Air Ministry Works Department - Works Repair Depots

Note: The Master List for this discussion thread is HERE

I have searched the Forum and I cannot find a thread already current on this topic, so I thought that I'd dip my toe into the water and start one.

There were 38 depots built - 25 agreed in January 1939 and a further 13 in June and September 1940. The list following shows locations and their Counties at the time:-

Drayton Norfolk
Ingham Suffolk
Weyhill Hampshire
Kidlington Oxfordshire
Ashford Kent
Harlow Essex
Addington Surrey
Darlington Durham
Gayton Norfolk
Hampton-in-Arden Warwickshire
Glazebrook Lancashire
Cricklade Wiltshire
Wetherby Yorkshire
Epworth Yorkshire
Market Weighton Yorkshire
Callerton Northumberland
Eastcote Middlesex
Filton Gloucestershire
Barnwell Northamptonshire
Oakley Bedfordshire
Holton-le-Moor Lincolnshire
Honington Lincolnshire aka Carlton Scroop
Havant Hampshire
Albrighton Staffordshire
Llantwit Major Glamorgan
Wick Caithness aka Bilbster
Newton Stewart Wigtownshire
Dalston Cumberland
Evesham Worcestershire
Dungannon Co Tyrone
Antrim Co Antrim
Westby Lancashire
Ivybridge Devon
Dyce Aberdeenshire
Sulby Isle of Man
Dinas Caernarvonshire
Chippenham Wiltshire
Tranent Midlothian
Lamphey Pembrokeshire
Truro Cornwall

I am particularly interested in studying these Works Depots in more detail and I would appreciate it if anyone can point me in the right direction with:-
files at The National Archives
grid references, either National Grid or Cassini

I have visited the sites of 6 of these - Ingham, Gayton, Harlow, Honington, Evesham and Wick.

I recall Barnwell was covered in some detail by Paul Bellamy www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/forum/a...f-depot?limitstart=0

kebecker wrote:

I recall Barnwell was covered in some detail by Paul Bellamy www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/forum/a...f-depot?limitstart=0

Thanks for the link. This has spurred me into making a site visit here, soon, as the depot is only about an hour away.

Whereabouts is the Epworth site please? I only know of one, and that is a few miles East of Finningley. is there another Epworth?

Carlton Scroop

wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm?lat=5...grat=None&rgrat=None

Was also briefly discussed here www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/forum/a...roop-raf-depot#56289

"The Royal Air Force builds for war:A History of Design and Construction in the RAF 1933-45" is an excellent book and I seem to recall it covers your interest-I sold my copy some years ago and it now sells for ridiculous prices.The front cover wording is"Airforce" instead of "Air Force....Someone at HMSO must have been asleep at the time!

Bloodhound1949 wrote:

"The Royal Air Force builds for war:A History of Design and Construction in the RAF 1933-45" is an excellent book and I seem to recall it covers your interest-I sold my copy some years ago and it now sells for ridiculous prices.The front cover wording is"Airforce" instead of "Air Force....Someone at HMSO must have been asleep at the time!

Part 1 . Home ; Chapter 11 ; Emergency Maintenance and Repair of Airfields in War , pages 215 to 226 and includes a UK map showing the depot locations and a couple of location lists .
I bought my copy from the 'States via Amazon for $62 including postage !

Ossington_2008 wrote:

Whereabouts is the Epworth site please? I only know of one, and that is a few miles East of Finningley. is there another Epworth?

As far as I can ascertain, I think that the depot was here wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm. NGR is SE 767051.

The depots were built as near as possible to railway stations and adjoining sidings. In Epworth's case, the sidings were at SE 775045 and the area around them was too small.

My details show that the depot's postal address was West End Road which is an extension of Station Road, thereby leading me to feel that my ascertainment is correct.

Hope that's helpful.

David wrote:

Bloodhound1949 wrote:

"The Royal Air Force builds for war:A History of Design and Construction in the RAF 1933-45" is an excellent book and I seem to recall it covers your interest-I sold my copy some years ago and it now sells for ridiculous prices.The front cover wording is"Airforce" instead of "Air Force....Someone at HMSO must have been asleep at the time!

Part 1 . Home ; Chapter 11 ; Emergency Maintenance and Repair of Airfields in War , pages 215 to 226 and includes a UK map showing the depot locations and a couple of location lists .
I bought my copy from the 'States via Amazon for $62 including postage !

Hmm. Compared with current pricing, you did well!

Are you able to take a quick peek at the pages that you mentioned to see if map references were added?