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Archaeology Notes

Event ID 850408

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/850408

NK04SW 25 centred 0265 4277

Incorporates information from incorrectly located airship station NK04NW 29

Although there is no trace of it today, there was an airship patrol station here from 1916 to 1918. In 1917 a sub-station was established at Auldbar [Aldbar: NO55NE 40], four miles NW of Montrose.

D J Smith 1983.

Longside airship station was established in 1915-16 as a major element of the strategic network protecting the British coastline, and, as such, was intended the accommodate the larger 'Coastal' or 'North Sea' types of non-rigid craft as well as those of the embryo rigid fleet. Accommodation at such stations typically comprised a rigid-airship shed flanked on each side by a smaller 'coastal' shed, these being stepped forward forward to afford a sheltered area in front of the rigid shed. The assemblage was aligned with the direction of the prevailing wind. The rigid shed at Longside measured 150ft 6ins (45.87m) in width, so as to be able to house two of the earlier 23-class rigids.

G D Hay and G P Stell 1986.

Remains of airship station. Air photographs: AAS/97/04/G8/23-4 and AAS/97/04/CT.

NMRS, MS/712/29.

National Archive documents (AIR 1/453/15/312/26 vol VI) show the exact location of both the domestic site, immediately S of the public road from Newton to Auchtydore about 630m NE of Olrig Croft.

The three airship hangars were at NK0298 4256, NK 0302 4272 and NK 0318 4258, now within the coniferous plantation to the S and SE of Easterton of Lenabo. The current OS 1:2500 scale digital map shows three rectangular gaps in the trees which correspond to the site of the airship hangars.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), July 2006; MS 879/63/2

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