Charleville.
PeterH
Where is this?
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Greynomad
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Re: Where is this?
And today's cigar goes to PETERH!!
Yes, Charleville is the town.
Close to the Sky Centre (or whatever they call it), is the remains of a USAF secret air base from which both USAF and RAAF planes tested the Norden Bomb-Sight. It was so secret, only nine prototypes were made: THREE were sent to Oz, THREE went to Canada, and THREE were kept in Good Ol' USofA.
The pilots were not allowed to see them. The Bomb-aimer signed one out from this vault (with 24h armed guards), and took it - covered with a towel, and accompanied by an armed escort - to the aircraft & installed it. (Incidentally, the guards had no idea what they were guarding!
)
Pilot & crew were then allowed on board to fly the test-runs over open desert nearby where targets were marked on the ground.
On landing, the procedure was reversed: crew departed, bomb-aimer removed said device, covered it with the towel, and the armed escort met the plane to take both man & machine to the vault to sign the thing back in.
Once it was proven accurate, it was mass produced (I think in USA) & fitted to all Allied bombers on the European front.
As the testing developed from daylight runs to 24-hour tests in all weathers, more men were assigned to the base. Ended up there were more men on the base than the original hygiene facilities could cope with, so the Bitumen Baths were dug & lined for men to remain clean & sweat-free in the sub-tropical weather. And no-one in Charleville knew (officially) what was going on... although there were many fanciful rumours.
"In the absence of facts, men will invent their own truth." as some wag once said.
Yes, Charleville is the town.
Close to the Sky Centre (or whatever they call it), is the remains of a USAF secret air base from which both USAF and RAAF planes tested the Norden Bomb-Sight. It was so secret, only nine prototypes were made: THREE were sent to Oz, THREE went to Canada, and THREE were kept in Good Ol' USofA.
The pilots were not allowed to see them. The Bomb-aimer signed one out from this vault (with 24h armed guards), and took it - covered with a towel, and accompanied by an armed escort - to the aircraft & installed it. (Incidentally, the guards had no idea what they were guarding!
)Pilot & crew were then allowed on board to fly the test-runs over open desert nearby where targets were marked on the ground.
On landing, the procedure was reversed: crew departed, bomb-aimer removed said device, covered it with the towel, and the armed escort met the plane to take both man & machine to the vault to sign the thing back in.
Once it was proven accurate, it was mass produced (I think in USA) & fitted to all Allied bombers on the European front.
As the testing developed from daylight runs to 24-hour tests in all weathers, more men were assigned to the base. Ended up there were more men on the base than the original hygiene facilities could cope with, so the Bitumen Baths were dug & lined for men to remain clean & sweat-free in the sub-tropical weather. And no-one in Charleville knew (officially) what was going on... although there were many fanciful rumours.
"In the absence of facts, men will invent their own truth." as some wag once said.
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Last edited by Greynomad on Sun Jan 29, 2017 12:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
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T1 Terry
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Re: Where is this?
I knew I'd seen the top secret thing as part of something biggerGreynomad wrote:David,
Right state, wrong town...
The Info Sign tells you what it is, but fortunately for me, doesn't say where it is.
Keep guessing, everyone!
WW 2 - Bitumen Baths.jpg
HINT: It's a good place to look up.
Here's another view of the Bitumen Bath:
WW 2 - Hole II.jpg
And this Top Secret Thing was why the troops were stationed there.
WW 2 - Secret Thing.jpg
Wotizit?
http://www.twinbeech.com/images/bombsig ... 355web.JPG
It is the bomb site used as part of the WW2 atomic bomb drop on Japan, no wonder it was so top secret that not even the locals knew about it or the US airforce base
T1 Terry
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves
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Greynomad
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Re: Where is this?
T1,
I think that's the same pic inside the vault, which is now padlocked & part of a tour.
They have an actual Norden in the vault (the one I photographed). One of the museum staff saw it advertised on eBay in USA & bought it with his own funds - at the "Buy It Now" price [plus shipping costs
] - before anyone else could bid on it! (Naturally, he was reimbursed 
)
I think that's the same pic inside the vault, which is now padlocked & part of a tour.
They have an actual Norden in the vault (the one I photographed). One of the museum staff saw it advertised on eBay in USA & bought it with his own funds - at the "Buy It Now" price [plus shipping costs
] - before anyone else could bid on it! (Naturally, he was reimbursed )
Last edited by Greynomad on Sun Jan 29, 2017 12:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
-
Greynomad
- Posts: 9025
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:16 pm
- Location: Rutherglen, Vic.
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Re: Where is this?
Anyone else have an interesting pic to share???
Regards & God bless,
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
-
T1 Terry
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Re: Where is this?
No idea if I've used this one before but it's an easy one anyway
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A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves
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bagmaker
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Greynomad
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Re: Where is this?
Milaa Milaa Falls, Qld?
Regards & God bless,
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
-
pet-els
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Re: Where is this?
Waterfall at Dorrigo NSW.
The air strip at Charleville is over 3000m long and is one of the alternate landing places for 747's etc.
PeterH
The air strip at Charleville is over 3000m long and is one of the alternate landing places for 747's etc.
PeterH
PeterH
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T1 Terry
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Re: Where is this?
I think Peter has been every where 
Your turn Peter.
Your turn Peter.A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves
Those who struggle to become a leader, rarely know a clear direction forward for anyone but themselves