Armoured panel ID.

[Gil Boyd]

RAF Babdown Farm 1939-1948 situated just South of Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

RAF Babdown was built in 1939/ 40 as a satellite station for RAF Hullavington and was in the main originally a grass runway. It was used for night flying tasks, and then in 1942 was redeveloped into 3 full cross Sommerfield track runways by John Laing & Son to accept heavier aircraft.
The full station infrastructure was built as an RAF station as per War Office guidance.
RAF Hullavington its sister station became the major Parachute packing station for all issued parachutes, througout the war and right into the late 1970's, a roll performed by WRAf staff.

As I mentioned earlier and going by the facts that we can see after your digs in the butts there, that Babdown Farm was no different to many stations experiencing zeroing problems on aircraft front and rear turrets. I am trying to find some WW2 footage which shows this practice going on, but by the middle of the war, other purpose built ranges were also built on the RAF stations.