RAF Watnall

Last updated

RAF Watnall
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Watnall, Nottinghamshire in England
RAF Fighter Command Group 12 Watnall Bunker (4).jpg
Entrance to the Filter Bunker
Site information
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Owner Air Ministry
Operator Royal Air Force
Location
Nottinghamshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Watnall
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Coordinates 53°00′22″N1°14′49″W / 53.006°N 1.247°W / 53.006; -1.247
Site history
Built1939 (1939)
In use1939-1945 (1945)
Battles/wars Second World War
Garrison information
Occupants No. 12 Group RAF

RAF Watnall was the operational headquarters of No. 12 Group, RAF Fighter Command at Watnall in Nottinghamshire, England.

Contents

History

The station was established during the Second World War in Spring 1940 to act as headquarters for No. 12 Group whose area encompassed the Midlands, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and North Wales. [1] The Operations Centre of No. 12 Group was housed there in three buildings (Operations Room, Filter Room and Communications Centre), which were partially buried for protection, in a similar way to buildings for No. 9 Group RAF at RAF Barton Hall, No. 10 Group at RAF Box, No. 11 Group at RAF Uxbridge, No. 13 Group RAF at RAF Newcastle and No. 14 Group RAF at Raigmore House. [1]

Operations room ( 53°00′22″N1°15′04″W / 53.006°N 1.251°W / 53.006; -1.251 (Operations room) )
The operations room, responsible for directing RAF aircraft in the No. 12 Group area, was located in a bunker on the east side of the main road in Watnall. [1] It was fully operational by 1940 and closed in 1946. [1] It is now flooded and the site above is now occupied by a vehicle testing centre. [1]

Filter room ( 53°00′11″N1°14′49″W / 53.003°N 1.247°W / 53.003; -1.247 (Filter room) )
The Filter room, responsible for filtering large quantities of intelligence on enemy activity before it was passed to the operations room, was located in a bunker .3 miles (0.48 km) further south on a sunken road off the main road in Watnall. It did not open until 1943. [1] After the war it continued to be used as an early warning centre until it closed in 1961. [1] The filter block was sold by auction in 2008 and is now being redeveloped as a hotel. An episode of The Restoration Man presented by George Clarke, which was aired on Channel 4 on 12 February 2014, described the progress of the development. [2]

The Communications centre has not been found. [1]

RAF units and aircraft

UnitDatesNotes
No. 12 Group 1940-1946Part of Fighter Command [3]
No. 81 (Training) Group 1952-1952Controlled Fighter Command training units [3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Catford, Nick (5 March 2001). "Watnall Fighter Command 12 Group Filter Room". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  2. "Restoration Man: Secret bunker is given stunning TV makeover". Nottingham Post. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 Sturtivant, Ray (2007), RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912, Air-Britain, ISBN   0-85130-365-X, p. 152