Having trekked around many east coast sites, Mick Britton shares the history of a handful of key firing ranges
Ever since the aeroplane was developed as a weapons platform during World War One there was a need to establish facilities for aircrew to practice the techniques of delivering ordnance by firing guns or dropping bombs. More recently rocket projectile firing was added to the curriculum. To this end, Bombing and Gunnery Ranges – or Air Weapons Ranges in current parlance (henceforth referred to as ranges) – were established during that conflict, with many more in the 1930s as the RAF expanded scheme by scheme during the build up to World War Two.
