Barnham (Little Heath)

Military site

RAF Barnham started life in the First World War and during the Second World War was a chemical storage facility. Indications are that is was used by both UK and US forces due to its specialised nature.

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Detailed History

The US 765th Chemical Depot Company (Aviation) was formed on 23 October 1943 at Little Heath, consisting of Chemical Warfare Service officers and mostly "casual" enlisted men with little or no training with chemical munitions. The commanding officer was 1st Lt. Roth G. Zahn. The 765th joined the 754th Chemical Depot Company which was already operating at Little Heath. The 754th worked almost exclusively on the construction and operation of "Forward Filling Depot 1" to fill bombs and shells with mustard agent, much of which was stored in three 500-ton underground tanks. For most of the war, the 765th worked exclusively with incendiary bombs, serving as a major facility to receive bombs from the US, store them and distribute them as requested to air fields of the US VIII Air Force.

In October 1944, the 765th sent 5 volunteers to participate in joint British-US experimental work at the Chemical Experimental Station in Porton Down, Wiltshire. One of the volunteers suffered serious mustard burns during the experiments, but returned to service at Little Heath a few months later.

As the war ended, the 754th left Little Heath first, leaving the 765th to handle the reverse supply chain of both incendiary and toxic chemical munitions being returned from other bases. This including 32,000 100-pound M47A2 bombs and 5000 115-pound M70 bombs, both filled with mustard agent. They also shipped British “flying cow” mustard-filled bombs to R.A.F Maintenance Unit No. 51 near Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Revisions

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Sources

History was added from the Organizational History Reports of the 765th Chemical Depot Company, archived by the US Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, USA. Reel AO189, pp 1307-1447. A copy is also available online at https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zga92x3jv6ppac1cj8t74/765thOHRs.pdf?rlkey=j5uwpupuhb9qea4nmbm17m2q5&dl=0

The OHRs were declassified in 2007. Unfortunately, the microfilm camera was misaligned, so parts are difficult or impossible to read. Related information is available at www.hoosierscientist.com. I would especially appreciate help reading the name of the soldier who was burned in the mustard experiments (p. 1353)

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ContributorAAM
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Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985)