# RAF Rudloe Manor WW2 10 Group Operations Block. Box. Jan 2011



## vwdirtboy (Feb 13, 2011)

*RAF Rudloe Manor No 1 Site - WW2 10 Group Operations Block & ROC/UKWMO Southern Sector Control*



> Fighter Command was established on 14 July 1936 under the leadership of Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. In 1940 it divided fighter coverage over Britain into four groups: 10 Group, 11 Group, 12 Group, and 13 Group, each being responsible for the defence of a geographical area. 10 Group protected Western England and was led by Air Vice Marshal Sir Christopher Quentin Brand. The four groups were sub-divided into sectors, where various squadrons were based. 10 Group was based at RAF Rudloe Manor (No 1 site) at Box in Wiltshire. It controlled four Sector stations, RAF Filton, RAF Middle Wallop, RAF St. Eval & RAF Pembrey.
> 
> As well as utilising the old Manor House itself, a new Operations Block was built alongside based around a standard design operations room consisting of a balcony overlooking the map table in the 'well' below. The 'ops' room remained operational until 15th January 1951 when its function was transferred to the underground operations room in Browns Quarry, nearby.
> 
> ...



The Grade 2 listed Manor House has recently been bought and is currently undergoing Asbestos identification by Sheffield Insulations and will soon be refurbished. The rest of the site will be left as is as only the house and its immediate grounds have been purchased.


Herr Spungle and Myself had a good ferret around all afternoon looking for UFO's Aliens and secret bunkers.. More research needed!






































































































































































































Continued...


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## vwdirtboy (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks for looking!


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## klempner69 (Feb 13, 2011)

Nice one harve,looks like you did the same route as we did..any idea as to what the big barn was used for?We thought maybe Officers Mess but we didnt see a bar anywhere.


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## King Al (Feb 13, 2011)

Great pics as usual VW, looks like a good one


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## vwdirtboy (Feb 13, 2011)

klempner69 said:


> Nice one harve,looks like you did the same route as we did..any idea as to what the big barn was used for?We thought maybe Officers Mess but we didnt see a bar anywhere.



Thanks stu, I think it was the radar training station.. just looks massive now all the kits gone.

stick some of yours up.

thanks al.


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## UrbanX (Feb 13, 2011)

I don't normally have the patience to look through reports as long as this, but that is a cracking set of pics mate. Looks a massive explore.  I love the corner armchair outside  

Is the talc advice dispenced by Dic Squash?


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## klempner69 (Feb 13, 2011)

Ok,some of mine ...

Officers Mess



Same



Bar



Near the compound



Basket case



Outside stores



Map room



Lush barn



The pond



And finally a pill box.




For the tour,see below
http://news.webshots.com/album/579754521NCFWlH


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## KooK. (Feb 13, 2011)

nice one guys, that roof in the officers mess is awesome.


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## tommo (Feb 13, 2011)

come on then pill box fans, is this purpuse built or a modified pill box, its got no windows in and it had a secure door on it at some point, also has gas proof lighting inside so i would say may explosives or ammo storage at some point but just wondered its origin


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## jjandellis (Feb 13, 2011)

thats where I left my yellow speedboat ........... 
really enjoyed this .... was there a while ago but didnt go in the canteen area .... good pics ...thanks !!!


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## night crawler (Feb 13, 2011)

Nice report guys and even got a few pillboxes in as well. Think that last pillbox would have been blocked up after the war for some other use.


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## krela (Feb 13, 2011)

It's a Vickers MMG emplacement, reasonably common in the south west.

Edit: Obviously it's been modified post war though... given that there was a big photographic dept. based there for 40 years I would hazard a guess that it may have been converted to a chemical store for photo processing chemicals...?


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## jjandellis (Feb 13, 2011)

processing photos of ufo`s and secret underground bunkers obviously !!!!!!


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## krela (Feb 13, 2011)

jjandellis said:


> processing photos of ufo`s and secret underground bunkers obviously !!!!!!



Shush now, that idea was disproved many years ago.


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## vwdirtboy (Feb 13, 2011)

I remember reading something by Nick McCamley that they were indeed magazines!


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## Badoosh (Feb 14, 2011)

Possibly converted for small arms ammo? Just a stab in the dark.


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## godzilla73 (Feb 14, 2011)

I would have thought that black coating on would indicate something chemical - it looks like a sealant, designed to prevent both liquid and gaseous escape I did think originally it might have been a Faraday cage, but it doesn't look like that at all close up (Doh!)
GDZ


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## stuck247 (Feb 15, 2011)

Cracking set of pics from all contributors.
Looks like a fun explore, shame about the lack of discovery of any UFO evidence tho


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## professor frink (Feb 15, 2011)

Nice work Harv, we visited here recently. Didn't see any UFO's though.

But did see this ghostly apparition whilst underground accompanied by the smell of cooking sausages.


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## vwdirtboy (Feb 15, 2011)

professor frink said:


> Nice work Harv, we visited here recently. Didn't see any UFO's though.
> 
> But did see this ghostly apparition whilst underground accompanied by the smell of cooking sausages.



ha ha.. thanks steve, that musta bin DHL or Tommo!


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## Newage (Feb 16, 2011)

*The Manor house Feb 2011*

Taken on a recent trip to the manor, Oh how I love this place.










But the room at the top of the manor was the one that made me just stop and look in wonder.
A work of art.....









Christmas comes early at Rudloe manor






It was a good day, cheers guys.

Newage


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## professor frink (Feb 16, 2011)

Newage said:


> Christmas comes early at Rudloe manor



*Lollage at Frink Family Photo.*


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## shadowman (Feb 19, 2011)

tommo said:


> come on then pill box fans, is this purpuse built or a modified pill box, its got no windows in and it had a secure door on it at some point, also has gas proof lighting inside so i would say may explosives or ammo storage at some point but just wondered its origin



EOD--Explosive Ordanance Disposal


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