Chocs away ! Traditional Cache
Professor Xavier: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.
If you wish to email me please send your email via my profile (click on my name) and quote the cache name and number.
Regards
Ed - Professor Xavier
Volunteer UK Reviewer - www.geocaching.com
UK Geocaching Wiki - https://wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/United+Kingdom
Geocaching.com Help Center http://support.groundspeak.com//index.php
UK Geocaching Information & Resources http://www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This can be part of a lovely circular walk starting at Throwley Forstal, or a shorter walk up a bridleway to GZ. A simple enough walk, but for most of the year the thicket is bordered by nettles and brambles...so getting through them unscathed may be the hardest part.
You’re on the site of an important World War 1 airfield, created in 1917 for the Royal Flying Corps. The main aircraft based here were Sopwith Pups but these were soon upgraded to Sopwith Camels, (& eventually Sopwith Snipes, then Armstrong Whitworth FK8s).
Aircraft were frequently damaged on take off or landing and some pilots were killed. Throwley Churchyard has the graves of two such pilots who both got into spins & crashed, which was a particular problem with the Camel owing to too much torque making right hand turns particularly dangerous. From time to time the Sopwith Camels conducted night flights which were quite risky given the lack of equipment available at the time. Indeed, pilots were trained by flying in daylight using coloured goggles.
The planes that took off from this field protected London and the Thames Estuary. Attacking Zeppelins was common but usually unsuccessful owing to the airships’ ability to fly higher than our biplanes. Against the German Gotha bombers pilots were more successful. Indeed, there’s a tale of one pilot who had just lit his pipe and poured a cup of tea who, on the alarm being raised, jumped in his Camel, chased down a bomber, shot it down and got back to his still warm cuppa... apparently his pipe was still glowing as well!! Interestingly one of the most common unit markings for the squadrons based here was the Swastika, (this was before the RAF was formed and standardised them). It’s hard to imagine now, after the evils of WW2, but in the latter days of the British Empire it was not uncommon for our own military units to use that ancient Eastern mystical symbol for their own good luck.
At first the accommodation was basic for men and machines and comprised of tents and canvas covered hangers. Later permanent buildings were erected in the woods beside you, (called Dodd’s Willows), whereas Bells Forstal Farm was used as the officer’s mess. In 1919, after the war, the buildings were auctioned off. The camp hall was used by the villagers with the last event being the harvest supper in 1973 after which the building suffered vandalism and was later pulled down. The remaining buildings were pulled down in the ‘80s, hence all the piles of concrete remains sited along the treeline.
This cache is placed amongst one such pile of concrete. It's a little sandwich box in a camo bag containing a log, a pencil, a range of small swaps and a special prize for the FTF!!
Parking for a circular walk is best around N51.15.102, E0.50.900. For a quick cache & dash pull in to N51.14.997, E0.51.156
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Zrgny tveqref
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures