RAOC Gazette - page 114
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
AIRSHIPS TO ASHES .\S reported briefly in the May GAZETTE the closure of Barlow marks the end of an era* The Corps first came to the Selby area ninety nine years ago when it occupied the Powder Magazine in Barlby. In those days, ammunition was brought up to the River Ouse by steamer and unloaded at the jetty and it was not until 1938 that ammunition and explosives were moved to the new depot at Barlow on land which was originally part of the Selby estate of Lord Londesborough. It had originally been bought in [913 by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd and an airship factory built on the site. Three rigid airships were built there—the R25, R29 and R33. The R29 made its name in September 1918 by being the only British rigid airship to engage an enemy submarine, the UB 115. The airship dropped a one hundred and twenty pound bomb and scored a hit, allowing ships to close in for the kill. The R33 flew from Barlow in March 1919. It was one of the most successful British rigid airships, being an exact copy of the German Zeppelin L33, which had been brought down, practically intact, in September 1916 in Essex. One of the large hangars, used for making gas bags and big components, still survives as does a double row of enormous concrete blocks used for anchoring the airships. Barnes Wallace, of later Wellington bomber and then Dambuster fame, served part of his apprentice- ship there as did Neville Shute who mentions the association in his book, Slide Rule. Armstrong Whitworth eventually sold the land, which was subsequently used as racing stables. Tn 1938, the then War Department bought the seven hundred acres of the land, extending from the village of Barlow to the banks of the Ouse and in 1939 stores were moved in from York as part of war time expansion. During the Second World War, Barlow Camp was built and in 1943, about five hundred German and Italian prisoners-of-war were accom- modated in the area which later became the post war married soldiers' quarters. By 1944 manning levels at the depot reached a peak of more than two thousand including troops, ATS, civilians and POWs and an RSG complete with Workshop came into being that year, One of the civilian Stores Officers at Barlow, now within sight of retiring, came to the Depot looking for a job when World War Two ended, but was strongly advised by local people to look elsewhere because Barlow was about to close and there was no* chance of making himself a career. That was over thirty years ago—but it came in the end, however, in the years between Barlow served the Corps well. It now appears that MOD will give up the site com- pletely. The local Selby District Council wishes to set up an industrial estate to create new jobs in the area, one of the Royal Ordnance Factories wants additional storage space. A Royal Navy team also had a look but, according to form, the favourite runner is the Central Electricity Generating Board which is soon to extend its mighty power station, located at Drax village nearby. Most people will have heard of Drax power station, a giant amongst giants this one, with its highest chimney in Europe which is also the largest multi-flue chimney in the world. It is of one thousand nine hundred and eighty megawatt power output and burns about four million tons of coal each year. The chimney and the buildings tower above Barlow village and the old Depot Those four million tons of coal each year on full output will result in millions of tons of ash, needing to be dumped during the life of the power station; dumping to a height of eighty feet over one hundred and forty eight acres of land has been mentioned (Yorkshire Evening Press). According to the same newspaper the site is to be Barlow! Already some three hundred and rive acres of the seven hundred and one originally purchased by the War Department have been sold by MOD to CEGB (the area of the old am- munition depot in fact) and the mountain of ash is daily getting higher and nearer to the old shortened perimeter. Selling the ammunition depot for the dumping of ash meant that the railway leading into the depot was severed, and it then became a road served depot only. This changed methods of materials handling and the narrow-gauge railway was no longer viable. This went in 1977. With the recent announcement by the government that a second power station is to be built at Drax (Drax B) to support the original Drax A, it is now accepted, with resignation by people in the village of Barlow, that the old Ordnance Depot will become the dumping ground for the additional ash yet to come and everything wQl be submerged and lost to sight! One thing which can be said in favour of the largest multi- flue chimney in the world and its supporting battery of cooling towers is that helicopters carrying VIP visitors had very little difficulty in locating Barlow! A built in navigational aid so to speak. So it was—from gunpowder carried by steamboat in 1882, to helicopters and power stations in 1980; the history of RAOC in the area of the small market town and inland port of Selby, But what a way to go, covered in ash and ousted by the biggest multi-flue chimney in the world. CORPS ITEMS FOR SALE FROM RAOC SECRETARIAT Corps Tie Officers Club Tie Golf Tie Colours Tie Lapel Badge (RAOC Association) Scarf (Worsted) Ice Bucket ATO Badge (No, 2 Dress) Combat Scarf/Cravat Short Corps History Playing Cards (red or blue) £1.50 £3.10 £4,00 £3.00 25p £2.00 £9,00 £1.70 50p £2.00 60p All prices except Playing Cards inclusive of postage. Cheques should be made payable to RAOC Con- solidated Account for all items except the Officers Club tie, payment for which should be made to RAOC Officers Club. |
| Book number | R0250 |