Monument Number 1395950 |
| Hob Uid: 1395950 | |
Location :
North Yorkshire
Richmondshire
Catterick
|
| Grid Ref : SE2531096450 |
| Summary : World War II fighter pens and associated airfield defences at former RAF Catterick. These monuments are protected by scheduling and are intended as a sample representation of the best surviving remains of the defences for the World War II airfield. The protected premains are located in 2 separate areas. On the south side of the airfield there are 8 E-shaped dispersed fighter pens, designed for single -engined fighter planes such as the Spitfire and Hurricane. One of these pens survives almost complete and is included within the scheduling. The pen measures circa 50 metres by 20 metres externally and defined by banks reaching 2 metres in height. The barbed wire fence and angle-iron fence posts running along the top of the earthen banks are thought to be original. The associated air raid shelter also survives largely intact. The second area of protection contains 3 well-preserved fighter pens. These pens are of a simple earthwork design, formed by a V-shaped bay cut into rising ground and extended with earth banking. Designed to protect a single-engined plane with its tail to the back of the V. Each pen measures around 18 metres wide at the mouth of the V and is roughly 10 metres deep. Set some way back from the airfield, and easily camouflaged with netting, these pens are thought to have been used for reserve rather than operational aircraft. Just to the south of the pens is a well-preserved, thickened type-22 pillbox, which would have held 5 Lewis or Bren machine guns. Hexagonal in plan with 2 feet (0.6 metres) thick walls constructed of reinforced concrete with outer and inner cladding of brick. Scheduled. |
More information : World War II fighter pens and associated airfield defences at former RAF Catterick. These monuments are protected by scheduling and are intended as a sample representation of the best surviving remains of the defences for the World War II airfield. The protected remains are located in 2 separate areas of the airfield. Whilst on the ground fighter aircraft were considered to be especially vulnerable to both air attack or possible ground assault. For this reason they were usually held indispersed pens around the perimeter of the airfield. Most fighter pens followed the standard E-shaped pattern with 2 open fronted bays protected by earthen banks retained by dwarf-brick walls, each bay designed to hold one aircraft. On the south side of the airfield there are 8 E-shaped dispersed fighter pens, designed for single -engined fighter planes such as the Spitfire and Hurricane. One of these pens survives almost complete and is included within the scheduling (SE25449661). The pen measures circa 50 metres by 20 metres externally and defined by banks reaching 2 metres in height. The barbed wire fence and angle-iron fence posts running along the top of the earthen banks are thought to be original. The associated air raid shelter also survives largely intact. The second area of protection contains 3 well-preserved fighter pens (SE25199630). These pens are of a simple earthwork design, formed by a V-shaped bay cut into rising ground and extended with earth banking. Designed to protect a single-engined plane with its tail to the back of the V. Each pen measures around 18 metres wide at the mouth of the V and is roughly 10 metres deep. Set some way back from the airfield, and easily camouflaged with netting, these pens are thought to have been used for reserve rather than operational aircraft. Just to the south of the pens is a well-preserved, thickened type-22 pillbox, which would have held 5 Lewis or Bren machine guns. Hexagonal in plan with 2 feet (0.6 metres) thick walls constructed of reinforced concrete with outer and inner cladding of brick. Scheduled. (1)
The fighter pens described above are visible as earthworks on historic vertical air photographs and lidar-derived images. Similar features on RAF Catterick airfield are recorded in 1391330. (2-3) |