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Summary

A military camp (Dispersed Site 9) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. Several extant structures are visible on aerial photographs of 2014.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/42/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DISPERSED SITE (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 35 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.

The camp has been part constructed.

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC314, US/7PH/GP/LOC314 V 5026 22-APR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359865.

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.

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.

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

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

A number of extant structures and hut platforms of former structures are visible.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery, 20, 73, Figs 3, 19, 24-25, Appendix 2 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Dunkeswell airfield dispersed site 9 (accommodation). 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. The buildings of dispersed site 9 have been largely demolished, including barrack huts, officers' quarters and latrines. Full list in Appendix 2.
Five concrete hut bases are extant, but no evidence was found of the American prefabricated hutting shown on Plan 4230/33 (Fig 19).
Note: The approach driveway to Woodhayes has several blast shelter concrete sections now forming a boundary to this and an adjoining property.
Surviving buildings include barracks, ablution huts and air raid shelters.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1407 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The site of the former camp is largely overgrown, although several extant structures are visible.

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 9) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. The camp occupies a single, former agricultural, field and covers an area of approximately 2.75 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 other structures and features including elongated earthwork banked features of air raid shelters and embanked water tank. A square mark of a possible baseball pitch for American personnel is visible in the adjacent field to the west. 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. Construction of the camp has commenced by 11th July 1942, has been largely constructed by 1943 and then later enlarged by 1944. It remains largely unaltered on aerial photographs of 1947, although by 1982 the camp has been partly dismantled, although extant structures and hut platforms of former structures are visible. By 2014 the site of the former camp is largely overgrown, although several extant structures are visible. In accordance with standard NMP methodology, any structures and/or earthworks associated with this camp which are depicted on modern digital mapping were not transcribed during this survey.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV110669	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4298.
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, 73, Figs 3, 19, 24-25, Appendix 2.
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: #92383 ]
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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1407 08-SEP-2014.
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.
SDV359865	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC314. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC314 V 5026 22-APR-1944.
SDV359929	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/16B/BR425/3. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 35 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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