The sports seating (bleachers) consists of a metal stand with wooden seats and footboards, the wood was probably replaced about ten years ago. The scoring board is apparently complete, a little greened in places, but robust. Both of the structures relate to the heritage of Greenham Common previously being an air base and the housing of nuclear warheads. The two structures were sited to provide a baseball pitch for American servicemen who were stationed at the Greenham Common Air Base.
The precise date is unknown, but is assumed to date later than 1940. The airfield was turned over to the USAAF Ninth Air Force in 1943 for troop movements. However, few of these groups seem to have stayed long, and the baseball diamond more probably dates from 1951 or later, when Greenham Common airbase became a Strategic Command Centre for the USAAF.
The bleachers overlook the existing playing pitch, and the scoreboard stands at right angles to it, probably facing the original baseball pitch, all traces of which have vanished. In recent years the Diamond playing field, which houses the structures, has been used as a site for a Community group and recreational facilities for the local area, which includes the Pigeons Farm Estate.
An RAF map of the airfield which includes the area where the playing field is sited appears to show the baseball Diamond, but is undated. Unfortunately the OS maps from the 1940’s and 1960’s don’t show the Diamond, which may not have been a relevant OS feature. On the RAF map and the 1961 and 1966 OS maps there are buildings in the field across the road which resemble barracks in layout, this area is now occupied by Wormersley Road.
In 1981 the field where the stand and scoreboard are sited was renamed the John W Mello Field, in memory of Major John W Mello who died on duty in March 1981. He was a member of the military personnel at RAF Welford. The name of the field has now been renamed to John W Mellow Field, although it is also commonly called the Diamond Playing Field.
A landmark asset in the area, due to strong historical associations. This is a rare and unusual survivor of the USAAF settlement in the area of Greenham. The bleachers are used by spectators when games are played on the field and have been maintained. The scoreboard is a noticeable landmark, very visible to anyone using or passing the field. The assets are valued by local residents and still in use today.
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