Luftwaffe GB Target Code (Ziel Nr) 10 465

[Andy Mitchell]

Morning,

I was just working my way through the NARA file on Luftwaffe Target Dossiers and stumbled upon this anomaly.

My listing of Airfield Ziel Nrs contains an entry for Debach (Suffolk) as being GB 10 465 which is in keeping with those around it as they are also in Suffolk or Norfolk.

However, the Target Dossier (RG242_122211195_BalgrayMyreton) for Balgray/Myreton has GB 10 465 as the Ziel Nr for this airfield, which incidentally is the German ID for Kirkton (Dundee).

I cannot find a reference in my listing for Kirkton, nor can I find a reference to Dundee (other than the Seaplane base).

Any help with this little mystery would be appreciated so that I can nail down the correct code for Kirkton (Balgray/Myreton)

[Nick Beale]

If it helps, Bletchley Park commented on the system in July 1940 as follows:

Target numbers beginning with 10 are aerodromes. An alphabetical list with numbers from 101 to about 10250 seems to have been compiled about 1937 (e.g. Abingdon = 103, Worthy Down = 10251). Newer aerodromes like Oxford (10262) or Swindon (10293) were added later, out of order. In view of this, the fact that 1014 = Bembridge may help to identify 1015 and 1016. Similarly 10107 is unknown, but 10109 may = Hucknall. 10165 is unknown, but 10163 may = Nottingham).

So alphabetical order won't help i/d 465 but the high number would be an airfield that was established (or discovered by the Germans) some time after the war broke out. When Chris Going posted his list here the highest-numbered entries were:

400 Hemington
401 West Moors
402 Kings Cliffe
403 Great Bolas
404 Cowley
405 Salcombe
406 Kirmington
407 Puddingslake
408 Dawsmere

[Andy Mitchell]

Thanks Nick,

Interesting bit of additional information.

Chris actually had a listing up to 927 with those from 895 covering Scotland and Northern Ireland (although others are recorded higher up the listing). However, there are large gaps of "Unknown" codes once you get to 500. In fact there appears to be nothing between 521 and 800 but then you find little pockets e.g.

812 Helensburgh
813 Port Edgar
816 Stranraer
818 Wigtown
819 Kidsdale
821 Middleton St George
830 Squire's Gate
835 Bawtry (Landplatz) - one just recently identified
842 Morfa-Towyn
845 Swanton Morley
849 Stratford on Avon
851 Rugby
853 Bedford (Oakley)
854 Waterbeach
862 Chilworth
865 Flimston Down
866 Colerne
867 Wroughton
869 Braunton
874 Cleave
875 Fearn
880 St Eval
881 Hayle
882 Falmouth See
887 Marlborough
890 Middle Wallop
895 Fair Isle
896 Elgin
897 Arbroath
898 Skeabrae Nord
899 Kilmster
900 Strabane
901 Burghead
902 Brechin
903 Nairn
904 Castletown
905 Stornoway See
906 Peterhead
907 Longtown
908 Dumfries
909 Limavardy
910 Stornoway
911 Ayr
912 Irvine
913 Forres
914 Scatsta
915 Londonderry
916 Ballykelly
917 Eglinton
918 Crumlin
919 Maghaberry
920 St Angelo
921 Lough Erne Killadeas
922 Lough Erne Archdal
923 Long Kesh
924 Ballyherbert
925 Kirkistown
926 Inganess
927 Dundrum

Interestingly, the Irish items are to be found in the earlier part of the listing and one 010 355 Dublin-Tallaght is to be found next to 10 354 Docking (Norfolk).

This is a little like the RAF Bomber Command Target codes for 1939/40 - trying to track down a definitive listing....or building the listing from snippets of information.

[Chris Going]

Hi Andy, Nick

I can confirm Balgray Myreton is Ziel 10.465. The Ziel dossier title simply states 10.465 Balgray (Myreton). Flugplatz. The photographic background (one frame, Ziel sheets b, and bc) was acquired on February 17th 1943, (should know the taking Unit, but the image citation is F6/43, SK 33 (v). The edition was published in April 1943, and the airfield is simply described as ‘im Bau’. There is no mention of a ‘Kirkton’, which can I think be laid to rest.
Incidentally under Balrgray (Myreton) ‘Sonstiges’ we have Dundee Seeflughafen posted as (6 kms SSO (10.480), while Einsatzhafen East Haven is approx 19 Km Ost (10.464).
Best

ChrisG

[Andy Mitchell]

Chris,

Your input is much appreciated.

I will update my listing.

Thanks again

[Snautzer]

For the people who are interested in this matter https://catalog.archives.gov/id/3371016

RG 242: Target Dossiers Pertaining to the British Isles, 1938-1945 Now Fully Digitized.

[Bombphoon]

Originally Posted by Snautzer

For the people who are interested in this matter https://catalog.archives.gov/id/3371016

RG 242: Target Dossiers Pertaining to the British Isles, 1938-1945 Now Fully Digitized.

Just to be clear, as the yellow note on the first page makes clear, this project is ongoing and whilst it appears most are digitised, there are many still not. I don't know if the project has frozen/stalled, but it has been like this for some time.