Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.


Does this ring any bells ?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham

Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
and now used for private storage.
I visited a few years ago and asked the owner if I might have a peep. He 
said that he would have been happy to help, but the tenant had the keys 
and as it was a bank holiday, he was not available.

Les.

jedbeer@gmail.com wrote:
> Someone on another site I frequent is asking about an underground
> museum in North Wales that he used to go to as a kid. Apparently it
> used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb and had a LRDG chevvy
> there. Another poster said it was closed down years ago.
> 
> 
> Does this ring any bells ?
>

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
 wrote:

>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>and now used for private storage.

>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 

Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
squadrons equipped to use them.

If it had been necessary to store Upkeep underground then Holywell had
very limited access compared with say Harpur Hill - geographically
better located and with main line drive-in.

From March 1943 Holywell was to be used for obsolete bombs only.

Graham

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>  wrote:
> 
>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>and now used for private storage.
> 
>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
> 
> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
> squadrons equipped to use them.

Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
some of the component storage for x")

[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
than "all eggs in one basket"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:05:58 -0500, Jules
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:28:28 +0100, Graham C wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:28:58 +0100, "L$s Hayward"
>>  wrote:
>> 
>>>Perchance you are thinking of the site at Holywell? Sadly this is closed 
>>>and now used for private storage.
>> 
>>>>  Apparently it used to be used as storage for the bouncing bomb 
>> 
>> Almost certainly an urban myth.  Nothing found in TNA records, except
>> lots of evidence that storing large bombs underground caused severe
>> man-handling problems.   Grand Slams and Tallboys were stored above
>> ground at Market Stainton - close to the airfields which had the
>> squadrons equipped to use them.
>
>Would the components used to make such bombs have been stored somewhere -
>or would they be assembled in a single factory [1] as/when required? (I
>just wonder if some of the "this site used to have x" rumours that float
>around are partly true, but more along the lines of "this site provided
>some of the component storage for x")
>
>[1] seems bonkers... but maybe military thinking of the time said it
>was better to have bits of things distributed around until needed rather
>than "all eggs in one basket"?
>
I remeber reading that Upkeep was filled at Chorley (?) and then
immediately  sent straight to Scampton.    Not sure about the
'spares', but again I believe they 'followed 617 around'.

Bombs generally consisted of the filled body, plus separate tail fins,
and then there was the detonation stuff  -fuzes, exploders and
pistols.   They were stored separately at MUs, and assembled at the
airfield.

It seems probable that the earthquake bombs were generally sent
straight to Bardney and Woodhall airfields, in two pieces  -body and
tail (and possibly nose cone?)  A buffer stock would be kept at Market
Stainton, which then accumulated all stacks after the war (300 Grand
Slams and 3,250 12,000lb bombs which included the Tallboy and HC
standard device).

Graham