My Flying Control Jeep - The Ongoing Story

[Jessie The Jeep]

After leaving Souter, we followed the coast road North West, passed Marsden to South Shields, stopping at a couple of car parks on the way. The first has Tynemouth Priory in the far distance, so we continued all the way to the mouth of the River Tyne for a closer picture ( see below ). In that picture, on the left is Herd Groyne Lighthouse. On the beach between the Jeep and this light house is the third of the former military sites on our tour. Not really visible in my photo, but clearly seen on recent Google Earth images, is a sea plane ramp. In 1916, a sea plane base was built here for the operation of sea planes and flying boats. It also served as a refuelling station between bases in Lincolnshire and Scotland. The station occupied 21 acres and included five Type F seaplane sheds each 200 x 100 feet. The station was active from April 1916 until 1919.

We left South Shields heading South East again along the coast road, stopping briefly at the grassland at Horsley Hill before continuing to Whitburn and turning West through Boldon, passing close to the former Boldon Camp on our way home. We clocked up a little over 35 miles on a very pleasant evening drive.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[steviem]

Lovely images, what is the longest single journey you have completed, did you encounter any problems.

[Jessie The Jeep]

@steviem It was probably from my home in Washington to Breighton aerodrome near Selby. 100 and something miles and around three hours of bum numbing driving! Found it difficult to get out at the other end!! No problems on the long journey except discomfort! I broke down once coming back from there due to a coil failure as I didn't have 24 volt spare with me. I got to within 11 miles of home. If I'd let it cool, I could have probably driven back, but just called for recovery instead as I was also towing my trailer and didn't want to risk stopping in a bad spot.

I took my Dodge from home to the Yorkshire Wartime Water Experience in 2012 and that ended up a 5 hour journey. That was really too far without power steering/brakes and double de-clutching around all the side roads to avoid the fast routes.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

For longer trips, I stick the Jeep on a flatbed trailer and tow it. Particularly with my daughter at school, I can have it all loaded and ready to go as soon as she gets out at 3:15. Otherwise, it can take too long to get places by the time she's out and then head off in the Jeep at 40mph.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[steviem]

Thats quite a treck then bud and pretty sore on the old rump, i am still a long way from such journeys but will hopefully carry a box full of spare parts just in case, and was wondering what the common issues are, coils,lights, etc.

[Jessie The Jeep]

@steviem Yes, you want to carry easy to fit spares. Plugs, coil, fan belt, condensors ( a few, as new ones aren't always reliable ), points ( I fitted electronic ignition to mine, but have points as spares ). I also carry a fuel pump diaphragm kit in case that spits. Grease, oil and water ( 1 ltr ) and lots of tools.

I followed a wartime Canadian Army modification and made a read seat locker which keeps the tools secure and stops them sliding around.

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

Chester-le-Street - July 26th

We had another run out yesterday, back in the original US, Flying Control markings, but without the chequered roof.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

Camping at RAF Morpeth - August 21st

Surprise surprise, we had an event of sorts in 2020! Our camping trip to Tranwell Woods near Morpeth, was an attempt to salvage something from the Covid devastated 2020 season. We were camping on the old WAAF site of the former RAF Morpeth, a WW2 Gunnery Training Base. The tents were spread out, as we were; but it didn't stop us from having a great few days away with our toys, making the most of a weekend tinted olive drab.

We got there on Thursday and didn't have have a great start to the weekend. Lynne put a 2 foot rip in the tent while trying to fit a roof pole. We suspect UV damage as it tore and spread so easily ( we had the modern tent as she didn't want to do canvas this weekend ). An emergency trip to Go-Outdoors got us some patch tape. While Lynne was away, I spotted one of the trailer tyres had decided to split between the tread and side wall in several places around the circumference. I think age is a factor again here as the trailer was made in 2008 and the tyres dated '06. New ones for next year. Due to the problems, I never got to visit the Royal Flying Corps station at Cramlington, next to Northumberlandia. I had planned on visiting that evening.

This is where our camp site was in relation to the rest of the accommodation sites.

A close up of the WAAF site and our pitch.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

One of our friends and his family had already arrived when we got there. The rest of the party would be arriving the following day.

Since there wasn't time to visit RFC Cramlington on Thursday evening, I did a little photoshoot of the Jeep in its Ordnance Depot markings, along with the ammo boxes I made to store some of our camping gear. After that, I explored the two buildings next to our camp site.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

These turned out to be part of the WAAF Officers Mess and what I believe to be latrines with water tower. The part of the officers mess that survives is the central part of a three part structure, joined to the outer buildings by a corridor. The two larger side buildings have been demolished.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

So after breakfast on Friday morning, I took "Jessie" out for a drive around the roads that encircle the airfield. I began by heading away from the airfield, towards the water tower we'd driven by the day before while going to the camp site. The tower dominates the road side and is still an impressive structure, 75 years later.

From there, I turned around and headed back to the airfield. Driving down the public road to the East of the airfield, the only surviving hangar can be seen, a Miskins blister hangar. Back in 1988, the aviation company I worked for, dismantled the last of the T1 hangars for re-use at Newcastle Airport.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

A little further down the road, a surviving blast shelter can be seen. An air raid sanctuary for personnel working in the area. On the other side of the road, another blast shelter. Next was a road from the public road, that leads to a blister hangar on the right and a T1 hangar on the left. Beyond that is the perimeter track. 

Beyond the T1 hangar is another blast shelter. It was difficult to get a good shot due to the thick hedge line along the roadside. Luckily, the road along side the airfield was very quiet and I was able to leave it parked on the edge at a number of places along the airfield.

Further past the hangar and lost in the woods on the left, one of two firing butts remains. The giant brick structure had an earth bank facing the airfield to allow test firing of machine guns on the aircraft. A muddy track led from the road to the rear of the wall, allowing a much better view of the structure and its size.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

There's a gate onto the airfield at the end of the East-West secondary runway. The runway itself is overgrown, but significant stretches remain.

To the South of the flying area, there's a second firing butt which looks fairly intact, but on private land I didn't have access to.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

From the second firing butt, we continued South, heading away from the airfield in order to loop around to the West and return North up the other side of the site. It was quite bright for most of the trip and we stopped at a few places for pictures. To the South, we found an old Romney hut. It isn't on part of the airfield site plan, so I suspect it had been relocated.

Heading North again along the West side of the airfield, the first area we reached was one of the underground fuel stores. There's no signs of the concrete road or turning loop, but not far away was a large steel tank on the surface, so I wondered if the tank had been part of the fuel store, but had been unearthed. A little further along was the now gated off entrance to the loop of frying pan dispersals hidden around a wood. There were three blister hangars located in here too.

Opposite the dispersals, the perimeter track crosses the road and heads back onto the airfield for a few tens of feet. I think it continues to the perimeter encircling the runways, but much of those appears to be grass covered now.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

Further North along the Western road brings you towards the technical site to a surviving building which appears to have been the Towed Target Store. These were windsock type objects, towed on a long cable behind another aircraft for gunners to practice shooting at.

It was then only a short drive to the main gate onto the technical site.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

We'd just finished looking and photographing the gate when we heard a Jeep siren behind us letting us know Derek and Andy had arrived. Our external tour of the airfield was done now, so they followed us back to base camp.

By the time we got back, Chris had also arrived.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

RAF Morpeth Airfield Tour & Convoy - Afternoon, August 21st

RAF Morpeth was built in 1941 and opened in April 1942. It was home to No.4 Air Gunnery School and trained around 4,000 gunners. Training began at the end of May 1942. Blackburn Bothas and Westland Lysanders were based there initially. The Botha was very underpowered and much disliked. They were involved in a number of accidents. Miles Martinets and Avro Ansons eventually replaced them. When the demand for air gunners reduced, late in the war, the base was equipped with Spitfires, training Free French pilots. The airfield closed in 1948.

Later on Friday afternoon, after the camp was set up, our first full convoy headed out of Camp Tranwell, for the short drive around to the flying site of RAF Morpeth. The trip was a little over a mile to the gate at the old technical site.



Neil had the gate key, to took the lead. Derek and myself were in the middle with Chris bringing up the rear.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

We stopped briefly on the entrance road while Neil locked up the gates behind us. This entrance road is near the top of the airfield plan, between the two hangars.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

After entering the site we followed the road around to the left which led to the concrete hangar base of hangar 1. It was 32 years since I last stood on this hangar base. Back in 1988, the aviation company I worked for bought and dismantled this hangar with the intention of rebuilding it at Newcastle airport.

We parked up and got some group photos before heading off on foot to start exploring the site. This picture has a Blackburn Botha edited into the picture. These aircraft were underpowered and were quickly withdrawn from frontline use. Instead they were given to training units and some converted to target tugs.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

A little further around the taxiway, walking South West, we approached the second hangar base. I don't know when this hangar was dismantled. It was already gone by the time of my 1988 visit.

Onto the hangar base, looking North East, back towards hangar 1. The door runners are still buried in the concrete at each end of the hangar base. There were no trees at all when I was last here.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

Not far from hangar 2, stands a large brick hut. Listed as building 24 on the site map, it is described as the Towed Target Store. Since RAF Morpeth was a gunnery school targets were needed for gunners to practice on. These windsock like targets were towed behind Blackburn Bothas until they were replaced by Westland Lysanders as a stop gap measure. Eventually the Miles Martinet replaced the Lysanders as the target tugs.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

Not far from the Towed Target Store is a brick built blast shelter. The double sided structure resembles two letter T's with the cross pieces back to back. In the shelter, the upright of the 'T' is short and forms the entrance. The crosspiece forms the shelter. Earth banks were made against the brick walls, protecting the walls and occupants and deflecting any nearby blast. This example was severely overgrown. There were several more scattered around the site.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

From the target store, we followed the hangar taxiway around to the main perimeter track. Following the perimeter track North East, it brings you to the central taxiway between hangars 1 & 2. A frying pan dispersal and blister hangar were located on its right side. The pan dispersal is still there, the blister hangar long gone.

Further North East along the perimeter track is the taxiway to the other end of hangar 1. This taxiway is now blocked by a fenced compound surrounding a mobile phone tower. A road off to the right led to the ammunition dump.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

This picture is taken where the perimeter track meets the main runway. It looks back along the perimeter track to the South West with the hangars to the right.

This is a view along the main runway, looking South West. Only about one quarter of the main runway survives. The tarmac surface is very broken up and is overgrown in some places.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

At the North East end of the runway, off to the side, there are piles of broken concrete and building remains. Most of the runways became hardcore for roads, but a few pieces remained on site. From the end of the runway, the perimeter track splits in two. One runs straight while the other curves past the single surviving blister hangar. While grassed over, its path is still clear to see.

The surviving hangar is a Miskins Blister hangar. The light welded steel truss structure was clad in corrugated iron sheets. This type of hangar had no foundations, being anchored into the ground by 'T' spikes. Quick release canvas curtains formed conical tent coverings for the ends of the hangar, giving more covered floor space. The standard type was 45 feet span and 25 feet deep. Larger 65ft and 69ft span versions were also made with 45ft lengths.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep