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Summary - not yet available

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: WWII Airfield and ancillary buildings at Dunkeswell

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/41/71
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOMB STORE (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV131663.

Francis, p. /blackdown hills airfield survey/(1995)/dunkeswell: 78-81.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery., 51, 52 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Bomb stores type 'd'. Ngrs st12900670, st12980652, st13110650 and st13120670. A typical class "a" airfield bomb stores consisted of a group of four separate storage areas for a maximum of 200 tons. Each storage area was built in four bays with concrete floors for stacking bombs, all were separated by earth traverse blast walls. Separate roads were provided for lorries and tractor/bomb trolley combinations which were normally protected by earth traversed blast walls. At dunkeswell however, it was felt necessary by the planners to provide an earth traverse to one road only, and also not to have this form of protection to the outer storage bays. An upper concrete lorry access road led to a permanent brick wall unloading platform. This was built to a height similar to the floor height of a typical raf flatbed lorry such as the austin 'k6' used to transport bombs from the main storage sites to the airfield bomb store. Between the flat concrete storage enclosure at ground level and the unloading platform was a gently sloping concrete floor so that bombs could easily (with the use of gravity) be rolled from the lorry and down the slope into the storage bay. This was achieved by tying one end of a rope around a metal ring fixed to the brickwork and the other end to the bomb thus preventing it from "running away". Another concrete access road (lower) connected with the opposite end of the concrete storage bay, this was for the tractor and bomb trolley train. The train was driven up to the store and with the aid of a simple lifting device, bombs could be loaded onto each trolley in turn. The survival of earthworks here is particularly rare (plate 13).
NB: The bomb stores site here is interesting becaume most of the earth traverse blast walls surrounding both incendiary and bomb storage areas are still in situ, while at many other airfields they have been removed. (francis). Other details: Plate 13.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4948 - Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey

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