EPW030065 ENGLAND (1929). The R101 airship on its first test flight, Shortstown, 1929

In WW2 it was used for parachute packing, assembling and testing barrage balloons and the like. After WW2 it continued to be used for balloons used by the Met Office for weather research by 'flying' instruments suspended from the balloons at heights up to 10,000 feet. RAF kit issues to national servicemen also took place here.



In 1970, the Fire Research Station (FRS) rented part of the hanger to carry out fire tests which were too big to be housed in any of its experimental buildings at Borehamwood. Eventually the whole hanger was taken over by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) (of which FRS had become part) and the range of fire tests and other work was considerably expanded. I have memories of having to climb up to the central roof walkway (163ft off the floor) to install instruments over the first fire test rig erected in 1970, and spent much of my working life in this hanger, including driving open and shut the very large doors at the end of the hanger.

In 1997, BRE was privatised out of the Civil Service. There was less work which required the hanger's size, and eventually BRE moved out.