RAF EVANTON /HMS FIELFARE ,HIGHLANDS 26 june 2011

[dunglass]

Surprising how much still left here ,was opened in 1922 as RN-HMS Fieldfare,then taken over by RAF in WW2 as flight and bombing training. theoretically closed in 1947,but taken over by Americans in 1950's at time of Cold War and used to launch balloons,ostensibly for weather forecasting,but in reality as spy balloons equiped with cameras and sensors to pick up Russian activity,they were intended to drift across Russian air space and be picked up the other side ,but it did not prove very successful-
project mogul,linked to Roswell,and projects moby dick and genetrix possibly involved.
now an industrial estate but many hangars,pill boxes and air raid shelters still there.

RN Guard Room



various hangars







Pillbox with dummy pitched roof to imitate a perimeter dispersal hut,circular interior with steps upto observation post with pole in middle for light gun? or telescope?


















pillbox with 2 rooms







perimeter hut possible housed generator





Windsock pole



Seaplane hangar doors open on the side



Nissan huts were WAAF Barracks-I couldn't believe it I passed here again the other day and the've now demolished the huts!





Was Officers Mess



Entrance to 1 of 2 Air Raid shelters still surviving-one bone dry,the other a little wet

[Tankman]

Some good WWII stuff surviving there An interesting mix of buildings. Unusual that the shelters appear to have a wide conduit running down the middle? Must have been for drainage.

Pic 19 is not classed as Nissen huts. These buildings are classed as temporary brick construction!
In WWII the military regarded a single brick wall as permanent brick and a half brick wall as temporary brick.

The latter, with brick piers (buttresses) at 10 foot centres was one of the most common forms in hutting. Such huts were generally rendered to enhance weather protection. Hence Pics 19 & 20

[dunglass]

Can't believe it again, just passed by since my report and the've taken down 2 whole big bellman hangars now,walked around it to see if any relics left but clean as a whistle-if its not vandals its developers,come to think of it ,there the same!

[zimbob]

Aye, there seems to be a lot coming down Not sure why really, it's not like there's a shortage of land for re-development in the area ...

[dunglass]

Thanks Zimbob,you're right,just shows you have to keep exploring and take photos of everything as you don't know how long it will be there.

[Downlow]

Shame its all going They were probably worried some poor git was going to get decapitated by a piece of corrugated iron blowing off the hangar, the fact its coned off shows they were concerned about how safe it was.