VSM Estates Ltd MoDEL RAF West Ruislip Historical Building Survey Plate 1: Interior view of Shed 1 – Warehouse Version 1.0 – 30 November 2007 Plate 2: Aerial view of No.4 Stores Depot c.1921. Source: AIR 29/960 ii RAF West Ruislip Contents Chapter 1: Executive Summary & Notes on Sources 1.1: Introduction........................................................................................1 1.2: Limitation of Survey............................................................................2 1.3: Notes on Sources ..............................................................................3 1.4: Acknowledgements............................................................................4 Chapter 2: History 2.1: Background to No.4 Stores Depot......................................................5 2.2: Costs..................................................................................................6 2.3: Construction.......................................................................................7 2.4: Water Supply ...................................................................................10 2.5: Land Purchase.................................................................................10 2.6: Closing of Footpaths........................................................................12 2.7: Packing, Stores and Workshops – 1918-1920..................................12 2.8: Homice Scheme...............................................................................13 2.9: 1921 to 1938....................................................................................13 2.10: RAF Maintenance Command ...........................................................14 2.11: No.4 Maintenance Unit – 1939-1940................................................16 2.12: No.4 Maintenance Unit – 1941.........................................................19 2.13: No.64 Maintenance Unit – Ammunition Storage...............................20 2.14: No.4 Maintenance Unit – Overhaul and Repair Centre ....................21 2.15: No.4 Maintenance Unit – Radio Section...........................................23 2.16: Post WWII – Vehicle Repair .............................................................25 2.17: Other Repair, overhaul and Conversion Projects .............................25 2.18: Post-WWII Radio Section.................................................................26 2.19: Shed Allocation for October 1949.....................................................27 2.20: Rundown and Closure .....................................................................27 Chapter 3: The RAF Record Office & Medical Survey Office 3.1: RAF Record Office...........................................................................29 3.2: Medical Survey Office......................................................................31 Chapter 4: Gazetteer of Surviving Buildings & Structures 4.1: Shed 1 (1)........................................................................................33 4.2: Housing Welcome Centre Annexe (2) ..............................................40 4.3: AM Works Services Building (3).......................................................41 4.4: Thrift Shop (4)..................................................................................43 4.5: Depot Offices (5)..............................................................................44 4.6: Depot Offices Annexe (6).................................................................46 4.7: Depot Offices Annexe (7).................................................................47 iii RAF West Ruislip 4.8: Depot Offices Toilet Annexe (8) .......................................................48 4.9: Depot Offices Air-Raid Shelter (9) ....................................................49 4.10: Guardhouse (10)..............................................................................51 4.11: MT Sheds (11,12 & 13)....................................................................53 4.12: Gas Station (14)...............................................................................59 4.13: Fairlight House (15)..........................................................................60 4.14: Children's Welfare & Family Services (168) .....................................63 4.15: Security Office (17) ..........................................................................66 4.16: Chapel (18)......................................................................................67 4.17: Gymnasium (19) ..............................................................................71 4.18 Squash Racquets Court (20)............................................................73 4.19: Poligon Picnic Shelter (21 and 21a) ................................................74 4.20: Dugouts (22)....................................................................................75 4.21: Transformer Building (23).................................................................76 4.22: Baseball Diamond and Field House (24) ..........................................77 4.23: Boundary Marker Stones..................................................................78 Appendices Appendix 1: Parts Stored at No.4 Stores Depot Ruislip,1920 - 1930 ..............81 Appendix 2: Workload Data, 1920-1930..........................................................83 Appendix 3: Headquarter Officers of No.4 Stores Depot, 1919 -1930..............84 Appendix 4: Small Arms Ammunition Stock, 31-04-41 to 30-12-41 .................87 Appendix 5 Transportation Tonnage, 1941 and January to March 1944.........91 Appendix 6: Demolition, 27-11-07 ...................................................................92 Appendix 7: Sources.......................................................................................97 Map 1: RAF West Ruislip Survey Area, 28-10-07......................................3 Map 2: RAF West Ruislip Construction Phases.........................................4 Map 3: Ruislip No.4 Stores Depot .............................................................9 Map 4: No.4 MU & Record Office, 1922 -1938 ........................................15 Map 5: Universal Equipment Depots & Supply Areas, 03-09-39..............16 Plan 1: Shed 1, Bays 'A' to 'D' .................................................................99 Plan 2: Shed 1, Bays 'E' to 'G' ...............................................................100 Plan 3: MT Vehicle Shed (135) .............................................................101 iv RAF West Ruislip Appendix 7 Plates Plate 1: Interior view of Shed 1 – Warehouse........................................................i Plate 2: Aerial view of No.4 Stores Depot c.1921. Source: AIR 29/960 ................ii Plate 3: Shed No.1 .............................................................................................14 Plate 4: Shed No.1, Bay 'B' ................................................................................19 Plate 5: Regimental Site – 86-Man Barrack Hut .................................................32 Plate 6: Regimental Site – Guardhouse..............................................................32 Plate 7: Interior View of Shed 1, Bay ‘B‘ .............................................................36 Plate 7: Shed 1, Bay 'A'......................................................................................36 Plate 8: Shed 1, Bay 'A' – interior view of trusses and wind bracing struts..........37 Plate 9: Shed 1, Bay 'A' – interior view ...............................................................37 Plate 10: Shed 1, Bay 'D' – interior view .............................................................38 Plate 11: Shed 1, Bay 'E' – interior view .............................................................38 Plate 12: Surviving railway platform of Shed 2....................................................39 Plate 13: Welcome Housing Centre Annexe (127) .............................................40 Plate 14: Welcome Housing Centre Annexe (127) .............................................40 Plate 15: AM Works & Bricks Offices (127) ........................................................41 Plate 16: AM Works & Bricks Offices (127) ........................................................42 Plate 17: AM Works & Bricks Offices (127) ........................................................42 Plate 18: Thrift Shop – view looking north ..........................................................43 Plate 19 Depot Offices .......................................................................................44 Plate 20: Depot Offices 2007..............................................................................45 Plate 21: Depot Offices c.1995...........................................................................45 Plate 22: Depot Offices Annexe (115) ................................................................46 Plate 23: Depot Offices & Annexe (115).............................................................46 Plate 24: Depot Offices Annexe (240) ................................................................47 Plate 25: Depot Offices Annexe (240) ................................................................47 Plate 26: Depot Office Ablutions Annexe (241) – south-east view looking .........48 Plate 27: Depot Offices Ablutions Annexe (241) – view looking south ................48 Plate 28: Depot Offices Air-Raid Shelter – view looking north-east.....................49 Plate 29: Interior view of Air-Raid Shelter