RAF Blakelaw

RAF Blakelaw (sometimes known as RAF Newcastle) was a Royal Air Force station which acted as headquarters for No.13 Group during the Second World War and which was located in Blakelaw, Northumberland (now a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne).

RAF Blakelaw
Near Kenton Bar, Tyne and Wear in England
Plaque commemorating the bunkers at Kenton and Blakelaw
RAF Blakelaw is located in Tyne and Wear
RAF Blakelaw
RAF Blakelaw
Shown within Tyne and Wear
Coordinates55.0002°N 1.6633°W / 55.0002; -1.6633
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Site history
Built1939 (1939)
In use1939-1945 (1945)
Battles/warsSecond World War
Garrison information
OccupantsNo. 13 Group RAF

Function

The station was established in Spring 1940 to act as headquarters for No.13 Group whose area encompassed North of the Humber and all of Scotland. The Operations Centre of No. 13 Group was housed there in three buildings (Operations Room, Filter Room and Communications Centre), which were partially buried for protection, in a similar way to buildings for No. 9 Group RAF at RAF Barton Hall, No. 10 Group RAF at RAF Box, No. 11 Group RAF at RAF Uxbridge, No. 12 Group RAF at RAF Watnall and No. 14 Group RAF at Raigmore House.[1] No.13 Group merged with No. 14 Group in July 1943.[2]

Operations room (grid reference NZ 21639 67345,[3] 55.0002°N 1.6633°W / 55.0002; -1.6633 (Operations room))
The operations room, responsible for directing RAF aircraft in the No. 13 Group area, was located in a bunker at Kenton Bar. It was fully operational by December 1939. When No.13 Group merged with No. 14 Group in July 1943 the operations room was converted for use as a sector operations room and continued in that use until Summer 1945. The operations room was used as a regional war room from the early 1950s until the early 1960s.[4]

Filter room (grid reference NZ 21400 66900,[2] 54.9962°N 1.6670°W / 54.9962; -1.6670 (Filter room))
The Filter room, responsible for filtering large quantities of intelligence on enemy activity before it was passed to the operations room, was located in a bunker at Blakelaw Quarry. It was fully operational by late 1940. When No.13 Group merged with No. 14 Group in July 1943 the filter room was taken out of use. The filter room was acquired by Newcastle City Council and was used as a civil defence centre from 1952 until 1968.[2]

The Communications centre has not been found.[1]

See also

References
  1. Catford, Nick (1 December 2004). "Kenton Bar 13 Group Fighter Command Headquarters and Regional War Room". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. "Blakelaw 13 Fighter Group Filter room". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. "RAF Newcastle". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. "RAF Blakelaw 13 Group Fighter Command". Bunker 13. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
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