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THE MORAY COUNCIL RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND This document is of UK origin and is © BACTEC International Limited. It contains proprietary information which is disclosed for the purposes of assessment and evaluation only. The contents of this document shall not in whole or in part : (i) be used for any other purpose, (ii) be disclosed to any member of the recipient’s organisation not having a need to know such information nor to any third party individual, organisation or government, (iii) be stored in any retrieval system nor be reproduced or transmitted in any form by photocopying or any optical, electronic, mechanical or other means, without the prior written permission of the Managing Director, BACTEC International Limited, 37 Riverside, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Rochester, Kent ME2 4DP, United Kingdom. EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT ASSESSMENT OF RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND FOR THE MORAY COUNCIL 9445 TA 05/12/2007 9445 TA 05/12/2007 i BACTEC International Limited THE MORAY COUNCIL RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND DISTRIBUTION Copy Number Recipient 1. The Moray Council 2. The Moray Council 3. BACTEC International Limited Date of Issue 5th December 2007 Copy No 1 9445 TA 05/12/2007 ii BACTEC International Limited THE MORAY COUNCIL RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND GLOSSARY OF TERMS AAA Anti-Aircraft Artillery ARP Air-raid Precautions BD Bomb Disposal (older term for EOD) BDO Bomb Disposal Officer BDS Bomb Disposal Squad DoRIS Department of Research and Information Services, RAF Hendon EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal (current term for “bomb” disposal) FTS Flying Training School HE High Explosive HG Home Guard IB Incendiary Bomb kg Kilogram LSA Land Service Ammunition Luftwaffe German Air Force m bgl Metres Below Ground Level MoD Ministry of Defence MU Maintenance Unit PM Parachute Mine RAF Royal Air Force RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force SAA Small Arms Ammunition SI Site Investigation Sqn Squadron (RAF) USAF United States Air Force UXB Unexploded Bomb UXO Unexploded Ordnance V-1 “Doodlebug” the first cruise type missile, used against London from June 1944. V stands for Vergeltungswaffe (Vengeance) V-2 The first ballistic missile, used against London from September 1944 WWI First World War (1914 -1918) WWII Second World War (1939 – 1945) 9445 TA 05/12/2007 iii BACTEC International Limited THE MORAY COUNCIL RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Site: The site encompasses the bomb stores area of former RAF Forres in Moray, Scotland, approximately 1.5km west of the village of Forres. It covers an area of approximately 0.8 hectares and is centred on the approximate OS Grid Reference: NJ 017 570. The site currently comprises of agricultural land and five residential properties with gardens. A road runs through the site from north to south splitting close to the southern boundary where one road goes in a south-westerly direction to ‘Mundole Farm’ located to the south- west of the site and the other continues to exit the site to the south. The residential properties are located along the southern boundary of the road. Proposed Works: At the time of writing no formal intrusive works were planned on the site. The report aims to assess the risk of encountering ordnance during any form of intrusive works in the area of the former bomb stores. Future intrusive investigation works, including trial pits and boreholes, as part of the contaminated land investigations may be considered. Site History: RAF Forres was brought into operation on April 27th 1940 as a grass-surface bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU) satellite, when ‘D’ Flight of 19 OTU moved from RAF Kinloss. From then until October 22nd 1944 it was used almost constantly by Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, twin-engined, bomber aircraft. After 19 OTU left the satellite in October 1944 it was loaned to the War Department and there is no further record of any military flying use. Explosive Ordnance Risk Assessment: BACTEC believes that there is a risk of encountering unexploded ordnance when conducting shallow intrusive works on the site, in the gardens of the houses, and in the surrounding land of the bomb stores area at former RAF Forres. This risk assessment takes into account the following facts: a. RAF Forres was used between 1940 and 1944 by ‘D’ Flight of 19 OTU as a grass-surface bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU) satellite. It is possible that this military occupation may have left a legacy of explosive ordnance contamination at the airfield. b. Previous experience has shown that house-keeping on RAF bases during WWII was poor. During mitigation works on other historic airfield sites across the UK many items of ordnance have been recovered from the ground, particularly in the area surrounding the bomb stores. c. The base was only occupied for a short period of four years during the war and it is unlikely that the RAF, upon leaving, would have conducted a thorough clearance of the bomb stores area. Regulations regarding the storage of bombs and other items of explosive ordnance were very strict and the consequences of having more ordnance in the stores than should actually have been there were often severe. As a result surplus ordnance would often be disposed of (either burnt, destroyed or buried) in the surrounding area. Most items of ordnance also had a ‘life expectancy’, once the ordnance had reached this life expectancy it was often much easier to discard it on site than to follow the correct disposal procedures. d. When burning items of ordnance, large pits would be made in areas of open land, often close to bomb stores. Once it was perceived that all the ordnance had been burnt the pits would often be infilled without checking for unburnt items. In many cases items would often be left buried intact with only slight damage. e. SAA and LSA (grenades, mortars, bullets etc.) would have been available for use by ground personnel and potentially used by the Home Guard during exercises at the airfield and stored on site, primarily in the bomb stores area. It is possible that any such items which were discarded on site may be encountered during intrusive works. f. There is considered to be a low risk of encountering German unexploded bombs on the site as there is no evidence to suggest the site was attacked by the Luftwaffe during WWII. g. Although construction works have taken place in the area since the end of WWII, much of the land has remained undeveloped and therefore any UXO still existing on the site post-war would have remained in situ to the present day. h. It is possible that in areas where fields have been cultivated post-war, items of ordnance may have been unearthed and therefore the risk of encountering further ordnance may have been reduced. However, 9445 TA 05/12/2007 iv BACTEC International Limited THE MORAY COUNCIL RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND BACTEC’s previous experience has found that this cannot always be guaranteed as UXO may be buried just below the cultivation depth. i. No records of RAF EOD clearance tasks are available in the public domain and therefore it has not been possible to find out whether the bomb stores area has already been cleared post-war. Even if the stores area had been cleared it can still not be guaranteed that the area would be free from UXO as clearance was not always thorough as it was restricted by the equipment available to them at the time. j. Prime responsibility for airfield clearance was with the RAF however it is possible that the Army 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) may have carried out a clearance task in this area. Although a request has been made for this information, at the time of writing this report it had not been received. Based on the findings of this study, the risk to the activities and situations discussed in the ‘Aim’ section of the report are summarised below: • The likelihood of the general public encountering UXO. It is possible that in areas of land that have remained undeveloped or uncultivated items of UXO may be located very close to the surface especially where there are bushes and shrubs. As a result there is a possibility that the general public may encounter items of ordnance. • The likelihood of residents undertaking general activities (gardening etc.) and encountering UXO. • The likelihood of encountering UXO during the building of extensions / garages etc. which require foundations to be dug, or during the digging of general excavations deeper than normal gardening activity. • The risk of encountering UXO during any future ground investigation works. Any form of excavation, no matter how shallow, has the potential to unearth items of live ordnance, especially in areas that have remained undisturbed since the end of WWII. This would include the gardens to the properties that have been built on the site. Although agricultural practices and the post-war construction of residential properties may have reduced the risk of encountering shallow buried ordnance, the possibility that it may still remain can not be completely discounted. Risk Mitigation Measures: Taking into account the findings of this study BACTEC considers that there is a threat from shallow-buried UXO in the area of the former bomb stores. The risk is considered to be highest in areas that have remained undeveloped or uncultivated since the end of WWII. BACTEC can offer the following mitigation measures in order to reduce the risk of encountering ordnance during any intrusive works in the area of the former bomb stores. • Unexploded Ordnance Site Safety Instructions. • Explosive Ordnance Safety and Awareness Briefings to all personnel conducting intrusive works. • Non-Intrusive Advanced Geophysical System (AGS) Survey and target investigation ahead of any intrusive works.

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