RAF Little Rissington - Rumours of An Underground Hospital

Rumours of An Underground Hospital

It is a local belief that a nuclear-proof underground hospital built by the United States Air Force lies underneath RAF Little Rissington. This rumour has, however, never been verified. However, it was widely accepted at the time that tunnels were dug during the Second World War, ostensibly for the Royal Observer Corps, a frequently adopted strategy used to disguise covert electronic warfare establishments. Whether this tunnel network was developed during the 1980s is unknown.

A bunker is attached to the Sick Ward/Medical Centre at the main technical site. It is commonly mistaken for the rumoured underground USAF(E) hospital. The ward/bunker is covered in earth for protection and to remove the need to move patients during air raids. It dates back to the station's construction in the 1930s. Consequently it is above the surface and it is not nuclear-proof. Photos can be found on Flickr.

This bunker was demolished, along with many other unused structures, in December 2011 as part of the site owners' progress toward converting the site into a housing estate.

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