RAF Oakington Volume 2 - The Airfield Research Group

had ablution facilities similar to the first floor of the central block. Both floors have a central
corridor with rooms on either side.
2.12.7 Construction
Exterior walls are 15 inch vented cavity brick with the inner corridor wall of 11 inch cavity brick.
Other internal walls are mainly 9 inch brick with some 4.5 inch brick room partitions. Windows
were originally five or 12 pane steel casements at first floor level and either eight or 16 pane
steel casements on the ground floor. The building incorporates a flat protected roof design of
reinforced concrete slab.
The quarters blocks are of similar construction but windows were 12 pane steel casements for
both floors on the outer facing elevations. Inner facing elevations had either four or eight pane
steel casements. Bedroom partitions and corridor are 4.5 inch brick.
2.12.8 Change of Use
In 1948 due to the increased numbers of officers on the station, it became necessary to evict
sergeants from their mess and they moved into new premises in Buildings 21 (quarters) and 22
(mess and quarters). Their former mess then became an annexe of the officers’ mess, (possibly
used on a hotel basis for officers engaged in Operation Plain Fare and who required quarters
for a short duration). It became known as the No.2 officers’ mess and the building continued in
this form until at least 1970, when it reverted back to sergeants’.
2.12.9 Immigration Centre
Building 23 was derelict during the immigration centre occupation of the domestic area.
2.12.10 Status, March 2011
All windows have been replaced which are not in keeping with its architectural design.
Footprint dimensions: central block 140.47 ft by 101.89 ft (42.82 m by 31.06 m), ‘L-shaped
quarters 99.60 ft by 76.58 ft (30.36 m by 23.34 m) (width is 31.63 ft) (9.64 m).
2.12.11 WAAF Changing Room Annexe 24
Located at the rear of the sergeants mess central block and part of the curtilage of that building
is building 24, a small detached single-storey WAAF changing room annexe (as identified on
site plan 6342/54). It is constructed of 4.5 inch brick with a concrete slab roof and has been built
onto a concrete raft with a drainage channel along the front, the floor is quarry tiled and the
internal walls are tiled full height. The doors and window glazing units are missing.
It consists of a pair of rooms separated by a brick dividing wall (8 ft by 6 ft 9 in and 8 ft by
5 ft 3 in) (2438 by 2057 and 2438 by 1600), ceiling height is 7 ft 5 in (2260).
Footprint dimensions: 8.73 ft by 12.31 ft (2.66 m by 3.75 m).
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