RAF Turweston had 27 dispersals. I know from the Tower Log that certain dispersals were home to certain Flights ('B' Flight, 'E' Flight, etc) and also aircraft. The trouble is, I don't know how the dispersals were numbered. I have a plan of the airfield, but the dispersals are not numbered. So my questions are....
Were dispersals always numbered in the same way? .... i.e. Clockwise from North or something?
How would I find out the numbering of the dispersals?
On the few occasions that I've seen numbers, they have run N to S and clockwise. Later fill-ins (usually a loop instead of frying pan) were given a number then letter. e.g. 15a and b.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Garth Barnard
It also begs the question, were the actual dispersals numbered, either by painted numbers or posts? If not how would visiting pilots no where to park. Or was valet parking an option
I can't say I've noticed any numbers on aerial photos but then I haven't looked for them.
No Amount Of Evidence Will Ever Persuade An Idiot (probably not Mark Twain)
I don't think the dispersals would have the number painted on them as they would not be seen by the pilot until he'd arrived at the (probably wrong) one.
Airfield Lighting Mark 3 specified 'Dispersal Indicators' which were 9 by 9 by 13-inch-high metal boxes with the standing number punched as a series of holes in the sides. They were illuminated by a 15 watt pygmy lamp and were sited either side of the track leading to the pad. Connected to the perimeter track circuits they 'substantially speeded-up, with safety, the dispersal of aircraft returning from operations'. (From Works, AP3236)
Plan A is always more effective when the problem you are working on understands that Plan B will involve the use of dynamite
Last edit: 02 Sep 2018 12:55 by carnaby.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Garth Barnard
A short article in May 1990 Airfield Review No 53 Volume 11 No 1 Page 24 reported a system used by both USAAF and RAF of assigning dispersals to aircraft using the Squadron Alpha/Numeric codes.
Starting at the Control Tower and moving clockwise the first dispersal would be for aircraft 'A' (Archie) then through to 'Z'. Seems logical yet each crew would have to learn the location of 'their' pan, not easy to find in the dark or in fog. A two squadron example is quoted whereby the major squadron was assigned the eastern dispersals (clockwise) and the lesser squadron the western dispersals (anti-clockwise from the CT)
The following user(s) said Thank You: Garth Barnard
I am pretty sure that at Leconfield, during. the period 1944-1945, when it was a Bomber command airfield and my fathers squadron, 640 Sqn was in residence, that the dispersals were assigned to specific aircraft (Halifaxs) by squadron letter codes.
I think that there were 36 dispersals, and that although for a lot of that period only one squadron was based there, there were periods when there were two.
The initial establishment was for 26 crews which implies 26 aircraft
So I suspect that things were relatively fluid depending on the circumstances and the people would would have known what was where were probably mainly the SNCO's in charge of maintenance, refueling and bombing up
That is not to say that they didint have numbers as well to identify them for other purposes of course
It occurs to me as well that this example is for that of a 1944/45 bomber station and would not apply to airfield s serving other purposes at other times during and post war
kevin
The following user(s) said Thank You: Garth Barnard
Acaster Malbis shows 36 numbered spectacle hardstandings. Starting at the northernmost point there are nos 1 to 6, then 11 to 22 followed by 9 & 10. 25 to 36 follow and finally 7 & 8 appear!
With a group of four spectacles the numbering is completely inconsistent; e.g. going clockwise we have 11,12,14,13, then 15,17,18,16, then 29,30,28,27.
Bramcotes are numbered in groups, e.g. 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d; 2a-e, 3a-f, ... 8a-c.
Chedburgh is numbered clockwise from north: 1, 2, 4, 5 ,8, 10, 12... owing to omissions, the last one (the 33rd) is 44
Croft is numbered sequentially 1 to 36, but there is a further un-numbered pad marked '?'.
Edge Hill is grouped like Bramcote: 1a-c, 2a-c, 3a-c, but then 8a-c. followed by 4a-c, then 5a-c and then 9a-c.
Grimsby goes 1-5, 37, 38, 39, this scheme is haphazard as 13 spectacles were later added to the existing 38 frying pan layout (Willis and Hollis states 36 heavy bomber - incorrect)
I gave up at this point having proved, I believe, that there was no standard method in operation for numbering standings; it was clearly left to the individual aerodrome. I've never come across a numbering criteria in any official document perused over the decades.
The only consistency seems to be that they were numbered clockwise from the north. Note that no standings were allocated 'A', 'B', 'C' etc which conforms to the AP3236 statement that the dispersal NUMBER is depicted on the lighting box.
Plan A is always more effective when the problem you are working on understands that Plan B will involve the use of dynamite
The following user(s) said Thank You: PETERTHEEATER, Garth Barnard
so a couple of random thoughts about this, just because the rsp indicates a letter or number would that necessarily have been used on the ground?
I had a quick look at some of the airfields used by the USAAF and some had no designation system on the rsp. (I looked at Polebrooke, Molesworth and Kings Cliffe).
When did the US start using the follow me vehicles? I am guessing these are of limited use if a lot of aircraft are returning at any one time.
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