Taken two days ago, this was the ablutions building of the 728th BS, 452nd BG(H) who flew B-17s from Deopham Green in Norfolk.

This building - one of the very few remaining at Deopham Green - is very close to total collapse and surely cannot survive much longer. A man in a nearby cottage ( who thought I was 'spying' on him ) cooled down when I explained the purpose of my visit. He'd never heard of the 452nd and said he couldn't wait for the farmer to pull down 'those ****ing old huts'.

I felt disheartened.




Think of all the crews who were roused at 02:00, 03:00, washing and shaving in the freezing cold before walking along the concrete pathway to the left for the mess halls and briefing, wondering where they'd be going today......

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Thanks for posting the picture Martin ! I had to look up the word ablutions in the dictionary !

Did you get any inside pictures ? Too bad so many people are not interested in history, espcially since you live in such a history rich country. [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

Well TA - you did ask ! This is the sad sight inside...




Almost buried in the undergrowth nearby is the original 728th Bomb Squadron Orderly Office : -




With an inside view ( the blue paint on the walls is original.. )



All the squadron paperwork would have been done here, and new crews would have had to report to this office. ( Imagine the 'Sergeant McIlhenny' scenes in 'Twelve O'Clock High' ...)

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Thank you Martin ! [img]graemlins/salute.gif[/img]

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

Wow, nice pics Martin.

Ta is right though, it is a shame there isn't more interest in history. Then again, as someone once said to me, there comes a time when you just can't preserve any more.

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Great Pics, Martin! You should have told the old boy that the huts were riddled with asbestos; I did that with an old Bevin Boy camp near me that the owner was threatening to demolish. Ten years on, it's still there!

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Regards,

Gordon
History Vault Bookshop
FortressScotland-http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

The 'old boy' was a lot younger than me - a skinhead-type who probably owns a pit-bull terrier. Interestingly, in all my years of trespassing, this was the only time I'd ever been shouted and sworn at....

...and I was standing on a public road.... [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Now you're an archaeologist, Martin! [img]graemlins/salute.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Same here-only been refused entry to a site once in all my years of peregrination......

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Regards,

Gordon
History Vault Bookshop
FortressScotland-http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

The truly disturbing thing was that I'd parked my car - legally - walked along a public road - legally , stopped and looked at the buildings ( which are not on this guy's property ), camera in hand.....and neanderthal man appears at his door, yelling 'Oi ! You ! **** off !' before striding toward me.

Amazingly, I didn't lose my temper ( although I felt like it...), explained my purpose, and he said I could take all the pictures I wanted ; which was jolly big of him, seeing that the buildings weren't even his.

Bizarre, potentially violent behaviour - but I suppose that's what we must expect in 21st Century Britain.... [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

True Martin, there's always one. Experienced something similar once when I went to photograph what's left of the old wartime military hospital at Killearn, Stirlingshire. The owners of the various plots on site have had no end of trouble with the local planning dept, so I was told in no uncertain terms I could take as many pictures as I liked-from the main road into the north side of Glasgow, with lorries hurtling past me!
If only I had thought to do it 30 years ago, when the place was derelict and no-one gave a monkeys.........

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Regards,

Gordon
History Vault Bookshop
FortressScotland-http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

Peregrination and ablutions ! My dictionary is getting tired !

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

We amateur archaeologists are quite erudite, Ta..... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Nice photographs as always Martin.

Ignorant youth? Hey, sounds like America.

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*Bumped* for Skipper67 and others....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

thanks for the bump Martin!!
I wonder if the farmer would be willing to sell, i've re-habbed houses that looked like that! I'd love to get my hands on it and restore it to original! Otherwise as happens on this side of the pond in our "disposable society", we tear down and build new!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

I think I need to send Martin on another wishful quest real soon....more into Mossie NF country

~ E

Martin I hate you for being there and being able to see all this personally while I sit here and marvel at these amazing photos. Good takes!

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Not many relics left there I'm afraid, Erich....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Martin I am changing subject matter ever so slightly but you have been to take pics of 100th group buildings and then seperately to 85th squad if I remember correct ? wasn't there some sort of art work on the wall with possible victory lists of 85th squad over the fireplace still intact or am I thinking another one of your many visits elsewhere >

E ~

It was in fact the scoreboards for 23 & 515 Squadrons at RAF Little Snoring which I photographed. 85 Squadron ( Branse Burbridge, etc ) flew from RAF Swannington - the scoreboards still exist but I believe are in private hands and not on public view.....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

ok do not remember the 23rd was a Mossie nf unit Martin or ?