Defence of the Realm

[firbeck 859]

Hi PB,

Kegworth may have been a small village but East Midlands Airports was an RAF station.

It's interesting that there is very little information concerning the former RAF usage of Castle Donnington. All I can glean is that it was originally a satellite of Wymeswold and was the base for 10 Group OTU flying Wellingtons.

There is a photo of one of these in the RAF Museum archive, dated October 1944:-

By that time, Wellingtons weren't in operational use over Germany anyway and this one has a faired front turret.

Going by aircrew accounts from various sites, Lancasters were being used on missions from there, but as I said, info is scarce, it's omitted completely from the list of UK former RAF stations, most odd.

I recall cycling around the place prior to work commencing on East Midlands Airport, most of the buildings were scattered around the south of the existing airfield and very accesible.

I also recall that the race track at Donnington, which had been dormant up to the early 60's, was used as a storage facility for surplus army vehicles. As part of my old man's tandem rides at the time, we would go down to Kings Mills for a pint and a paddle and you could clearly see wall to wall vehicles parked on the old race track.

Does anyone else have a memory of this.

[Limey 242]

I do remember the airfield at Donnington before it was re-developed and there being a few buildings on the south side. I vaguely remember my sister being taken there when she was learning to drive! I did know the chap who helped install the radar when it was developed into a commercial airfield - a friend and I rode our bikes up there and were shown the radar facility - not very exciting by todays standards. I also remember a big deal when a Lockheed TriStar was flown in (empty) for folks from Rolls-Royce to see as it had the new RB211 engines!

I know Donnington Park (racetrack) was used as a storage/supply depot during the war, but by the time I became interested in the place (early 1960's), there was no sign of any army materials or equipment. The only part of the actual pre-war track visible was the old Melborne Corner (hairpin) on the SW side of the property - part of that is still there. (There are pictures of the Auto-Unions and Mercedes becoming airbourne as they crested the hill coming up from the hairpin in the pre-war Grands-Prix held at Donnington.)

The rest of the original track was either long gone, or unidentifiable/not accesible. During the redevelopment of the track, I did ride my bike up there, and managed to ride around the new track - before it had asphalt! I believe the area you can see from the road to Kings Mills is actually around the Hall - the track would have been on the hill in the distance (to the south) and not visible. I think the Hall was empty, and derelict, for many years after the war.

Interestingly, none of the maps I can find from just before or after the war show either the airfield, or the racetrack at Donnington (1923 and 1946). I am not surprised at the earlier map, but I thought the later one may have something - possibly deliberately omitted for security reasons?

[AlienHunter2010 0]

I've recently found out that my dad was in the Nottingham Home Guard, pics of the regiment or if members remembering the name Percy Hoxton (he changed his name after the war) from that era or any other info would be greatfully recieved.

Thanks,

Joe

[Ashley 288]

There is a WW2 relic in (far as I know) regular use (though not as originally intended) in Watnall, won't say what it is as am sure lots are aware? but if you're not have a guess! There also used to be at least 2, what I assume dated from the war, buildings at the end of Watnall Rd (from Hucknall, over the M1) just before the sharp bend. One day 1960's I decided to explore such, was rummaging around inside when I heard voices, on looking out saw 2 policemen examining my motorbike, put my hands up telling the truth, didn't even ask my name, thought bike had been dumped, (says alot for it}

[littlebro 234]

Here is a list of RAF bases in Nottinghamshire, all now non-operational and abandoned but many leave their legacy on the landscape

RAF Balderton

RAF Gamston

RAF Hucknall

RAF Langar

RAF Misson

RAF Newton

RAF Syerston

RAF Watnall

RAF Wigsley

RAF Winthorpe

RAF Worksop

[Ashley 288]

I assume RAF Gamston was the later "Nottingham Airport" at Tollerton? did RAF Watnall refer to the "bunker" earlier mentioned or the weather station (or were the two part of one base)? there was of course no actual aerodrome, runway etc there. in the 1960,s I went to a disused airfield SE of Nottingham where it was said they had unofficial motorbike races, can't recall where, name etc just recall tree lined entrance, big iron gates and derelict buildings, there was no racing etc so explored such inc old control tower which was very eerie, at time I wasn't into nostalgia etc or the past but felt an overwelming "uncormfortable" feeling! Some years later Oldace and I went to The White Hart at Grantham? where there were lots of old bikes for sale in a barn,most were ex army etc M20's etc but there was one of interest, a post war 500cc Tiger 90, I couldn't afford such, but passed details to a mate who bought it, turns out these bikes stored there by a local motorbike shop and this one had been took in for repair by an RAF aircrew during the war for a rebore, and never collected, still had grease in the barrel, One assumes the worst? Maybe 20 years ago I "inherited" some wartime love letters from a US serviceman based at Langer to my aunt, never found out what happened to him? A sargent in the US Army and I imagined a big force of troops there, wasn't till later I found out The USA airforce at the time was not a seperate service like the RAF but part of the army so odds on he was a flier, this explained a childhood mystery, why Airfix Models bore the USAAF logo, decals etc as opposed to USAF!

[Cliff Ton 10,465]

I assume RAF Gamston was the later "Nottingham Airport" at Tollerton?

When I read that, I assumed it was referring to the Gamston near Retford. I don't know the area but there is clearly an old airfield nearby, as Mr Google shows :-

Gamston - Retford

[littlebro 234]

Hi Ashley,

No, Gamston is not at Tollerton, Gamston is immediately south of East Retford and still in use for private flying.

The RAF did use Tollerton, it was a civil airfield (built by the City Council) and requisitioned for war use but was not as far as I know an 'operational base' in its own right, (but should be in my list) it was used as a muster/scatter point for other airfields, RAF Newton & Waddington etc plus some rookie flight training. Basically, they parked aircraft at Tollerton to reduce risk of thier loss had the all been in one place at an operational airfield.

RAF Watnall never had an airstrip, it was an 'air base', not an airfield. The weather station, bunkers, the land that the VOSA HGV test station is on and some huts (long gone) on the Kimberley side of the main road were all RAF Watnall.

[rob237 89]

...in the 1960,s I went to a disused airfield SE of Nottingham where it was said they had unofficial motorbike races, can't recall where, name etc just recall tree lined entrance, big iron gates and derelict buildings, there was no racing etc so explored such inc old control tower which was very eerie...

Dunno about SE, but SW of the city was the sizeable Wymeswold airfield (just in Leics) where motorbike racing did take place, and there was a derelict control tower... located off that straight stretch of road between Wymeswold and Hoton...

littlebro:

Where in the county was RAF Wigsley?

Cheers

Robt P.

[littlebro 234]

littlebro:

Where in the county was RAF Wigsley?

Cheers

Robt P.

Wigsley is about 8 miles west of Lincoln but is in Nottinghamshire.

[Ashley 288]

We live and learn, may well have been Wymeswold that I visited, thanks for info, No guesses yet as to the mystery Watnall "survivor" from WW2?

[plantfit 7,596]

I can remember Mr Wagner who owned the butchers at the bottom of Hockley telling me he was interned at Castle Don during the first world war,(German ex pat) he used to tell me that one night the Zeppelins came over and dropped bombs on the place, he said the "bombs fell like bloody ping pong balls" always made me laugh that did

Rog

[Ashley 288]

Been a lot on the box in last week about The Battle of Britain, plus an unannounced programme last night on The Dambusters, in view of such surprised no reply to my question re the surviving still in use (if not as originally intended) WW2 relic in Watnall?

[Ashley 288]

Re Watnall, found out yesterday 12 Group HQ (the bunker in old railway cutting at Watnall) was not completed till 1943, so my visions of Douglas Bader and Leigh Mallory plotting their "Big Wing" tactics in such or in The Royal Oak (theres a clue there re my mystery object "quiz") probably totally false? That said my step father did serve at RAF Watnall and did meet Bader? too late to ask him or my mother re such though

[Froggy 3]

It would be incredible to come across something like that , knowing its history.....i can remeber when all the houses in bilborough were prefabs and most still had the Anderson shelters in their gardens as sheds.

According to my mother, the buildings of Beechdale Primary School were the quarters attached to an ak ak site there. One building was brick built, the kitchen and canteen she said, and the others were wooden. The prefabs built after the war, now replaced, had anderson shelter type coal shed. In fact, if I remember correctly, Google Earth is showing pics of Beechdale Estate with the sheds still there today.

The guns spewed shells all over what is Bilborough now. The Grammar School had a shell hole in its grounds next to the top road and the playing fields. There was a wooded area off Glaisdale Drive that was littered with these holes. Great for rough riding on our bikes after school.

[Ashley 288]

doubt they were shell holes, they tended to explode at 10,000 feet or whatever, if the holes were in the fields at back of crosland filters I posted awhile back thinking they were mining subsidence, general opinion was they were bell pits, another mystery, or myth is the lakes near beeston marina, was told craters from german bombs, all I can say it pretty big bombs!!!

[Froggy 3]

Could be if Crosland Filters is on Glaisdale Drive. That's not far from the old Wollaton pit. The one at Bilborough Grammar School was a neat circle. I thought that the Beeston Marina holes were old gravel pits. What's a bell it?

Subsidence was a real problem around Western Boulevard in those days.

[littlebro 234]

Plenty of Bell Pits around Bramcote/Wollaton. Shallow mines before the deep mines were sunk. As they dug new pits the spoil was put into the old pit. They dug around as far as they could before the roof fell.

Courtesy of

[Fynger 841]

Great link...thats a good site

[.... 23]

Nice link littlebro. I can't think those bell pits would have been very stable?

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

They were only viable to around 30 feet Stu. There were hundreds dug from a few hundred years back to the west of Wollaton right into Derbyshire, where the seams outcrop.

[.... 23]

Cheers. I suppose there must be some visible remains of them? Don't suppose Bells Lane, Aspley has any connection?

[Froggy 3]

They were only viable to around 30 feet Stu. There were hundreds dug from a few hundred years back to the west of Wollaton right into Derbyshire, where the seams outcrop.

I remember an open cast site in the '50' between Strelley village and where the M1 is now.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Coal was deep mined in Strelley by the Duke of Newcastle's Collieries Stu. There's a good chance there are some of the upper coal seams close to the surface around that area too. High Hazels outcrops somewhere around Wollaton and yet Gedling Colliery mined it at over 1000 feet down.

The seams dip about 5 degrees from west to east.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

There was a legal dispute between Nicholus Strelley and Sir John Willoughby over Strelley's flooding Willoughby's mines in the 1600's, I'd presume by mines they mean bell pits. Just a guess as it was many years prior to the Willoughby's sinking any deep mine.