# RAF Hempstead Norris (Norreys)



## sennelager66 (Apr 8, 2012)

This is the east/west runway and just a line of trees show where it once was.
Its a very unusual design as all the runways cross at the same point, which I thought was not allowed due to if bombed at the apex all runways would be out of action?






The main runway although now grassed over is still used by the farmers plane. The main runway was lengthened from 1400yds to 2600yds in 1942.






Shot dated from 1955






View dated from 2007






The airfield in West Berkshire was opened in the summer of 1940 and began it's role as a dispersal airfield and the home of 15 OTU (Operational Training Unit). Sorties flown were mainly day and night training flights in Wellington Bombers although the primary function of the airfield was to ferry the Wellingtons to Egypt, via Gibraltar and Malta.

On the 16th of September 1940 three bombs were dropped upon the airfield's metalled runways, apparently causing very minimal damage. 
On the 4th March 1941 a wellington was attacked by a rogue German fighter as it approached to land.
The airfield was attacked most heavily on the 12th May 1941 with the Luftwaffe dropping 10 High Explosive bombs and 100 Incendiaries. This attack cost the airfield one Wellington and also damaged the flare path and the southern taxiway. This caused problems to RAF aircrews as there were several bombers in flight.

The airfield was used extensively as a glider training base during the latter part of the war, many glider pilots were trained here in preparation for D-Day. The base also had 33 Tiger Moths as training aircraft, and nowadays the airfield is still used by one (not an original from here) which belongs to the current farmer.
In 1945 13 OTU moved in with DeHavilland Mosquitoes and the airfield reverted to being a satellite of RAF Harwell, several miles to the North-West.

Today, little remains. The layout of the airfield can be picked out in Google Earth.

*Site Number 1*

*Stanton shelters*
A segment shelter manufactured by the Stanton Ironworks, Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The shop producing spun concrete lighting columns ceased production and turned over to concrete air raid shelters, of which 100,000 tons were manufactured, principally for the air ministry. Reinforced concrete proved an ideal material for air raid shelters, being strong and resistant to shock with no deterioration with the passing of time. This type of segment shelter was of simple design and of low cost - any length of shelter could be built up from the pre-cast steel reinforced concrete segments. The segments were 20 inches wide; a pair of them formed an arch 7 feet high and transverse struts were provided to ensure rigidity. These fitted into longitudinal bearers which were grooved to receive the foot of each segment. Each pair of segments were bolted together at the apex of the arch and each segment was also bolted to its neighbour, the joints being sealed with a bituminous compound. The convenient handling of these segments enabled them to be transported on to sites where close access by motor lorry was not possible. Partly buried in the ground, with a suitably screened entrance, this bolted shelter afforded safe protection against blast and splinters.
























































*Perimeter Road leading onto/ off the site
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*PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0008261
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*PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0008262
*

Sat futher up the road and in a copse. The first of the pillboxes i was able to enter. Each had evidence of a heavy shutter mechanism on the inside of each embrasure and a heavy hinged iron door. There were not in place on any of the PB's i came across.
















Embrasure shutter






Hinged door
















Aircraft tie downs






*PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0014405*




































Further around the perimeter are another Pillbox, the structure below and the M and E sub station.
















*The Substation
*































I shall continue part 2 of this report later/tomorrow. Thanks for viewing.


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## night crawler (Apr 8, 2012)

Its Hampstead Norreys and every one seems to have been to the dam stanton shelters but me but I have been in all the pillboxes including the one in the field, went and asked the farm manager.


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## RichCooper (Apr 8, 2012)

Superb stuff again mate thanks


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## sennelager66 (Apr 8, 2012)

night crawler said:


> Its Hampstead Norreys and every one seems to have been to the dam stanton shelters but me but I have been in all the pillboxes including the one in the field, went and asked the farm manager.



I realised i'd spelt it wrong when i posted it up. I never saw the manager and didn't fancy stomping over his crops. The debris around the bomb store and tech site 2 was quite interesting. I shall post these up later.


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## night crawler (Apr 8, 2012)

I did it when there were no crops. I've posted mine on Flickr. I drove past the place this morning on my way to Newbury for a little project I'm doing but more on that at a later date.


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## tigger2 (Apr 8, 2012)

night crawler said:


> Its Hampstead Norreys .



Hampstead Norris was correct but in modern times it's become Norreys.


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## oldscrote (Apr 8, 2012)

Fascinating report with a lot of detail,seen lots of pictures of Stanton shelters before but the short history was welcome and the detailed photos were excellent.Cheers buddy.


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## John_D (Apr 9, 2012)

Great stuff, love the DH Vampire caught flying over at fairly low level on the 1955 aerial picture.


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## Flexible (Apr 9, 2012)

Interesting report. I liked the pic of the pillbox1 FW3/24 with the line of trees in the background.


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## Wallsey (Apr 9, 2012)

The runway layout is exactly the same as RAF Breighton in North Yorkshire. All the runways intersecting in the centre.

Thanks for an excellent report


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## sennelager66 (Apr 9, 2012)

Part two of the report.

*PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0014407*
































*Air Raid Shelter
Located just inside the line of trees on the other side of the circuit path with leads from the Bomb Store up to the various building remnants close to Tech Site 1.
*

























*Is this evidence of PILLBOX: S0014406
Certainly no other evidence of a PB was in the area and though it would indicate the possibility of reinforcement as witnessed at another PB site where it was destroyed, there was nothing clearly within this mass of concrete and steel to fully identify it. I couldn't find a base, pit or anything else to clarify.
*















*Air Raid Shelter. 
Located up from Tech Site 1 - double entranced but only accessible through one entrance due to debris built up in the entrances.
*




















This site took three visits all in all mainly due to the changeable weather and low light levels. I revisited it the next day and headed in from the field to the rear of the woods and headed towards the Bomb Store.
Just inside the woods was evidence of circuit road and kerbs. 











*Bomb Store*


























Misc



















































*The base to a large building close to the Marsden shed.
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*The Marsden Shed
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*And finally..............*

*PILLBOX: S0014408*




































*Thanks for viewing.*


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## hydealfred (Apr 9, 2012)

Interesting shots there - I notice cast iron boiler sections in the mix.


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## RichCooper (Apr 9, 2012)

Well worth the trips mate thanks


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## jonney (Apr 9, 2012)

Some great finds there sennelager66 am loving them pillboxes. Like Rich has said, it was well worth the trip, cheers for this


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## night crawler (Apr 10, 2012)

Nice one, you had a god look round the place and noticed a lot more than I did, mind you I only went looking at the pillboxes.


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## flyboys90 (Apr 10, 2012)

The aircraft sillhouette in shot 4 [1955] is very interesting,great report lots to see,thanks.


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## Dark Descent (Apr 10, 2012)

hate to say it but this looks like one of the best places i have seen.


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## cptpies (Apr 10, 2012)

Possibly the remains of a Norcon pillbox in part 2


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## night crawler (Apr 10, 2012)

Did you see this one


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## leftorium (Apr 16, 2012)

cptpies said:


> Possibly the remains of a Norcon pillbox in part 2




i thought that too but doesn't it seem a bit wide for a norcon? and it looks like two prefab half pipes rather than a single circular section, I've never seen a norcon up close but I thought they were smaller?
(nearest I've got is at Abbotsbury but couldn't be bothered to walk up the hill to see what is effectively a half buried concrete pipe  )


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## cptpies (Apr 17, 2012)

They come in two flavours one is a sewer pipe with embrasures cut out and no roof which most people call a Norcon but is actually a Croft pillbox or technically known as a CP/6/40/111, the other is a fully prefabricated variety like the one shown made of curved segments which could also have a domed roof, which is actually a Norcon like this one. The two seem to be interchangeably named though.






RAF Southrop - Type NORCON by Jonathan Maisey, on Flickr


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## leftorium (Apr 17, 2012)

ahh I see, the Norcon seems to have the advantage that as the 75mm shell smashes through the flimsy concrete walls the roof will collapse in on you finishing the job, entombing your remains and leaving a handy monument on which your epitaph can be inscribed


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## cptpies (Apr 17, 2012)

Airfield pillboxes were initially specified to be bulletproof as it was envisioned they would primarily defend against paratroops which were only lightly armed. The air ministry somewhat belatedly saw the error of that assumption and added extra thicknesses of wall to many pillboxes to bring them up to shell proof standard.


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