windows and a door frame they could be erected quickly and its arched shape made it very strong.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 6 NAAFI   WCT/1443/44
HQ 9 Police Hut   MC/345/41
HQ 18 Equipment Store   WCT/1445/44
HQ 25 Barrack Stores   WCT/1443/44
HQ 29a/b 2 x Officers quarters   MC/309/41
HQ 30a/d 4 Barrack Huts   MC/346/41
HQ 31 Office Store   7393/41 & & Local Design
1 62 Sub Site Office 36' x 16' MC/309/41
2 62b Sub Site Office 36' x 16' MC/309/41
3 62d Sub Site Office 36' x 16' MC/309/41

TURNERS
The Turners hut was similar to the Nissen but used curved corrugated asbestos cement sheeting for cladding without any internal framework. The floors were made of concrete and the ends could be either wooden or brick.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 10 Guard House and Armoury   MC/198/44
HQ 19a/g 7 x Barrack Huts    
HQ 32 Contractors Office   Not Known
HQ 33a/b 2 x Checkers Hut   S3/WDT/75
HQ 35 Workshops Office   S3/WDT/75A
2 33c Checkers Hut   S3/WDT/75
3 33d 2 x Checkers Huts/Police Huts.   S3/WDT/75

BLISTER HANGAR
The Blister hangar was a small arched type of shed for small aircraft. The standard blister was made of timber with a series of wooden arched ribs spaced 5 feet apart. These were made of a series of rib units bolted together to form an arch. Wooden decking was fixed to the inside of each sidewall and the outside was clad with steel sheeting. The blister had a concrete floor. A typical size was 25 feet long; 45 feet span and 14 feet high.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
2 69 Inflammable Store Blister Hangar S3/TYP/110 (2 Standard Blisters with brick ends)

TENT
Regulation standard canvas tents provided emergency and temporary accommodation when there was insufficient barrack accommodation. >

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO. 
HQ 4      
2 4a      

M & E PLINTH
These plinths were made of brick to a height of 5 1/2 feet and housed the 'Mechanical and Electrical' transformer and switchgear used to keep the Air Ministry electricity supply at a constant voltage. As junction boxes they received in a mains electricity supply and distributed it though a number of outlets to buildings on the site.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 11 M & E    
1 11a M & E    
2 11b M & E    
3 11c 2 x M & E    

AIR RAID SHELTER
Called a 'Stanton' air raid shelter it was set partially below ground level, covered with earth, and made of modular half-arch pre cast concrete panels. The entrance consisted of a flight of steps downward to an outer lobby and was protected by a brick blast wall banked with earth. The emergency exit was at the opposite end and consisted of a vertical ladder to a square concrete chimney ventilated manhole exit protruding above the earth mound. There were no toilets or other facilities inside as it was only expected to be used when an attack was in progress and sustained bombing was not anticipated.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 15 Semi Sunken Air Raid Shelter    

BLAST SHELTERS
Open blast shelters were built on technical sites such as 70MU in preference to air raid shelters. Their 5 1/2 feet high and 14 inches thick brick walls and earth banks provided quick and safe protection to crouching airmen from the blast effects of enemy bombs but offered no protection from a direct hit.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ   2 x Blast Shelters 52 1/2' x 9'  
1   4 x Blast Shelters 52 1/2' x 9'  
2   3 x Blast Shelters 52 1/2' x 9'  
3   6 x Blast Shelters 52 1/2' x 9'  

FUEL COMPOUNDS

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO. 
HQ 61c Coal and Coke compound Wire  
1 61 Coal and Coke compound Wire  
2 61a Coal and Coke compound Wire  
3 61b Coal and Coke compound Wire  

STATIC WATER TANKS
Often referred to as 'Fire Pools' the purpose built static water tanks held emergency water supplies for fire fighting.

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 17 2 x Fire Fighting Tanks; 15,000 gallons each Concrete TP/4172/41
1 60 2 x Water tanks Concrete & Steel  
3 60a 2 x Water tanks Concrete & Steel  

'E' FLUID INSTALLATION

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
1 67 Anti-freeze storage tank; 25,000 gallons   12108/41 & 14553/41
3 67a Anti-freeze storage tank; 25,000 gallons   12108/41 & 14553/41

MISCELLANEOUS

SITE  No.  DESCRIPTION   SIZE   DRAWING NO.  
HQ 14 Not yet identified    
HQ 38 2 x Petrol installations 5,000 gallons each   4619/40
3 72 Septic Tank and Filter   WDT/28/42
3 75 Cleaning & Preservation Plant   WDT/1295/44
SEWAGE Layout of Works   WDT/25/41
SEWAGE 80 Destructor House   9559/40
SEWAGE 81 Tool House   7493/40
SEWAGE 82 Bucket emptying M.H.   S3/TYP/101