Need Information on WWII British Runways

[GAF]

I've come up with very little while searching, so apparently I'm searching for the wrong thing.

I hope someone here can help me.

I'm trying to find out what British runways were constructed of during WWII? I believe they were concrete and without a tarmac topping,

but I'm not sure. The airfield I am specifically interested in is Merryfield (Isle Abbotts).

Other information I am trying to ascertain is what sort of striping was done for the airfields, especially those used by American forces?

If you have any data or images, I would appreciate your sharing.

Thanks!

[Stew Dapple]

Hi mate,

I just had a quick look on Wiki here - you may have already seen this but it does give a brief description of the construction of the runways, perimeter track and dispersal points. The text implies the runways were simply concrete but the picture - here - suggests a possible bitumen or tarmac covering on the greater part of the runway (it could also be camouflage paint but I'm not sure if they would have bothered with it in 1943 when the airfield was completed)...

Anyway in the absence of more specific information I hope this might be of some help

Cheers,

Stew

[TheBaron]

It's a long shot but has David Edgerton written anything on this subject, whilst the Airminded blog http://airminded.org/covers an eclectic range of subjects.

Tony

[T-21]

The runways were concrete covered with bitumen for Merryfield. Source Military Airfields by Willis & Holliss.

[GAF]

Hi mate,

I just had a quick look on Wiki here - you may have already seen this but it does give a brief description of the construction of the runways, perimeter track and dispersal points. The text implies the runways were simply concrete but the picture - here - suggests a possible bitumen or tarmac covering on the greater part of the runway (it could also be camouflage paint but I'm not sure if they would have bothered with it in 1943 when the airfield was completed)...

Anyway in the absence of more specific information I hope this might be of some help

Cheers,

Stew

I'm not sure about this information. If you read the text, it appears to say that the "hardstands" were concrete covered in bitumen, but that does not mean the runways were so treated. The 2nd picture would be more definite if ALL the aircraft were in D-Day striping, but they are not. In fact, this picture shows the 2nd and third aircraft after the first with very dirty and worn striping under the wings. This image (though identified as being taken at Merryfield) may have been taken at Grosseto airfield in Italy while the 301st was there for Operation Dragoon. The squadron returned to England (not sure what airfield) for a few weeks in late August, early September before moving to France. I point this out because the image has very little to identify its location and there are tents set up along the runway. I've been burned before by images that purport to be one place, but were taken somewhere and sometime other than what is said.

Thank you for your assistance.

The runways were concrete covered with bitumen for Merryfield. Source Military Airfields by Willis & Holliss.

That is true today, but I'm not sure that was true during WWII. Does he specifically state this was the case for the WWII period?

Found something today that helps answer the question, as it concerns Bassingbourne and the construction of runways there.

It indicates there was an asphalt (bitumen) topping for the runways, so it's a fair guess that Merryfield (which was constructed about

the same period as Bassingbourne's runways) would have used the same technique.

http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/wwii-airfields-raf-bassingbourn.html

Still looking for runway striping information.

GAF

Edited August 9, 2016 by GAF

[GAF]

A follow-up. After perusing a couple of WWII videos of air operations, I have to say that I now believe that there is no information on striping because there was none.

In these two videos, I have looked for evidence of striping on the airfields, and have seen nothing that looks like it. I'll continue searching, but at the moment,

I don't think the runways were actually striped. Why waste the paint, I guess?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Xj6gPKLbQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMLC1_qqgU8

GAF

[OneEighthBit]

Ask the chaps over on the Airfield Research Group forum (http://www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/) - They'll give you chapter and verse on runway construction. Failing that, "Britain Military Airfields 1939-1945" by David J Smith has an entire chapter dedicated to runway and hard standing construction.

[bobgpw]

This link may throw some light on your enquiry, albeit in a general sense rather than specific to Merryfield:

http://patrickbaty.co.uk/2011/10/05/wartime-camouflage-colours/

I always wondered why my local airfield had concrete and wood chippings as the surface treatment, but this link has taught me something!

Bob

[GAF]

Ask the chaps over on the Airfield Research Group forum (http://www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/) - They'll give you chapter and verse on runway construction. Failing that, "Britain Military Airfields 1939-1945" by David J Smith has an entire chapter dedicated to runway and hard standing construction.

Thanks! I hope to get some e-mails off to a couple of airfield preservation groups about the subject of striping. Construction seems to have been concrete and asphalt (bitumen) at Merryfield. Don't know about camo.

This link may throw some light on your enquiry, albeit in a general sense rather than specific to Merryfield:

http://patrickbaty.co.uk/2011/10/05/wartime-camouflage-colours/

I always wondered why my local airfield had concrete and wood chippings as the surface treatment, but this link has taught me something!

Bob

That's a very interesting link, with a lot of good information. Thank you!

Gary

[grahamf]

I've measured the concrete at Spilsby airfield and it seems that they are all a standard 10ft square.

Graham

[DennisTheBear]

Wow! Thanks for starting this thread. I will be making a diorama with hardstands in the (hopefully) not to distant future, and the links are very informative!