Wescott 11 OTU

[pjw4118]

Last month we called in at RAF Wescott Wartime home of 11 OTU and the many RNZAF aircrew who trained there.
Postwar it was a high security rocket test area which continues today in some sections of the airfield.








The main gate has two memorials one for the 1944 collision involving Wellington LN660 with RNZAF crewmen D Francis, A Goold and G Gilbert. The other memorial was placed by the Airfields of Britain Trust.





The main runway is now a solar farm, while the hangars are in use and the Control Tower being fitted out as a museum.







A lot is off limits but Ed Andrews who has served at Wescott for the past 50 years can help with a tour.

[Dave Homewood]

Great stuff Peter. So in WWII would it have been Wellingtons and then Lancasters at No. 11 OTU?

[errolmartyn]

Aug 18, 2014 22:37:32 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Great stuff Peter. So in WWII would it have been Wellingtons and then Lancasters at No. 11 OTU?

No Lancs at 11OTU, Dave, conversion training on them took place at Heavy Conversion Units or Lancaster Finishing Schools.

11OTU had about 50 Wellingtons on strength throughout most of its existence (Apr 40 to Sep 45) supplemented by over a dozen Ansons at one time and a miscellany of support types.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Ah yes, of course. Cheers.

[pjw4118]

The OTU was so busy a lot of flying took part from nearby Oakley especially for fighter affiliation exercises the fighters being Martinets or Hurricanes . A number of NZ crews who survived their first tour went back to 11 OTU as instructors , so in logbooks you can match up todays veterans

[nuuumannn]

Fascinating pictures, PJW; Westcott was the home of the Rocket Propulsion Establishment, where the British developed rocket motors for different applications. A lot of their research came from German HTP motors built by Walther, which powered the Me 163 Komet, but also solid rocket motors for surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. The missile 'gate guard' is an English Electric Thunderbird surface-to-air missile. Interesting to see the test stand is still standing.

[pjw4118]

Testing at the site continues , the site manager tells me that up to 10 firings a day are done , although nothing like the Blue Streak tests he remembers from the old days where the roar could be heard 10 miles away.