Can anyone tell me what this was used for?

[owensy]

I remember this 'building' from the old balcony and never found out what it was used for. Id guess as part of an old rifle range but not sure



Many thanks,

Paul

[phb]

The building was a gunnery range for aligning and test firing the guns of fighter aircraft. It was built in 1939 for No.611 Squadron, the first building of what was intended to be a 'permanent' RAF station on that side of the airfield, to replace the 'temporary' one on the Banks Lane side. The other buildings would mostly have been in the fields beyond the airfield boundary, towards Speke Hall, which had been leased by the Air Ministry. I've never been able to find a set of plans, but they were definitely drawn up in detail. The ROC post mentioned in another thread was later built on a small piece of this land. PHB

[viscount]

Would the building have been filled with sand or soil to absorb the rounds fired, or was the back brick wall sufficient?

Over the years in magazines I've seen pictures of tail-dragger fighters with the tail lifted on tressles to simulate flying attitude in order to check the angle of firing and gun sight. Ground firing wing mounted guns must have created quite a noise.

[northwestern]

The back wall is more than brick.

If you go inside the structure there is a secondary wall made made of hefty steel plate - think ocean liner construction. It is slightly raked forward so that any ricochets went down into the ground. A closer inspection reveals countless scrars from rounds that left their mark!

Would be nice to seeing the building put to some use but I cant see it happening..

[owensy]

thanks guys!

[phb]

To complete the story, 'viscount' is quite correct - the structure would be filled with sand to absorb the energy of the bullets hitting the brick or steel and bouncing off. Every so often the sand would be replaced and the old batch would be sieved to collect the lead from the bullets.
The last use for the building was to house yachts from the club that had its clubhouse on the shoreline nearby. PHB

[strings]

I remember as a young spotter going down the lane and sneaking throught he perimeter fence, crawling through the long grass thinking I couldn't be seen by anyone, to the old Hunter airframe that used to be on that side of the airfield....I think it had a gun in it still but that could have been folklore!!! Was this where the shed is?

[peterg]

Strings,
You are right, the Hunter was next to the Gunbuts, and it did have a gun in it, it was used by the Airport Fire Brigade for training.

Peter.

Attachments:

[SAHG]

There was a rumour floating around a couple of years back that this was to be demolished. We managed to rescue the two pickett hamilton forts that had been dumped there (one went to Millom, the other has sadly been destroyed) and after a couple of .303 casings were unearthed by the crane crew - I spent about 30 mins there with a metal detector. My prize? 18 spent .303 cartridges, a belt-buckle and the iron 'lid' from one of the forts.

Happily, the building was not demolished and is easy to access should your curiosity take you that way. The brickwork pillars either side of the building are peppered with bullet holes - I guess accuracy may have not been too good at times!

Roy.