Info needed on Biggin Hill July 1940

[Harrier/ViperFan]

Need some help, i have spent days on google searching for an answer and i don't have a answer other than both. I got the Airfix 1/48 BoB ready for battle set. Now i want to make a base board for it, but i don't know if i need to grass base or concrete or both together or what I need.

Does anyone have any pictures or info on where they refueled/armed the Hurricane at the height of the battle in July 1940 at Biggin Hill.

[Richard E]

There's an IWM picture reproduced on Bob Ogley's book Biggin on the Bump which shows a Spitfire being rearmed on grass.

[Black Knight]

I had an uncle who was an officer partly in charge of the turn-arounds. He told me the Spitfires [the type which he was responsible for] were rearmed and refuelled where-ever they came to a stop after landing. So it would mostly be on the grass.

[Graham Boak]

They'd come to stop at previously-agreed places. The squadron would be dispersed around the airfield, rather than lined-up on the hard surfacing.

[Harrier/ViperFan]

Thanks guys for the info, I do a grass base then

[Avro730]

Hi Harrier fan. Not so fast with the grass. I worked at and flew from Biggin Hill on and off from 1979 to 2010. The last "base" was a small hangar just to the north of the runway 29 threshold (have a look on google earth). You can see just to the north of the hangar some of the last remaining blast pens from WWII. If you wind back the time on the Google earth photo to the "1940" one you can still see them and many others around the airfield. The date "1940" is a bit suspect as it also shows the concrete runways which I don't think were laid until later in the war and there are also what look like Harvards on the field, which would have been unlikely in 1940.My best guess is that this is more likely 1945/46. Later photos show the new apron areas and large T2 hangars which were not built until the 1950's. However I am sure that the pens and some of the tarmac taxi ways were present in 1940 but the runways were grass. There should be other aerial photos of Biggin on the net which will probably prove more accurate (and me wrong like as not) but in essence I am sure that there were hard areas on the airfield in 1940. Hope this helps.

[Marvel Onkey]

I'm pretty sure the hard runways at Biggin Hill were laid by early 1940, they were there for the battle for sure, I think the hardstanding for the blast pens and the peri-track was there also.

But that doesn't mean that the refuel and rearm wasn't done on the grass at dispersal off the runway.

In terms of the OP perhaps 'both' is a good answer?

[Avro730]

Agree with Marvel Onkey, I don't suppose "you cant park that Hurricane/Spitfire there, Sir!" would have been heard much in July-September 1940, for sure where ever the quickest turnaround could have been achieved would have been favorite, and given that the pens and other "fixed" areas would have been targeted they may have not been usable anyway, so grass or tarmac I think the choice is yours.

[Marvel Onkey]

Except in 1940 the 'hard' runways and tracks etc would've been concrete not tarmac.

I think I'm right in saying that tarmac runways came later, maybe even post-war, but I'm less sure about the last bit.

[Marvel Onkey]

They'd come to stop at previously-agreed places. The squadron would be dispersed around the airfield, rather than lined-up on the hard surfacing.

I've never really considered this aspect before, now I think about it it is common sense to land and taxi to an agreed spot to meet one's own groundcrew.

As the Albion refueller (pertinent to the OP) would refuel three planes at once I assume the stopping places were reasonably close together?

Now I think about it some more- how awful for the groundcrew whose plane and pilot didn't come back to meet them; that had to hit home.

[Graham Boak]

Pictures I've seen of the 3-way refuelling have been prewar or in France pre-May 10th. I wonder if by the time of the BoB dispersal in case of attack had become more important than using this method?

[Avro730]

With regards to the tarmac as opposed to concrete, yes probably were laid as concrete and any tarmac was laid later, usually as a way of repairing failing concrete. I recall being at RAE Bedford around 1984 when plans were being made to resurface the concrete runway with tarmac because it was cheaper than repairing the broken concrete, according to the contractor I spoke to. I left before the work was done. looking at the latest Google maps image it looks like it wasn't done in the end, perhaps they knew then that closure was likely.

[Marvel Onkey]

Pictures I've seen of the 3-way refuelling have been prewar or in France pre-May 10th. I wonder if by the time of the BoB dispersal in case of attack had become more important than using this method?

Hmm, that snookers a little vignette I had in mind then...

[Graham Boak]

That's not meant as the final word on the subject - just a suspicion. Something to look out for in the available photos. Not that there seem to be a lot around of the period. Quite possibly, now it's been said, someone will step in to prove it wrong.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Graham Boak

[Dan]

Have a look on Google Earth. There's a function that allows you to look back in time at pieced together photo reconnaissance. Here's a couple screens off what looks to be 4 parked Hurricanes. Biggin Hill 1940

[noelh]

In the September issue of Flypast there's a feature on 32 Squadron. On page 117 there are two pictures both taken at Biggin Hill. One is of pilots walking to their Bristol Bulldogs across what is clearly a concrete apron. So clearly there was hard standing back in the thirties.

But below it is another picture which is exactly what you're looking for. The caption is: 'At the height of the Battle of Britain, ground crew refuelling a 32 Squadron Hurricane'. It shows an Albion refueller and a Hurricane on the grass with the pilot still onboard. Two of at the crew are in shirtsleeves and two are wearing helmets. Open and shut case I would think!

Get yourself a copy of the magazine.

[noelh]

Here's the very picture:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7c/9f/07/7c9f07b8e37c828438234f6c8508264d.jpg

[Marvel Onkey]

Great picture- very helpful to those of us with the Ready for Battle set and a vignette in mind.

Looking at the picture there seems to be a 5th groundcrew behind the wing doing something to an open hatch below the cockpit- anyone know what he might be up to as part of a quick refuelling / rearming job?

Whilst we're on the subject of Biggin Hill, 1940, and possible vignettes- does anyone have a decent picture of the blast pens for the fighters at dispersal? Google doesn't really seem to be my friend on this one...

Edited September 25, 2015 by Marvel Onkey

[noelh]

That hatch is ofter seen removed during turn arounds. I think it's to refill the oxygen system.

[Harrier/ViperFan]

This is some great info, thank you guys/gals.