Site 7 - 532nd Sleeping Area

All around this area you can still see the concrete blocks marking where the men were billeted. The huts were deliberately spaced out to reduce casualties in the event of an air raid. The men were housed in Nissen huts, most of which were removed after the war. Built from prefabricated corrugated metal on concrete foundations, each hut was designed to accommodate twelve men. These sleeping arrangements were far from comfortable: the huts were notoriously cold in winter. Although each one had a small stove, coal rations meant it was rarely a warm or inviting place.

Quotes from Ridgewell Servicemen:

“I doubt if I ever had a more miserable evening in my life. The dingy hut, designed for twelve men, was a dirty, dimly-lit, depressing place. It was bare except for twelve crude cots. A single low watt bulb hung in the center of the small metal building.” John Comer

“I had quite a time tonight. I started to build a fire in this little English stove. Anyway, i poured lighter fluid on it and it slightly exploded. I ended up without any eybrows.” Letter from Leven Ferrin to his girlfriend.

“We really had us a good stove, but they finally caught up with us and took it away so now we just have this thing that wouldn’t warm a small room in Arizona in January!! We got the other stove on a moonlight requisition.” Leven to his girlfriend in a letter.

“It’s beginning to get pretty cold here alright. Cold enough that we all bought some flannel pyjamas to wear. Blue and white stripes. At least they are fairly warm even if they don’t look too good.” Leven in a letter to his girlfriend.

Commanding officer Major Charles Halsey built his own hut on site 7.