Hi All
This is my first ever post & my first ever adventure taking pictures, so i hope i don't let the side down or bore you all to tears too much.
Some background information to whet your appetites, some of it is shamelessly taken from the interweb & some of it was told to me by people who are walking encyclopedias of the base.
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was best known as the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF during the Battle of Britain. 11 Group was responsible for the defence of London and the South-East of England, and therefore was the main area of combat. The group headquarters were specifically at Hillingdon House within the base grounds. An underground bunker now known as the Battle of Britain Bunker was built nearby to handle the control of the fighter squadrons, primarily using the 11 Group Operations Room. The station closed on 31 March 2010
Please don't post these elsewhere, if i wanted them posted on other sites i would do it myself, Thanks
RAF Uxbridge Crest
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The former headquarters of the Queens Colour Squadron often abbreviated to Q.C.S the Q.C.S would normally perform ceremonial duties whilst still maintaining an active status when required for defensive roles, some of the regiment were relocated to RAF Northolt but most of the regiment were ordered to Afghanistan.
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The crest which adorns the Q.C.S building seen from afar in the picture above, the english translation of the crests motto is, Youth We Form.
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Obviously a sign to inform a staff member as to where their car is parked, and the building behind was known as the resettlement building, which was primarily geared towards short term training courses lasting between one week up to one month.
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A broken window in one of the auxiliary buildings used by the Q.C.S & I am informed that the lads would often relax in another part of this building, even throwing the occasional party.
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This oddly understated door leads to a much larger building to the right which was used to train various military personnel in the event of chemical warfare, basically the lads were told to go in & make sure they were capable of putting on their breathing apparatus in a quick & timely fashion before all manner of dangerous gasses & substances were introduced to their little environment.
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Diggers already demolishing some structures that were part of the ( Gas Chamber - See Picture Above ) cozz they just love to knock shit down.!
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A community notice board, with one remaining advert, better get your skates on if you want to take up the offer of the Pooch walking service.
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The country estate house known as Hillingdon House, built in 1717 by the Duke of Schomberg, a general serving under William of Orange ( later King William III ) and subsequently Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, who was knighted for his part in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Grade II listed mansion was completely rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire in 1844 and stands on the site of a previous house, also occupied by the Duke and reputed to have been built in 1617
In 1914 the mansion and lands were marketed for sale by the estate of Frederick Cox, Richard Henry Cox's grandson and was described as "a brick and stone building, partly stuccoed, with extensive outbuildings and ornamental gardens. The house and gardens, together with the surrounding parkland and artificial lake, created by damming the River Pinn, comprised over 200 acres.
The estate was purchased by the British Government in 1915 and it became the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, for troops evacuated from the front line. Opened on 20 September 1915 and closing on 12 December 1917, the hospital saw four commanding officers and five Sisters-in-Charge
Shortly after the Royal Air Force was officially formed the base was formally commissioned as the newly opened RAF Uxbridge.
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A front view of hillingdon house, which was also affectionately often referred to as the White House by long serving personnel on the base, Please see picture above.
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A sneaky peek through one of the windows in the White House.
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Bugger, some little chav has let my tyres down, this bike is parked behing the White House & i think we can safely say its next destination will probably be a skip when they get around to it.
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A fire door at the back of the White House, i thought my luck was in when i noticed the broken emergency push handle on the floor but alas you will notice its still nicely secured.
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Another fire door at the back of the White House, very secure with plenty of signs.
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A spiral staircase at the side of the White House which leads to the roof, the staircase also served as a fire escape in the event of a fire or some other emergency which required a quick exit.
Please see the Post Below For The Rest