RAF Beaulieu Gymnasuim question.

The RSP has 138 Gymnasium, TB, 14604/40 & 16428/40.
I can see what the 16428/40 looks like in a Paul Francis book. What does this mean 14604/40 ?

I'm helping a chap who's making some wonderful videos of his rambles round the airfield that he puts on youtube. I told him these gym buildings were dual use gym/cinema & he's asked what the 14604/40 stands for ? I don't know so I ask for help here.

Thanks.

.

Umm there are just these 2 rows of numbers

Is the Gym extant? Is it/was it located on one of the dispersed sites?

14604/40 is the original AM Type Drawing for the wartime Gymnasium design, which was only seven bays long.
16428/40 was a revised drawing, which added a further two bays to the length of the building.

From the outline of the Beaulieu RSP above, it also appears to have had the Church Extension (AM Dwg. 15424/41) and the Projection Room Extension (AM Dwg 8891/42 or similar) added. The aerial photo coverage of its former location provides confirmation.

It was on Communal Site 1, No.138.

Goodness Peter - what brilliant info. Now I understand what the 2 numbers involves.

I'll reply again later when I've shared your info with the video maker.
Your airfoto is incredible !!

Terry.

The chap making videos of Beaulieu (Marc Heighway) has some notes & sketches by Alan Brown who went there in 1946 as a parachute instructor for the AFEE. In 1946 the airfield reduced personnel from 2,000 to 500, so reallocation of buildings & functions must have taken place.

What has thrown us is this sketch from one of the books Alan published in the 1990's is because it doesn't match the RSP outline of 138 Gymnasium seen in the sketch. Now we can see that there's some artistic license at play here which makes the conundrum clear.

Your satellite view Peter is very revealing & solves any dilema we had, so thank you very much. We're both very grateful.
I'll tell Marc of your links, kevin - he's joined recently.





Terry Wallis.

Kevin - thanks for the links but they don't work.....I'm sure Marc will find his way around though !!

Hi Gents,

I already know Peter K (hope you well sir).

Thanks Terry, and thanks for all chiming in on this. I've been really stacked recently so Terry has been helping me out - he likes a mystery too.

I will be making a decent stab at documenting the cinema on a blog I run on RAF Beaulieu. It's a labour of love, but am trying to document every building on the site, and also weave in personal stories where I can.

If you are interested, I posted some memories of a lady who worked for ENSA in this cinema - there are some internal photos of what the cinema looked like on the blog post - her memories of her time working the cinema are fascinating - if you have the inclination too, you can read it here:

rafbeaulieu.co.uk/memories-cinema-operator-ww2-airfield/