RAF Watnall is not an airfield; it was home to the control and administration centre for Fighter Command's 12 Group covering the Midlands, Norfolk, Lincs and N Wales. As well as numerous surface buildings including the domestic site, the hub of RAF Watnall consisted of 3 "bunkers": the control centre (L11257), the filter block (L11258) and the communications centre (L11259). The layout of these bunkers is similar to Fighter Command's HQs at Preston, Inverness and Newcastle. Although construction started in 1938 … it wasn't until late 1940 that the HQ became operational, having moved in from nearby Hucknall. After the war the HQ moved to RAF Newton in 1946 … RAF Watnall closed in 1961. (1)

AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS. SRF with extra information, sketch location maps and 6 photographs. Kimberley Rifle Club. Fighter Command Group 12 Headquarters. RAF Watnall. Barracks. Officers Mess. Underground Operations Block. Filter Block. Recorder- M. & D. Sibley, and N. Catford. (3)

RAF Watnall was the administrative centre for 12 Group Royal Air Force Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. 12 Group's area included Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Humberside, the Midlands and parts of North Wales. (4)

Elements included the Officer's Mess, barracks, underground Operations Block and Filter Block (completed 1943). As well as numerous surface buildings including the domestic site, the hub of RAF Watnall consisted of 3 'bunkers', the control centre, the filter block and the communications centre. The filter block was a collecting point for information, duplicate and irrelevant intelligence information being filtered out here before passing on to the control centre. After the Second World War , the headquarters of 12 Group moved to RAF Newton. The operations block closed but the filter block remained in use; in 1950 the site was updated as part of the "ROTOR" programme, it was used for this purpose for much of the 1950s. (5)

See also L10585 and L10586 for associated pillboxes.

Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.

<1> Catford N, 2001, RAF Watnall: Fighter Command's 12 Group HQ (Published document). SNT2602.

<2> Sibley D and M, Defence of Britain Recording Form (Index). SNT2603.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 1995-2002, Defence of Britain Project Database (Digital archive). SNT6173.

<4> Peter Higginbotham, 2000, The Workhouse, Royal Air Force , Crown Copyright 2005. 'Battle of Britain: 10 Group' (Website). SNT6126.

<5> Peter Higginbotham, 2000, The Workhouse, Subterreanea Britannica 1998-2001, 'Subterranea Britannica: site visits: RAF Watnall' (Website). SNT6126.