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Summary

A military camp (Dispersed Site 2) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. By 1999 though, the site had been completely developed for residential housing.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/42/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DISPERSED SITE (Built, World War II - 1939 AD (Between) to 1945 AD (Between))
• MILITARY BUILDING (Built, World War II - 1939 AD (Between) to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/16B/BR425/3, RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 34 02-FEB-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359929.

The camp has not yet been constructed.

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/FNO/38, RAF/FNO/38 RV 6021 11-JUL-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359770.

Construction of the camp has commenced.

United States Airforce, 1943, US/7PH/GP/LOC14, US/7PH/GP/LOC14 RV 6005 09-AUG-1943 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359565.

A range of structures and earthwork banked features are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, 4298 (Aerial Photograph). SDV110669.

Distinct group of military buildings visible on RAF aerial photo.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4297-4298 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A number of structures and earthwork banked features are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/534, RAF/541/534 RS 4060-61 30-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357615.

The camp has been partly dismantled.

Ordnance Survey, 1968, ST10NW (Cartographic). SDV129545.

Buildings partly reused as poultry houses.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82219 V, OS/82219 V 1648-49 03-SEP-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357675.

The former camp has been largely cleared, although a number of hut bases remain visible and several structures are extant.

Horner, B., 1994, Dispersed Accommodation Site (Site Visit). SDV129494.

Site visit 11th April 1994. Most of this group of buildings appears to have been demolished to make way for new housing estates. A single brick structure survives at ST14160698.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery, 20, 67-8, Figs 3, 19, 24-25, Appendix 2 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Dunkeswell airfield dispersed site 2 (communal). As well as acquiring land for the airfield and its buildings, land was acquired also acquired from a number of farms for the
construction of 13 dispersed living sites. On dispersed site 2, only the generating station survives. Demolished structures included stores, institute, produce shop, latrines, officers' and sergeants' bath house, mess huts etc. Full list in Appendix 2.

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping (Aerial Photograph). SDV321648.

The site of the former camp has been completely levelled and developed into residential housing.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A military camp (Dispersed Site 2) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. The camp occupies two adjacent, former agricultural, fields and covers an area of approximately 5.95 hectares of land. The site comprises a number of structures largely consisting of nissen huts, most likely utilised for accommodation, storage and administration, an embanked water tank and a number of elongated earthwork banked features of largely uncertain function, some of which may represent air raid shelters. Other features include three elevated tanks along the southern edge of the camp, possibly utilised for water storage, and a square mark of a possible baseball pitch for American personnel in the adjacent field to the east. The camp is located in close proximity to a number of other similarly dispersed camps associated with Dunkeswell airfield, situated approximately 1km to the northwest. The camps are all interconnected by a series of trackways, some of which are still partly extant on modern digital mapping. The camp, which has been partly constructed by 11th July 1942, remains largely unaltered on aerial photographs of 1947. By 1950, the camp has been partly dismantled and by 1982 has been largely cleared, although several structures, including the two elevated tanks, are extant. By 1999, the site has been completely developed for residential housing.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV110669	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4298.
SDV129494	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1994. Dispersed Accommodation Site. Digital.
SDV129545	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1968. ST10NW. Ordnance Survey 6 inch map. Map (Paper).
SDV312951	Report - Survey: Francis, P.. 1995. Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery. Blackdown Hills AONB. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 20, 67-8, Figs 3, 19, 24-25, Appendix 2.
SDV321648	Aerial Photograph: GetMapping. 1999 - 2000. Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping. Millennium Map. Photograph (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4297-4298 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #92382 ]
SDV357615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/534. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/534 RS 4060-61 30-MAY-1950.
SDV357675	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82219 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82219 V 1648-49 03-SEP-1982.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359565	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1943. US/7PH/GP/LOC14. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC14 RV 6005 09-AUG-1943.
SDV359770	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/FNO/38. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photocopy. RAF/FNO/38 RV 6021 11-JUL-1942.
SDV359929	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/16B/BR425/3. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 34 02-FEB-1942.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4948 - Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey
• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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