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RAF Leamington

13 Jun 2023 11:41 #1 by WILLIAMARNOLD
RAF Leamington was created by WILLIAMARNOLD
A RLG Leamington was used mostly for refurbishing Hampdens and Whitley Bombers .the use of the site has changed since I was last nearby and 2 much refurbished Hangars can now be seen from the Harborne lane further down the lane to the East close to the hedge and parallel with a farm lane on the other side of the road was ta polygonal concrete base that does not seem typical of farm infrastructure might it of had some purpose for the Airfield ? the Hangars are at SP 334 612
Long ago and far away

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13 Jun 2023 16:06 - 13 Jun 2023 16:08 #2 by TerryClark
Replied by TerryClark on topic RAF Leamington
The area of concrete definitely has the appearance of being a compass swinging base which would be essential for checking the compass on a newly re-furbished aircraft.
The airfield pictured is SSE of Leamington but apparently there is another ex airfield to the north east of Leamington Spa at Cubbington but sometimes referred to as 'Tachbrook' which is often referred to as 'Leamington'.
There is an entry on this forum for Leamington Spa on the main airfield listing so maybe this listing could be merged with the original one.
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15 Jun 2023 11:17 #3 by PETERTHEEATER
Replied by PETERTHEEATER on topic RAF Leamington
I was about to disagree on the circular concrete pad being a compass base but checked a few maps and aerial images finding it visible on an RAF vertical photograph dated 30 September 1948, At approx 90 feet diameter it would allow a light bomber to be repositioned on different magnetic headings, I can only surmise that the odd location was to eliminate external influence from metal structures such as clad hangars.

www.lonesentry.com/blog/b-25-compass-swinging-rose.html
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15 Jun 2023 11:46 #4 by TerryClark
Replied by TerryClark on topic RAF Leamington

I was about to disagree on the circular concrete pad being a compass base but checked a few maps and aerial images finding it visible on an RAF vertical photograph dated 30 September 1948, At approx 90 feet diameter it would allow a light bomber to be repositioned on different magnetic headings, I can only surmise that the odd location was to eliminate external influence from metal structures such as clad hangars.

www.lonesentry.com/blog/b-25-compass-swinging-rose.html

We used to have two compass bases at Farnborough, one just west of 'A Shed and the other just west of runway 11 threshold but they were both dug up during the re-build of 2000/2001 however there is still one at Halton, similar size and concrete pattern to the one at Leamington Spa and positioned just south of the present runway 02 threshold. 
Yes compass bases were sited where there was little chance of being influenced by ferrous deposits (in some cases needing some work to dig up anything which caused unusual readings) and they were calibrated so as to record their magnetic signature then the individual aircraft being checked would have a card positioned in the cockpit to show any deviations.

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15 Jun 2023 13:00 #5 by WILLIAMARNOLD
Replied by WILLIAMARNOLD on topic RAF Leamington
I know Cubbington very well and there are some Concrete Roadways similar to WW2 construction by the Flavell Factory .Bishops Tachbrook is a village south of Leamington and i seem to remember someWW2 establishment at the Warwickshire Village of Leamington Hastings .Confusingly the "Leamington " airfield is nearer the town of Whitnash which merges into the south of Leamington indistinguishably
Long ago and far away

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15 Jun 2023 13:26 - 15 Jun 2023 13:36 #6 by TerryClark
Replied by TerryClark on topic RAF Leamington

I know Cubbington very well and there are some Concrete Roadways similar to WW2 construction by the Flavell Factory .Bishops Tachbrook is a village south of Leamington and i seem to remember someWW2 establishment at the Warwickshire Village of Leamington Hastings .Confusingly the "Leamington " airfield is nearer the town of Whitnash which merges into the south of Leamington indistinguishably.
 

Looking to the east of Cubbington along the B4453 Rugby Road, on satellite photos you can see some unusual roads and just south east those what looks like a long concrete structure.
See also www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/Leamington-Spa-flying-sites

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15 Jun 2023 20:32 #7 by PJH
Replied by PJH on topic RAF Leamington
There was an article on Leamington / Bishops Tachbrook in Airfield Review no.64, back in December 1993. The pre-war AA Landing ground and aerodrome were on the same site but it was enlarged for wartime use. As stated earlier in the thread, it was mainly used by SS Cars Ltd (later Jaguar) for aircraft repairs under the Civilian Repair Organisation scheme and had a couple of Bellman hangars which are still present. The centre of the airfield was at grid ref SP338612, with the entrance being off Harbury Lane. I assume that it's this site that acted as a Relief Landing Ground for Elmdon and Church Lawford up to the end of 1942.

I'm not aware of an airfield at Cubbington so assume the infrastructure is more associated with some other military installation?

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16 Jun 2023 11:37 #8 by PETERTHEEATER
Replied by PETERTHEEATER on topic RAF Leamington
Whatever the concrete feature is/was it seems to be in this plan:
mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/updated-hs2-...efits-for-local-area
 

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17 Jun 2023 14:21 #9 by WILLIAMARNOLD
Replied by WILLIAMARNOLD on topic RAF Leamington
The grid reference i gave was not mine i got it from the strategic defences warwickshire book the hs2 picture of Cubbington is not the site but somewhere to the east of Cubbington woods was a bombing decoy site
Long ago and far away

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18 Jun 2023 12:05 #10 by WILLIAMARNOLD
Replied by WILLIAMARNOLD on topic RAF Leamington
The map is sheet SP35  2.5 inches to the milepublished 1952 with minor revisions 1961 and hence out of crown copyright the point of the pin is on the Hangars however iyt shows the nearness of Bishops Tachbrook to the site which as far as i can make out is jsalmost on the Bishops Tachbrook parish boundary but is actually in the parish of Harbury there is no way this could be considered as Cubbington 
Long ago and far away

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