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UER Forum > Archived Canada: Other > MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS (Viewed 941 times)
Historian124 


Location: South Shore NS
Gender: Male


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MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS
< on 4/18/2013 3:31 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I was told of these today by an old gent who helped construct the runways at the former CFS Debert Airport he said "during the construction of the runways here we put in these tunnels seven feet high by seven feet wide the entire length of the runways these were for the purpose of maintaining the runway lights, the lights then were not like they are today... they were in the ground down about 6 inches with a medal grate covering the hole, the only way to access these lights are from the tunnels" when I asked him where the entrance was to these tunnels he replied "I wouldn't know now it was nearly fifty years ago since I was last in them... all the tunnels were outfitted with electric lights and electrical conduits for the runway lights, the last time I was in the tunnels was about 1967 or 68 and we took a golf cart down to inspect the runway lights." He said "you went in through the main gate into the base" ( at plains road ) and then he said "the entrance was inside of a garage or building about a block and a half up that road ( Ventura drive ) he noted that you drove into this building went down a ramp under the ground into this small warehouse and the tunnels going to the runway were along the back wall. There were 2 tunnels for every runway and taxi way it was like a maze down there you would be out of luck if the lights went out if you didn't have one on you"... he said the tunnels ran parallel to the runways and said "it wasn't just Debert built like this but all the second world war airports were constructed the exact same minus the lengths of the runways and how many there were that depended on the airport size.

there is no entrance to the tunnels anymore from what I can gather I have walked all over that base and the building he described as the entrance must have been filled and demolished. he said I might find something if I walk along the edge of the runway possibly a access hatch but he couldn't remember he did say there was more than one way into the tunnels but couldn't exactly recall where abouts they were.
I have done research on this but my search came up empty there is nothing on-line at all. Can anyone else share input on this thread?

/-/ooligan 


Location: Las Vegas area
Gender: Male


When in danger, when in doubt, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!

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Re: MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS
<Reply # 1 on 4/25/2013 3:36 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Lengthy tunnels like that would definitely have had the need for at least a couple emergency exits and ventilation shafts.

On many US bases, the runway NAVAIDs had a primary and/or emergency power generator located on the surface of the airfield area & the structure is marked as-such on base layout maps. Most reports of "tunnels" turn out to be small tunnels or just pipes to transfer fuel from the 'Fuel Farm' to the aircraft refueling areas along the ramp, and/or steam heating tunnels going from the steam plant to most or all the steam-heated buildings.


Who operates the Debert grounds now? Their engineering office should have copies of the old base diagrams, etc.

/-/ooligan

There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
/-/ooligan 


Location: Las Vegas area
Gender: Male


When in danger, when in doubt, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!

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Re: MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS
<Reply # 2 on 4/25/2013 3:38 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Also, there may be a RCAF/CFB Debert alumni association that you could track down on-line & ask.


There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
Historian124 


Location: South Shore NS
Gender: Male


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Re: MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS
<Reply # 3 on 4/25/2013 12:49 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
there is not... too bad.

Historian124 


Location: South Shore NS
Gender: Male


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Re: MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS
<Reply # 4 on 4/25/2013 1:13 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by /-/ooligan
Lengthy tunnels like that would definitely have had the need for at least a couple emergency exits and ventilation shafts.

On many US bases, the runway NAVAIDs had a primary and/or emergency power generator located on the surface of the airfield area & the structure is marked as-such on base layout maps. Most reports of "tunnels" turn out to be small tunnels or just pipes to transfer fuel from the 'Fuel Farm' to the aircraft refueling areas along the ramp, and/or steam heating tunnels going from the steam plant to most or all the steam-heated buildings.


Who operates the Debert grounds now? Their engineering office should have copies of the old base diagrams, etc.

/-/ooligan


no one has the original plans for the arrow-dome "they" the county doesn't know what ever happened to them... as for emergency escape or ventilation shafts you would think eh' but talking to numerous people that either had been in or around the tunnels they said there was one way in and one way out and the air was brought in via a fresh air pump through the entrance. the tunnels were not that far down about 7 feet under ground built by digging a trench bricking up a dome then earthing it over. should note the tunnels are not directly under the runways but off to one side. I will post some pictures of Maitland airport tunnels. Maitland is across the bay from debert.1.


2.




AndyTrew95 


Location: Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada
Gender: Male




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Re: MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS
<Reply # 5 on 6/5/2013 11:58 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
there's a ton of cool stuff up in debert,, if you go down some of the OHV trails there's abandoned foundations and buildings, etc etc

UER Forum > Archived Canada: Other > MAINTENANCE TUNNELS UNDER DEBERT RUNWAYS (Viewed 941 times)



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