Monument record MBC47945 - Second World War Royal Air Force camp, Site No 3 (Communal) RAF Wescott.

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp, Site No 3 (Communal) RAF Wescott, is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in fields S of the former military airfield and centred at SP 71634 15925, the (Communal) Site No 3 comprised a sentry box (RAF picket post) that leads to a bucket emptying platform, WAAF personnel barracks and ablutions block, an other ranks dining room (mess) and cinema, ration store, squash court, officers mess, Commanding Officer’s quarters, officers bath house and latrine, sergeants mess, sergeants showers and ablutions, gymnasium, fuel compound, airmens’ ablution and showers, a stand by set house, grocery and local produce store, airmens’ institute and latrines, post office, barbers, tailors and shoemakers, 27 brick-built and earth-bermed open-topped blast shelters and 2 earth covered air raid (Stanton?) shelters, all linked by a road and pathway network. A linear drainage ditch has been created along the SE facing side of the camp and there is a probable sewer or large drain connecting the small WAAF enclosure identified on the 1945 Air Ministry drawing as the ‘Tree Club ‘. Between 1949 and 1952 a rectangular area about 35 x 30 metres that was likely a sports ground or possibly tennis courts had been constructed adjacent the airmen’s Institute. It may have been a parade ground but seems small for this purpose. Seven of the blast shelters have been demolished and levelled by 1952, another by 1961 and the remainder by 1999. Camp buildings start to be demolished from 1947 onwards, with the largest amount demolished between 1961 and 1999. On aerial photographs taken in 2023, the former gymnasium remains extant, as is the fuel compound, the road network and some pathways. The concrete building platforms of many of the larger buildings remain visible. Many of the paths and roads are also still visible (1-10).