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Upottery airfield - 63 years ago. Tonight.


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Last Saturday (2 June) my gang and I were invited down to Upottery airfield by the new owner of the control tower and various other operational buildings and 50 acres of runway and land.

 

It was wonderful to be shown around various buildings and areas of the airfield and with the most interesting being the control tower. This is of course the hub and the heart of all airfields. The control is actually if very good condition considering the weathering it has had of 60 years. I have never been in the control tower before as some of your may remember that the last time I tried my back gave way and there I was marooned in the middle of the runway whilst my family went and got the pictures....

 

Of course my mind was going back the sights, the noise and the manic activity that was going on at the airfield 63 years ago tonight - a most amazing feeling and experience.

 

So here are several images that will hopefully give you food for thought.

 

Picture 1 - Inside the control room of the control tower. The blocked up windows look righ over the runways and would of course been glass windows and this was were it was all going on and officers and staff would be crammed into this room waiting for the signal for the first plane to take off...and then standing in silence as the C-47's left for Normandy. This room is now quite and empty. The radio room which is next door where all of the reports would of came in.

width=320 height=240http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/hmvf/Controlroom.jpg[/img]

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Picture 2 - Part of the viewing platform and this would of have had railings running around the outside and this to would have been full of personel watching history in the making - it was a strange place for us to be standing.

width=640 height=480http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/hmvf/Vieiwingplatform.jpg[/img]

 

Pictures 3 & 4 - to shots from the viewing platform. The middle of the pictures is the runway (from left to right) and this is the runway that the 'Eaglemen' left from..........

 

width=640 height=480http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/hmvf/Midpicturerunway.jpg[/img]

width=640 height=480http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/hmvf/Midpicture2.jpg[/img]

 

 

 

 

 

Jack.

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