Hi all, just joined e-goat.
My first post was to Neatishead in May 1974, just after the R30 became operational. As part of arrival, we had to go into the R3 which was then in much the same state after the fire. We could only stay on the main upper corridor and look into the rooms. Even so, it was easy to see how hot the fire was as the steel beams above our heads were sagging in the middle and what concrete there was was pitted.
I've only seen black & white photos, they only show an inkling of the real horror of what it must have been like for the firemen particularly the next bit.
We went in to the PBX room (1st right on the gallery above the main stairwell) and saw the blood-encrusted handprints of the fireman who died in there. It is thought he was trying to push and pull at the door but forgot that it was a sliding door.
2nd fireman fell in the main stairwell. Can't remember where No 3 was found.
Source of fire was apparently behind the Totes on the floor of the Ops Room - now Lower Ops in the 3 refurbished R3s at Buch, Boul, Neat. What was a supplier doing there?
I went on detachment to Eudem (2ATAF SOC2) in Northern Germany in 1985. This is an another R3 (like most CRCs in N Germany, e.g. Brekendorf, Auenhausen) also with one large Ops Room in original location, but had sprouted another 3 fire exits following Neatishead's fire - one of these went right up the middle.
In 1975, there was another fire in the R3, this time caused by faulty wiring on floodlights while contractors were clearing out the bunker.
It is reckoned that Neat's R3 is the hardest one in existence as the heat of the fire was so great, it fused the concrete on the floor and walls.
Sorry about going on a bit here, but hope it adds to all the above.
DT_Xtremez_35:
