{"id":2758,"date":"2019-01-30T12:16:11","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T12:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archaeovision.eu\/?p=2758"},"modified":"2019-01-30T12:16:11","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T12:16:11","slug":"raf-ibsley-control-tower-laser-scanning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archaeovision.eu\/en\/projects\/raf-ibsley-control-tower-laser-scanning\/","title":{"rendered":"Laser Scanning at World War II RAF Ibsley Airfield Control Tower"},"content":{"rendered":"

In November 2018, Archaeovision member Gianna Gandossi conducted a laser scan survey of the World War II-era RAF Ibsley Airfield <\/a> Control Tower located outside of Ringwood, New Forest, Hampshire.<\/p>\n

The recording completed by Archaeovision falls under the Heritage Lottery funded Our Past, Our Future<\/a> <\/em>project which incorporates community based outreach within their Rediscovering and Conserving Our Archaeological Heritage<\/a> sub-project.<\/p>\n

Construction of an airfield at Ibsley began in 1940 at the early stages of World War II and was officially opened in February 1941. Soon after, Ibsley was chosen as a filming location for some of the action scenes in the wartime classic propaganda film, \u2018First of the Few.\u2019<\/em> As a busy RAF (Royal Air Force) and USAF (United States Air Force) fighter base, it was home to Hurricanes, Spitfires, Whirlwinds, Mustangs and Typhoons of 26 RAF and USAF squadrons. Units from the airfield flew operational missions over France, acted as Flying Instructors and Transport Command Glider Pick-Up Trainers, among many other missions. The airfield was placed on \u201cCare and Maintenance\u201d in October 1945 until its final closure in 1946.<\/p>\n

The airfield was later used as a race circuit managed by Ringwood Motor Cycle and Light Car Club until 1955. The area then became a key quarrying area in supplying the county with gravel and now presents itself pleasantly as a series of landscaped lakes. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust<\/a> manages the site today and two local organisations, the RAF Ibsley Historical Group<\/a> and the RAF Ibsley Airfield Heritage Trust<\/a>, exist to further interest in the old airfield. A wealth of information can be found at the Atlantikwall website<\/a>, including historical maps and photographs, and a flight simulator has been created, screenshots of which can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t