World War II Structures, Adj to 19 Derryoge Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4JR

Group of eleven World War II structures that formed part of Greencastle Aerodrome's Living Site II, adjacent to 19 Derryoge Road, Kilkeel.

The structures comprise eight air raid shelters (A–H), a picket post (I), an ablutions block (J), and a latrine block (K). These buildings represent the austerity architecture of the Second World War, designed to minimise materials whilst maximising practical utility. Their architectural interest lies not in aesthetic achievement but in their historical significance, their temporary construction methods, and their short practical lifespan.

Air Raid Shelters (A–H)

The air raid shelters are single-storey rectangular structures built on concrete plinths. Each has a flush cast in-situ concrete roof with a corrugated iron framework overhanging at either end, resting on brick blast walls. The main walls are red brick laid in stretcher bond on their sides, 200 millimetres deep, with a central cavity filled with concrete. Two doorways at either end are sheltered beneath the concrete roof and protected by the end blast walls. Shelter G has windows inserted in its front (south-west) wall. Shelter H has undergone some internal alterations. All shelters remain substantially intact within the same field, illustrating the concentration of huts that once occupied the site.

Picket Post (I)

The picket post is a small single-storey structure of two bays, aligned north-west to south-east, constructed on a concrete plinth. It has a pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof with semicircular ridges and circular asbestos cement stops, and moulded asbestos cement bargeboards with no rainwater goods. The walls are cement-rendered temporary brickwork 100 millimetres thick, with buttresses forming bays and supporting the roof structure. The south-west elevation has a single door on the right (narrower) bay and a window opening on the left bay, now containing a modern louvred vent. The north-west gable has three bays; on either side are narrow blocked-up window openings. The north-east elevation has a blocked-up door to the left and an infilled window to the right. The south-east gable has a blocked-up door left of centre, now fitted with a modern louvred window, flanked by single-paned shoulder-height windows (both blocked up) and a fixed window to the right. This structure matches Air Ministry drawing number 14294/40.

Ablutions Block (J)

The ablutions block is a single-storey structure of nine and a half bays, aligned north-east to south-west, constructed on a concrete plinth. Each bay is approximately 10 feet wide. It has a pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof with raised ventilators, semicircular ridges with circular asbestos cement stops, moulded asbestos cement bargeboards, and no rainwater goods. The cement-rendered temporary brickwork walls, 100 millimetres thick, have buttresses at regular intervals forming bays and supporting the roof structure. The north-east gable has three bays with buttresses and a pair of sheeted top-hung doors to the centre. A single three-paned steel casement window is located on a side bay. The north-west elevation has a single three-paned steel casement window without cills to each bay; some are infilled. The south-east elevation is partially abutted by a modern silage bay, exposing only the right three and a half bays, each with a single window (some infilled), with a sliding door to the exposed left bay. The south-west gable has been wholly demolished and replaced with a large pair of corrugated doors. It is likely that this gable once held a water tower, as found on other similar structures in the locality. The ablutions block is similar in design to examples illustrated in Lowery's guide to 20th Century Defences in Britain.

Latrine Block (K)

The latrine block is a single-storey structure of two bays, aligned north-east to south-west, with smooth cement walls over temporary brick. The roof is a monopitched corrugated asbestos cement structure, representing an alteration from its original gable form. The south-east elevation has a 2 by 3 metal window and plywood door to the left bay, with an infilled window to the right bay. The south-west elevation is blank. The north-west elevation has a three-paned modern vent to the left and a partly infilled former door to the right bay, with an infilled window beyond. The north-east gable is blank. This structure is design 9026/41 in the Air Ministry records.

Historical Context

According to the 1946 Air Ministry map of Greencastle Aerodrome, these buildings formed part of Living Site Two. Living Site Two originally comprised approximately 60 structures (excluding the air raid shelters), of which only these buildings remain. The vast majority of other structures were Nissen huts, subsequently sold after the war.

Greencastle Aerodrome was one of over 600 airfields constructed in Britain by the end of the Second World War, with 29 located in Northern Ireland. Construction began in spring 1942, with Carmichael of Edinburgh serving as the main contractor. The station was commissioned as Kilkeel RAF Station on 30th July 1942 and handed over to the United States Army Air Force on 3rd August 1943, becoming Station 237, one of 12 American airfields in Northern Ireland. Its principal building groups were of utility construction and dispersed around the local area to minimise the risk of concentrated enemy bombing. The radar station was positioned furthest away, at Maghereagh to the north-east of Kilkeel. The station served as a satellite to Langford Lodge near Antrim, where aircraft were prepared for operational bases in East Anglia. A secondary role was as a training school for American aircrew; the Combat Crew Replacement Centre was established on 20th December 1943 and disbanded in autumn 1944. The base was handed back to the RAF on 31st May 1945 and decommissioned shortly afterwards. The structures remained in Air Ministry ownership until the early 1960s, when they were sold back to local landowners.