World War II Structures, to rear of 48 Kittys Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down

World War II Structures to Rear of 48 Kittys Road, Kilkeel

These are two surviving latrine blocks from Greencastle Aerodrome, built during the Second World War as part of an extensive military airfield complex. They represent austerity wartime construction—utilitarian buildings designed to maximise practicality while minimising material use.

The first structure is a single-storey, two-bay latrine block, aligned north-east to south-west. It has a mono-pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof with no rainwater goods. The walls are temporary construction of 100mm thick red brick, buttressed at intervals. The north-east gable contains a doorway on its right side; the south-west gable is blank. The north-west elevation has a single-paned small steel casement window at head height on each bay. The south-east elevation has two such windows on the left bay and one infilled opening on the right.

The second structure is a single-storey, single-bay latrine block with similar construction: mono-pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof and no rainwater goods, 100mm temporary red brick walls with buttressing. The north-west elevation has a doorway at left. The north-east elevation has a small window opening with no cill, which formerly contained a single-paned steel casement. The south-east elevation has a vent and no openings. The south-west elevation has two infilled window openings.

Between the two buildings runs a contemporary concrete road aligned south-west to north-east, with several concrete plinths—presumably floor platforms—leading from it.

Historical Context

A 1946 map of Greencastle Aerodrome identifies these latrines within 'Living Site Five'. Their materials and design are typical of hastily constructed temporary wartime airfield buildings and are similar to Air Ministry design number 9026/41. Living Site Five originally contained approximately fifty buildings (excluding air raid shelters), of which only these latrines now remain; the others, mostly Nissen huts, were sold after the war.

Greencastle Aerodrome was one of over 600 airfields in Britain at the end of the Second World War, and one of 29 in Northern Ireland. Construction began in spring 1942, with Carmichael of Edinburgh as main contractor. Kilkeel RAF Station was commissioned on 30 July 1942 and handed over to the United States Army Airforce on 3 August 1943, becoming Station 237—one of twelve American airfields in Northern Ireland. The station's principal buildings were of utility construction and dispersed around the locality to avoid concentrated enemy bombing, with the radar station furthest away at Maghereagh to the north-east. The airfield served as a satellite to Langford Lodge near Antrim, preparing aircraft for operational bases in East Anglia. It also housed a Combat Crew Replacement Centre from 20 December 1943 to autumn 1944, training American aircrews arriving for operations.

The base was returned to RAF control on 31 May 1945 and decommissioned shortly afterwards. The buildings remained in Air Ministry ownership until the early 1960s, when they were sold back to local owners. These latrine blocks are now recorded as derelict structures of industrial archaeological interest.