Trail 65 – RAF Thurleigh Part 2 – The USAAF Arrive.

August 30, 2025September 23, 2025 / Aviationtrails / 6 Comments

In Part 1 we saw how RAF Thurleigh emerged from the Bedfordshire countryside and was shaped by early Luftwaffe raids on the construction site. We saw the arrival of new RAF training units flying Wellington bombers, and their subsequent departure to the far East. We saw how tragedy and fatal accidents claimed the lives of new Polish crews training at the station with 18 OTU, and how with Bomber Command moving on, Thurleigh’s role was set to change dramatically.

A New Ally Arrives: The American Transformation of Thurleigh

At the end of 1941, after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour, America entered the conflict declaring war on both Japan and Germany and their allies. Over the next few months high ranking officials hurriedly put plans in place to send twenty-eight American bomb groups to the United Kingdom, and the European theatre of war. In a meeting between General Eaker and Air Chief Marshal Arthur Harris, discussions took place that would not only facilitate such a move, but also give the Americans suitable airfields on which to house their new heavy bombers.

Aware that most British airfields were too small to accommodate the American’s heavy bomber units, Eaker went on to press Harris for specific details including both their locations and the facilities available at each one. Anticipating this, Harris handed over the identity of eight potential sites, many of them RAF satellite stations, but all suitable for the American’s use. Amongst these were the airfields at Polebrook, Chelveston, Molesworth, Kimbolton, and of course Thurleigh.

Initially designated Station B-4, Thurleigh would then undergo a major modification programme, one that would bring it up to the new Class ‘A’ standard, a specification that would make it suitable for the American heavy bombers, both the B-24 ‘Liberator’ and the B-17 ‘Flying Fortresses’ that Eaker was sending over.

One of the former arms buildings.

Construction crews quickly began work, both extending and reinforcing the short runways; they added additional hardstands, and expanded both the technical and domestic sites. Upon completion, the airfield would feature three concrete runways: one of 2,000 feet and two of 1,400 feet in length, each being the standard 50 yards wide. Aircraft dispersal was facilitated by a total of 51 loop and frying-pan style hardstands arranged around a full length perimeter track.

In addition, and unusually, four T2 hangars were erected, providing protective aircraft shelter and maintenance facilities. The bomb store was discreetly placed in Galsey Wood, a wooded area to the northwest and away from the main flying and accommodation areas – an essential safety precaution in wartime.

Fifteen accommodation sites, including two communal areas, two WAAF quarters, medical facilities, and barrack blocks, were all established along the road leading away from Thurleigh village to the south-west of the airfield. These sites employed a variety of wartime construction styles – brick, timber, concrete, steel, asbestos, and plasterboard – using standard designs from Laing, Nissen, Seco, Jane, Romney, and others. At full capacity, the base would accommodate over 440 officers and more than 2,500 enlisted personnel, including members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.

After being allocated to the Americans on August 10th 1942, Thurleigh opened with its first residents. On 7th September that year, the first and only front line bomber Group to operate from the airfield, the 306th Bomb Group (BG), arrived with its four squadrons of B-17s: the 367th, 368th, 369th and 423rd Bomb Squadrons (BS). In command would be Col. Charles B. “Chip” Overcracker.

**The 306th Bomb Group: Arrival of “The Reich Wreckers” (Autumn 1942)**

Known as “The Reich Wreckers” the 306th would have many claims to fame, including being the oldest operational Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force and the only one to remain at the same station (Thurleigh) in England for the longest period of time. In addition, they were the first unit to have personnel achieve their first tour of operations, a major mile stone that gave the whole air force hope that going home was indeed possible.

A graffiti panel rescued from a 423rd BS barrack now on display at the museum.

The Group, designated the 306th, were constituted on January 28th 1942, and activated in March that same year. Their journey to the UK began at Gowen Field in Idaho, transferring through Wendover Field to their embarkation point at New York onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. The ground echelon set sale, travelling across the treacherous north Atlantic route to arrive at Greenock in Scotland, on September 5th, 1942.

The air echelon travelled separately, arriving a week later in small groups touching down at Thurleigh between the 8th and 13th September, having flown their own thirty-five aircraft across the northern route. This cold and bleak route took them via Greenland and Iceland, before passing over northern Ireland to arrive at Prestwick in Scotland on the north-west coast. During the journey over, one B-17F, with a crew of nine and one passenger, exploded for no apparent reason, 150 miles from Gander Lake, Newfoundland. A second aircraft also ditched in the Irish Sea. The crew in this instance were picked up, but the aircraft was lost in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. This was the third B-17 the group had lost since their inauguration.

The 306th would go on to fight in some of the most bitter air battles of the war, including Schweinfurt, Stuttgart, Hannover, Berlin, Ludwigshafen and Leipzig. They would lead the first US bomber penetration of German skies; Big Week in February 1944, and go on to support both the Normandy landings and the St. Lo breakout. They would remain active throughout the war achieving numerous awards including two Medals of Honour, numerous Purple Hearts and two Distinguished Unit Citations (DUC) for action over occupied Europe.

Their arrival at Thurleigh was not however the great dream they may have wished for. On unloading, the 306th were greeted by unfinished buildings and mud – lots of it. Tents immediately formed the basis of personnel accommodation and the officers’ mess was so small, staff had to operate in three shifts to enable them all to get fed.

Not only was a considerable amount of work needing to be done to get the station ready, but being new to the European theatre, a huge amount of ‘up-skilling’ was also going to be needed. To this end, intelligence staff, operations controllers and flight controllers were all sent to RAF stations to learn the ‘tricks of the trade’ enabling them to operate alongside their British counterparts in what was about to become a very busy airspace.

Baptism by Fire: First Operations and Early Losses

This poor start was then compounded when on October 2nd 1942, during a practice mission over the Wash, one of the waist gunners of B-17 #41-24492 ‘Lady Halitosis‘ of the 367th BS, suffered oxygen failure. In a bid to help the gunner, the pilot put the aircraft into a steep dive losing some 9,000 feet of altitude in a matter of minutes. The dive and subsequent recovery was so severe that the aircraft’s control cables snapped, and part of the starboard wing broke away taking an engine with it. The aircraft then caught fire and the bomb bay doors became detached. One of these doors, struck the rear section of the aircraft with such force that it severed the fuselage at the tail. The rear gunner, trapped inside his position, desperately tried to escape, hammering at the plexiglass and fuselage to break out. With only a 1,000 feet of air left, he just managed to break through the fuselage and free himself from his falling coffin. His parachute luckily opened, and he landed safely some distance away south-east of Spalding in Lincolnshire. His luck, already used exhaustively, somehow managed to continue on for a few moments more, when the remainder of the burning B-17 came crashing down a mere one hundred yards or so from where he was sat.

Rescue crews from a nearby anti-aircraft gun ran to the scene but they were unable to get close enough to the wreckage due the the ferocity of the fire, and sadly, all six of those left inside, perished. During the whole episode only one other crewman managed to escape – Ball Turret Gunner Private Raymond McAskill – suffering slight injuries as he did so.

The event was so understandably harrowing for gunner S.Sgt. William Kellum, that he was eventually grounded, his mental state rendering him ‘unfit’ to continue on after having only carried out a few missions following his horrific flight debut in England.

With this disaster behind them, the 306th took to the air once more on their maiden operation on October 9th 1942, an operation to bomb the steel works at Lille, France. But again, it was not to be the glorious outcome they all would have wished for.

For the first time, over 100 American bombers, a mix of B-24s and B-17s, led by the soon to be legendary Col. Edward “Ted” Timberlake, flew across the English Channel to France. The huge formation, escorted by over 400 fighters, a mix of Spitfires – now part of the 4th Fighter Group – and P-38 “Lightnings”, knew how important this mission was going to be.

Waiting for them were the battle hardened Luftwaffe pilots of JG 26 in their FW190s, they were not going to let the bombers through easily and the sky would be full.

With departure planned for 08:32, the lumbering giants gradually rose in to the air and set route for France.

As the bombers reached the target, the Luftwaffe struck, focussing initially on the B-24s of 93rd BG. Attacking from their favoured position, the rear, they struck at the formation ignoring the fighters flying high above. Releasing over the target, bombing was considered poor, some bomb aimers not even finding the target and so dropping their bombs on alternative sites. During the action, the formation had become disjointed, partly due to some turning back with technical problems and partly to some being knocked out by enemy fighters – the defensive wall had been breached.

As for the 306th, a second aircraft was lost, and this time there were no survivors. A third B-17, #41-24486 “Man O’ War” piloted by 2nd. Lt. James M. Stewart, lost three engines and its radio failed. It was about to ditch in the English Channel, when – as if out of a boy’s action story – a Spitfire, flown by Flt. Lt. Andrews of 91 Sqn, appeared alongside and guided the B-17 to RAF Manston in Kent where it made a successful crash landing. None of the crew were injured in the event, saved no doubt by the actions of Flt. Lt. Andrews.

Inexperience played a large part for many of the crews taking part that day. Being new to operational duties, not only had they suffered poor aiming but gunners had made hugely exaggerated claims about the numbers of enemy aircraft shot down – although probably unknowingly to them. In reply to the frenzied attack on the formation, air gunners sprayed bullets all over the sky hitting everything except the enemy. A mix of poor training and a determination to prove their worth, had been a recipe for disaster.

One of several buildings on the bomb store.

Not only was the bomb aiming poor but so was the navigation. Many navigators, like the gunners, were simply not experienced enough, nor trained well enough for the European geography. With thick cloud being present almost all of the time, many new crews were unable to identify specific geographical features and were simply lost within 10 minutes of leaving their home base.*⁴

During this initial operation experienced enemy fighters were both fearsome and determined in their attacks. Whilst few bombers were actually shot down, all of those in the lagging 306th received hits from the FW-190s – some severely. The opening few weeks had been a real eye opener for the 306th, an experience resembling a baptism of fire not only for those newbies the “The Reich Wreckers“, but for the Eighth Air Force as a whole.

Weather, Warnings, and Misfires: October’s Frustrating Missions

The British winter weather then intervened. Several operations were cancelled as were training flights which were greatly needed. A cancelled flight to Lorient on October 21st, merely two weeks after their first operation, meant that the entire 306th returned without dropping a single bomb. The declining weather and poor visibility was to blame, but some ninety aircraft did continue on, and of those who did bomb, their bombs simply “bounced off” the submarine pens, having no impact whatsoever. *⁵

Aircrews were learning that operations over enemy territory were high risk, but even scrubbed missions could have their problems: aircraft still had tanks full of petrol and bomb-bays were still filled with tons of high explosives. For the 306th, troubles on this mission began even before they had left British airspace. When the abort signal came through, it instructed crews to drop their ordnance in the Wash – a large body of shallow coastal water off the north Norfolk coast. Whilst it became a common practice for scrubbed missions, for one B-17 it was not going to be a simple or straight forward task.

Emergency Landing: A B-17 Touches Down at Sutton Bridge

B-17F, #41-24460 ‘RD-A’, “Little Audrey” of the 423 BS, began the process of releasing its bombs when suddenly the life raft latch broke loose causing the raft to escape and wrap itself around the elevator rendering the aircraft difficult to control.

Captain Mack McKay, 306th BG points to a “kill” marking painted on his B-17 Flying Fortress “Little Audrey” (IWM FRE 4418)

Now being unstable in flight, the B-17 had to find a safe place to land, and near to the Wash was the firing range at Holbeach and its associated airfield at RAF Sutton Bridge. A physically small grass airfield that was used for gunnery training of RAF fighters, it was not designed to take large four-engined heavy bombers. The likely hood of getting down safely was slim, but after using all his skill and judgement, the pilot managed to put the bomber down safely on the grass much to the joy of those inside the bomber. Once remedial work had been carried out on the aircraft, the crew began to prepare for the take off, an event just as risky as the landing and with odds just as bad.

Being an unusual aircraft to see at Sutton Bridge, huge crowds gathered to see the B-17 and to witness what could have been a terrible accident had the take off been misjudged on the small grass strip. Fortunately though, again using all his skill and judgement, the pilot got the aircraft up and the B-17 successfully rose in to the air making its way home to Thurleigh being waved off by the extensive crowd of locals gathered by. *⁶

Mounting Pressure: Heavy Losses and Royal Visits

The early days of November 1942, saw missions 3, 4 and 5 for the 306th. Visits to Brest, Lille and St. Nazaire, saw a further four aircraft lost with all crews listed as ‘missing in action’. These early loses were beginning to mount, and those in charge were beginning to voice their concerns.

On November 13th, a Royal visit was made in which General Carl Spaatz and King George VI carried out a tour of the many airfields now in the region, including Thurleigh. Whilst the Royal party were here, they were shown around the airfield, seeing the various facilities available. They were also introduced to several crews and ground staff with whom they chatted happily.

Brigadier-General Newton Longfellow and Lieutenant Robert L Riordan of the 306th Bomb Group, show King George VI part of a damaged B-17 Flying Fortress during a royal visit. (IWM FRE 4390)

The B-17’s Fatal Flaw – and its Remedy

But the relief brought by important visitors didn’t prevent problems in the air. By now, the Luftwaffe had got the measure the of the B-17 and pilots, such as Oberstleutant Egon Mayer, quickly found its Achilles heel. Even though bristling with guns, the B-17s suffered from ‘blind spots’, areas where the gun’s arc didn’t cover. This made the bomber vulnerable, and the worst position was through a direct full frontal attack. New tactics were then used by the Luftwaffe, directing fire directly at the front of the aircraft, potentially its most vulnerable position. It became so successful, that some 30% of pilots and co-pilots in the 306th were killed in such attacks.*⁷ With little protection, early model B-17Es were quickly withdrawn from front line operations and investigations carried out into a possible remedy to the problem.*⁸

Naturally the B-17 crews realised this vulnerability too, and also set about finding their own remedy. Whilst official routes were being taken to solve the problem, these were taking too long, and a quicker solution was needed. Within the 367th BS an armourer and a welder (S. Sgts. James C. Green and Ben F. Marcilonis) got together and took matters into their own hands. They designed and built a new bracket that could hold a heavy .50 machine gun fitted into the nose of the aircraft to protect this gap in the forward arc. Once constructed and fitted, trials began, the ‘guinea pig’ being a B-17F #42-5130 named “Sweet Pea“.

The bracket fitted to Sweet Pea, proved to be so successful that it was adopted not only by the 306th but the 8th Air Service Command as a whole*⁹ becoming part of a modification feature to future B-17 models.

The aircraft was unusual for other reasons though. It was ‘christened’ on December 20th 1942, by a small orphan girl called ‘Maureen’ whom the 367th BS had adopted from a London orphanage. They gave her the nickname ‘Sweet Pea‘ and to mark the occasion, she dipped her hand in paint and placed a print on the aircraft as a form of dedication.. Like many aircraft of the ‘Reich Wreckers’, Sweet Pea would fly on several operations, suffering a great deal of damage in the process; eventually failing to return from operations to Lorient on March 6th 1943, with one airman killed in action, one evading and eight being taken prisoners of war.

The news report on the dedication of ‘Sweet Pea‘ by Maureen – a three year-old orphan – at Thurleigh. (IWM UPL 15963)

Thurleigh had transformed from a training airfield into a heavy bomber base ready for its new American role. Upgraded to Class “A” standard it soon became home to the 306th Bomb Group – “The Reich Wreckers.” Their arrival in September 1942 was far from smooth though: unfinished buildings, muddy conditions, and a steep learning curve in the European theatre made for a difficult start. Early missions brought tragedy, from training accidents to heavy combat losses, while poor weather and inexperience compounded their struggles. Yet alongside setbacks came resilience, adaptation, and even innovation, as crews refined tactics and strengthened their aircraft. With these foundations laid, the stage was set for the 306th to face the increasingly bitter air battles of 1943.

The entire history can be read in Trail 65

Trail 65 – RAF Thurleigh Part 1 – Its Birth.

August 23, 2025September 4, 2025 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

In Trail 65 we head west again this time to the borders of Bedfordshire and Northampton, where a former wartime airfield evolved from a base for USAAF bombers into a centre of aviation excellence. First built during the Second World War, it supported critical missions over occupied Europe. In the post-war years, it transitioned into a leading site for aeronautical research, contributing to major advances in jet technology, carrier operations, and automated landing systems. Although official flying ended in 1994, the site continued to reflect a remarkable legacy, marking its place in history as a cornerstone of Britain’s military and civil aviation development.

In this trail, we go back to Bedfordshire and the former RAF Thurleigh.

RAF Thurleigh (Station 111)

Situated some 6.5 miles north of Bedford, RAF Thurleigh was built on land approximately 250 feet above sea level. Although not a high elevation, its open plateau setting – typical of many wartime airfields – exposed it to the elements. Surrounded by multiple river sources, the location benefited from good natural drainage, aiding its suitability as an airfield site.

The nearby village of Thurleigh has a long recorded history, appearing in the Domesday Book as La Lega*¹ – a name that over centuries, has evolved into its current form. In a similar fashion, the airfield that bears the same name, would come to be known under many titles of its own: RAF Thurleigh, USAAF Station 111, RAE Bedford, Bedford Aerodrome, and Thurleigh Airfield Business Park amongst others. Yet throughout its history, one theme remained constant – aviation.

The War Reaches Bedfordshire: Early Bombings and Construction (1941)

Thurleigh’s association with the Second World War began even before construction commenced. Isolated bombing incidents in the parish during 1941 – possibly the result of jettisoned bombs from German aircraft – marked its early wartime experience. Once the airfield’s construction began however, it quickly caught the attention of the Luftwaffe. On 17th April that year, eight enemy bombs were dropped directly onto the construction site, causing damage to the incomplete runway. A second attack on 12th August 1941 saw another eight bombs fall along the northern boundary, again damaging the airfield and rupturing a water main*². Both raids highlighted how conspicuous such developments were to enemy reconnaissance and subsequent aerial attacks.

Once land had been sourced, the airfield’s construction was carried out by the company W.C. French Ltd. and officially opened during the summer of 1941. At this early stage, Thurleigh was a modest airfield in size, suited only for fighters or light to medium bombers. Its first operational residents were the personnel from No. 18 Operational Training Unit (OTU), part of the RAF’s Bomber Command. Having recently adopted the twin-engined Vickers Wellington, 18 OTU (formed from the Polish Training Unit in No. 6 Group, in June 1940 to train light bomber crews for Polish operational squadrons) was tasked with preparing new crews transitioning onto bombers ready for active duty.

Though OTUs were primarily training units, they often found themselves involved in operational sorties, especially during periods of ‘maximum effort’. As a result, many crews suffered casualties, even before they joined a front-line operational squadron.

Following them, in October 1941, 12 Operational Training Unit – first formed at RAF Benson in April 1940 – briefly stayed here. Their residency lasting a mere month, it remains unclear whether it was the entire unit, or just detachments that were present here during that time. It was also at this time that the first recorded aircraft landing took place at Thurleigh: Wellington IC R1234*³ touching down on the new runway, marking a small but important milestone in the station’s dramatic history.

12 OTU Were not the only training unit to reside here. The Central Gunnery School (CGS), famed for “training the trainers” remained here from December 1941 until their departure to RAF Sutton Bridge on the Lincolnshire / Norfolk border in April 1942.

First established at RAF Warmwell on 6th November 1939, the CGS would train both gunners of bombers and fighters in the art of aerial warfare, those attending having proven themselves in combat already. Once trained, they would return to their original squadrons and pass on their valuable knowledge to others.

Tropical Kit and Tragedy: The Brief Story of 160 Squadron (1942)

Thurleigh’s relative quiet made it an ideal location to raise a new unit, and on January 16th 1942, the ground echelon of 160 Squadron RAF, formed here. Created as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit under War Establishment order WAR/ME/448 (dated 31st December 1941), the squadron’s formation began with the arrival of 108 airmen, who were followed by a further 126 the very next day. Over the following weeks, the numbers of ground crew and support staff swelled, as it did, each one was issued with tropical kit, a move that suggested a deployment to the Far East.

Throughout the weeks that followed, the air echelon underwent heavy bomber training some with 1653 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Polebrook, while other crew members were sent to RAF Upwood for additional preparation. In mid-February, the posting finally came through and the ground party departed enroute to the Far East. Meanwhile, the air crews transferred to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, where they collected their new B-24s before they too left for the Far east.

Tragedy and Transition – May 1942

The now quieter Thurleigh would then experience a series of tragic accidents. On 18th May 1942, Wellington IC DV783, flown by a Polish crew led by Pilot Officer J. Kilmcsyk, crashed shortly after taking off. Just moments after departing the runway, the aircraft suddenly, and without warning, dived into the ground; the ensuing fireball killing all five crew members onboard. The Wellington, along with the crew’s bodies, was later recovered and the airmen interned in the Polish War Graves section of Newark cemetery in Nottinghamshire.

This was the second fatal crash suffered by the unit in as many days, a tragedy that was compounded by another such incident the following day – although mercifully this time, there would be no fatalities.

Not long after this short but devastating period, 18 OTU departed Thurleigh, a move that signified the end of its ties, as a training airfield, with Bomber Command. For the remainder of the war, there would be no further front line, RAF units assigned here, and attention now turned to its new owner, the United States Army Air Forces.

In Part 2, we continue our journey through Thurleigh’s wartime history. We see the arrival of the USAAF, and share their experiences both good and bad. We learn of the failures of the B-17 and how through innovation they overcome these problems becoming one of the most successful bomb groups of the war.

The full story of RAF Thurleigh can be. read in Trail 65.

RAF Narborough – ‘The Largest Aircraft Base of the First World War.’ Part 1

July 5, 2025May 28, 2025 / Aviationtrails / Leave a comment

At the turn of the last century, flying was in its infancy, and airships formed the main threat from an enemy. Aeroplanes were fragile, slow and cumbersome and those that flew them, risk death at every turn with no means of escape.

As aircraft developed and those in high ranking positions finally saw their potential, production went into overdrive, but there was a greater need, the need for those to fly them.

In Norfolk, the threat from airships was very real, and so many new airfields sprung up to defend the British Isles from these roaming menaces. One such airfield, became the largest of them all, a huge site of 900 acres it dwarfed all other aircraft based airfields, and yet, it failed to last beyond the war.

In this part of Trail 7, we head to modern day RAF Marham, for on its fringes lie a field of forgotten heroes who gave their all during the First World War. We look at RAF Narborough.

RAF Narborough

Originally constructed as the largest aircraft base of the First World War, Narborough Airfield in Norfolk has been known by a variety of names over the years: Narborough Aerodrome, RNAS Narborough, RFC Narborough, and later RAF Narborough. However, the most unofficial — and arguably the most evocative — title, ‘The Great Government Aerodrome’, offers a sense not only of its vast scale (spanning over 900 acres), but also of the diversity of aircraft and personnel stationed there. Initially operated by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), the site later came under the control of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and eventually the newly-formed Royal Air Force (RAF), with each change of name reflecting the evolving structure and ownership of Britain’s early air services.

Records show that the site at Narborough had military links as far back as 1912, in the year that the RFC was established when both the Naval Air Organisation and the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers were combined. Unfortunately, little exists to explain what the site was used for at this time, but it is thought that it was used by the army for training with horses and gun carriages. In later years, it was used as a base from which to counteract the threat from both the German Zeppelin and Schütte-Lanz airships, and also to train future pilots of the RFC and RAF.

Narborough’s history in these early days is therefore sketchy, few specific records exist as to the many changes that were taking place at this time particularly in relation to the development of both the RNAS and the RFC.

However, Narborough’s activities, and its history too, were no doubt influenced on July 1st 1914, when the name RNAS Narborough was officially adopted, and all Naval flying units of the RFC were transferred over to the control of the Navy. A major development in the formation of both forces, there were at this point, a total of: 111 officers, 544 other ranks, seven airships, fifty-five seaplanes (including ship-borne aircraft) and forty aeroplanes in RNAS service.*¹ Some of these may well have seen service at Narborough at this point.

Narborough’s first interaction with flying occurred when a solo flyer – thought to have been Lt. F. Hodges in an Avro 504 *² – touched down on farmland near to Battles’ Farm in the Autumn of 1915. Neither the pilot, the aircraft type nor the purpose of the landing can be substantiated, but it may well have been the precursor to the development of an airfield at this site.

The airfield itself was then developed, opening early that year (1915), on land that lay some 50 feet above sea level. It sat nestled between the towns of Kings Lynn (10 miles), Swaffham (5 miles); and Downham Market (9 miles), and a mile or so away from the small village of Narborough. A smaller aerodrome would, in 1916, open literally across the road from here, and at 80 acres, it would be tiny in comparison. However, over time, it would grow immensely to become what is today’s RAF Marham, an active airfield that has matured into one of the RAF’s top fighter airfields in the UK.

So by mid 1915, Narborough’s future had been decided, designated as a satellite station to RNAS Great Yarmouth, (itself commissioned in 1913) it was initially to be used as a night landing ground for those aircraft involved in attacks on enemy airships, the most likely reason for its location. No crews were permanently stationed here at the time however, ‘on-duty’ crews later being flown in to await the call to arms should an airship raid take place over East Anglia.

This first arrival of an aircraft in August 1915, led to the site being kept in use by the RNAS for the next ten months. During that time, aircraft of the Air Service would patrol the coastline around Norfolk, using aircraft mainly from Great Yarmouth along with a series of emergency landing grounds including Narborough. The threat from German airships at this time being very real. These landing grounds were strategically placed at intervals along the coastline with others more inland, these included: Aldeborough, Burgh Castle; Covehithe; Holt and Sedgeford all of which combined to make North Norfolk one of the densest regions for airfields at that time. But, and even with all these patrols, the roaming airships that made their way across the region had little to worry about as many of the fighter aircraft used could neither reach them at the higher altitudes nor locate them in poorer weather.

However, as a night landing ground, little activity would directly take place at Narborough (there are no recordings of airship sightings from Aircraft using the airfield) and so after a dormant ten months, the RNAS decided it was surplus to requirements and they pulled out leaving Pulham the only ‘in-land’ station larger than Narborough open in Norfolk at that time.

The future of Narborough could have so easily ended there, but even as closure plans were made, its future was still relatively secure, and it would not be long before a new user of the site would be found. Discussions were already in hand for the RFC to take over, provided the land owners’ permitted it! Luckily they did, and soon fifty acres of rough terrain and a small number of canvas flight sheds were theirs. As for staff accommodation, there was none, so when 35 Sqn arrived at the end of May 1916, Bell tents and make shift accommodation had to be erected by the personnel, in order to protect themselves from the harsh Norfolk elements.

With the First World War raging across the fields of Flanders, the demand for aircraft and trained crews grew rapidly. These new flying machines were evolving swiftly into lethal weapons and highly effective reconnaissance platforms, capable of identifying enemy positions and directing artillery fire with increasing accuracy. To meet the urgent need for trained airmen, hurried training programmes were established, and Narborough soon became a vital preparation ground for budding pilots.

Training, by any standard, was rudimentary. Recruits were required to pass a series of written examinations, followed by up to twenty hours of solo flying, a number of cross-country flights, and two successful landings. Added to this was a fifteen-minute flight at 8,000 feet, culminating in a dead-stick landing — that is, returning safely to earth with the engine cut. It was, in truth, barely enough experience for what lay ahead in the violence of aerial combat.

Like many newly established stations, Narborough was designated as an RFC training site — officially known as a Training Depot Station — joining a growing network of such facilities across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. Their primary role was to prepare pilots for the rigours of air combat, with instruction in dog-fighting, aerobatics, cross-country navigation, and formation flying.

With the arrival of the RFC came immediate expansion. Additional acreage was acquired that same year, extending the airfield westward beyond the area already occupied by the RNAS, bringing it close to the present-day boundary of RAF Marham. As was often the case with wartime construction, adjustments to the local infrastructure were necessary. A road that once bisected the site was eventually closed to accommodate the growing airfield footprint.

During their time here, these daring young trainees, many whom were considered dashing heroes by the awe-inspired locals, would display their skills for all who lined the local roads to see. As these eager young men quickly learned though, flying was not always ‘fun’, and the dangers of the craft were always present, many with dire consequences. Accident rates were high and survival from a crash was rare, even ‘minor’ accidents could prove fatal. All Saints church yard at Narborough, pays testament to their dangerous career with fourteen of the eighteen military graves present being RFC/RAF related.

The initial drive for both these squadrons was to train pilots in the art of cavalry support, using advanced pilot training techniques. This included being able to send Morse code messages at a rate of six words per minute*2 whilst flying the aircraft over enemy territory – certainly no mean feat.

Deaths on and off the airfield were commonplace and not all aviation related either. During late June 1916, one of the Air Mechanics of 59 Sqn, Charles Gardner, suffered a heart attack and died, just one day prior to the official formation of his squadron. Whilst not considered to have been directly related to his role, his loss saw the beginning of a string of deaths in August that would set the scene for the coming months.

The first of these was another thought to be, unrelated aviation death, although whether or not Corporal Patrick Quinn was on duty at the time is unclear. He died on August 18th, whilst riding his motorcycle in the vicinity of the airfield, the narrow Norfolk roads catching him unaware. Then, just two days later on August 20th, the first of many fatal air accidents would occur.

In this instance, one of 59 Sqn’s pilots, Lt. Gordon William Hall, was killed when the DH.1 (4631) he was flying, side-slipped on approach to the airfield crashing into the ground as a result. A Court of Inquiry (87/8413) concluded that the aircraft had been “banked too steeply” and that the pilot had put the aircraft into a dive that made it uncontrollable. A verdict therefore of ‘accidental death‘ was subsequently recorded against Lt. Hall.*³

A mere eight days later, it was the turn of 35 Sqn to suffer its first fatality and in a not too dissimilar accident. On the 29th, an Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 (6201), was written off after it too side-slipped and dived following a slow turn. The Pilot, Air Mechanic 1st Class Moses Boyd, was tragically killed in the accident flying an aircraft that was based at Thetford but undertaking a training exercise here at Narborough. His Court of Inquiry (Ref. 87/4971) on 9th September 1916)*³ , summated that it was a “Flying accident. Turning having lost flying speed”. By now, the dangers of flying were becoming all too apparent and with another two deaths before Christmas, the glamour of flying was quickly becoming tarnished.

However, despite these accidents, young men continued to arrive at the airfield for training, but the large influx of personnel did not mean it was at all a glamorous place to be.

As a training ground, accommodation was basic to say the least, Narborough being described by one trainee as a “desolate, God-forsaken place“*⁴. Quickly realising the problem, the authorities, began to erect new buildings not only for personnel accommodation, but for training and maintenance roles as well. In response, a total of six permanent hangars, probably RFC General Service Flight Sheds, were erected by the design company and builders Boulton & Paul, three each side of the main road. The Boulton & Paul company based at Norwich, would go on to design and build many aviation related products including the famous ‘Defiant’, a turreted fighter of World War II.

With continued expansion over the next two years, up to 150 buildings would eventually be built on the site, a mix of technical, administrative and accommodation. This on going process of construction and development would, by the end of the war, see some 1,000 personnel based here at Narborough – a number comparable with many modest Second World War airfields.

Narborough wasn’t the only airfield being developed in the immediate area though. Next door, across the road, the new RFC Marham was opening, a much smaller site, that sat in the centre of what is now modern day RAF Marham. Why the two were put so close together is anyone’s guess, but Marham quickly became the home and headquarters to ‘C’ Flight 51 Squadron. The remaining two flights of the squadron being based at both RFC Mattishall and RFC Tydd St Mary.

Marham opened for business in September 1916 and one of those who would be stationed here was Major A.T. Harris, later ‘Bomber Harris’ of Bomber Command fame. He was in command of 191 Night Training Squadron, and took part in many flights from the airfield. Marham, like Narborough, would eventually close at the end of the war in the huge disarmament programme of the immediate post war years. But, unlike Narborough, it would be reborn in the expansion period of the 1930s and grow to what it is today.

There was a good relationship between the two stations, with plenty of rivalry and good humour. Flour bombs from Marham crews on Armistice day were met with a retaliation from Narborough crews with soot bombs, the culmination of several years of war finally coming to an emotional close.

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (4)

May 31, 2025February 17, 2025 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

In Part 3, we saw how Scone grew in the post war era, taking on more civilian operations, training pilots from around the world. This continued on in the years that followed and so the airfield grew even more.

Airwork’s ideas were big though, and one of the major changes they would make would be the extension of the runways adding not one but two tarmac runways of 2,800 ft and 2,000 ft in 1968. Scone then became the only UK Air Training School to have such facilities. As an international training college it was going to need to be able to accommodate large numbers of personnel, students and aircraft.

By the 1970s Scone had reached a peak with in excess of 400 students being trained at any one time. Catering for all these nationalities was hard work and a separate school had to be set up to standardise the language. A School of English taught both basic English and technical English, meaning that by this time not only were pilots and engineers being trained in aeronautical procedures, but English as well. The AST became so busy, that it boasted of being “the largest civil aviation training organisation in the world”.*³

The demand for Scone’s operations continued to grow, as did the airfield itself. Development took another step forward in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Air Service Training Ltd. expanded yet again. With huge increases in overseas student numbers (over 100 nationalities) a new hall had to be built to provide accommodation for them all. This was Stormont Hall, a large building with all the facilities needed to accommodate and cater for all student needs.

However, like many aviation related histories, things took a turn in the 1990s. Political moves by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Government, combined with changing global economies, caused AST to cease training overseas pilots at the international college at Scone. By April 1996, following the closure of the college, the site owners, Caledonian Investments, broke the news to its users, that it was selling up and in August, Scone was put on the market with a £3m price tag; the end of an era had apparently come to an abrupt end.*⁴

However, the move did not initially prove to be too much of a set back for AST and Scone as a whole, as it was able to bolster its maintenance programme with the purchase of a Jetstream from Cranfield University. The facilities for the programme, primarily the hangar, proved to be too small, so a larger one was obtained, on lease, from the Airport authorities, and was officially opened for business in November 2008 after an opening ceremony led by the then-Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop MSP.*³

A buyer for Scone was soon found however, and in 1997, the airport was purchased as a going concern by the Morris Leslie Group, who allowed the various companies to continue to operate as normal from the airfield. Scone, or now Perth airport, had a new lease of life and would quickly grow to some fifty companies employing around 400 people once more. It has also updated many of the former buildings, providing both residential properties and workshops. It has over recent years, welcomed high prestige figures including Queen Elizabeth, former President George Bush and Prince Andrew.

AST continue to operate from Scone under the new owner, and they are not alone. Other organisations include the Scottish Aero Club (formerly The Scottish Flying Club) and whose history, goes back to 1927, and who relocated to Scone in 1956, joining ranks with the Strathtay Aero Club to form the new club. The Aero Club remains Scotland’s largest flying club and continues to offer rotary and fixed wing training as well as both auto-gyro and micro-light flying. It also provides maintenance for those aircraft located on the site.

Other users of Perth include Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) flying the EC135-T2 helicopter, a charitable organisation that relies solely on donations to keep it flying. It was formed in 2012 and launched a helicopter air ambulance in May 2013 to assist the Scottish Air Ambulance Service (SAAS) to deliver front-line care to time-critical emergencies across Scotland. SCAA provides a fully equipped medical helicopter that can be deployed to incidents across the length and breadth of Scotland.

Today many of the wartime buildings remain, in use, by small industrial units. The Battle Headquarters, can be seen from the road very much exposed, as all but the top slotted observation ‘turret’ would normally be underground. The accommodation and technical areas are located together and many now form part of a small hotel for those visiting the area.

There are three runways in use, two of concrete / tarmac and one of grass, these being 2,799 ft and 1,998 feet, the third grass runway is 2,040 feet, all joined at the ends to form a perimeter. Two large hangars hold around 85 aircraft with further space for 15 more parked on the apron.

The airfield lies a few miles north of Perth, the main A94 offers access to the airfield and views across some of the site. It sits on a hill and so much of it is hidden from view at ground level. Being an active airfield, access is limited and understandably restricted. However, views of the current residents are available and many of the wartime buildings are accessible operating as retail and industrial units.

The Battle Headquarters is very much exposed, this would normally be below ground level with only the slits visible.

Scone for such a small airfield, has had a long and fruitful history. Its links to pilot training, especially throughout the war years, no doubt sent many airmen to front line squadrons, many of whom would go onto serve in some of Britain’s fiercest air battles. A small and often rudimentary airfield, it played a huge part in Britain’s wartime and post-war aviation history, and long may it continue.

The full history of Scone can be read in Trail 56.

Sources and further reading (RAF Scone).

*¹ University of Glasgow website. Accessed 10.2.25

*² McCloskey. K., “Airwork – A History“. The History Press, 2012.

*³ The Herald Newspaper, 16th August 2020, via website

*⁴ The Herald Newspaper, 9th August 1996 via website

Perth Airport website

National Archives AIR 27/1679/1; AIR 27/1679/1

McCloskey, K. “Airwork – A history” The History Press, 2012

Lake, A., “Flying Units of the Royal Air Force“, Airlife, 1999.

McKay, S., “Secret Britain” Headline Publishing Group. 2021

Lake. A., “Flying Units of the RAF“. Air Life Publishing, 1999.

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (3)

May 24, 2025February 17, 2025 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

In Part 2, Scone supported the RAF throughout the war, training pilots and navigators in a range of aircraft. Post war, this demand reduced, but it was not the RAF’s end with Scone, nor the end of pilot training.

With Airwork now owning the site outright, they began to look to the future. In 1950, BEA began trials with flights to Renfrew and Glasgow, a scheme that was hoping to open doors to destinations wider afield, but it was not successful and so the idea never came to fruition. Keen to expand, Airwork then took on conversion flying for the Admiralty, converting naval pilots to from single to twin-engined aircraft. They also carried out engineering and navigational training and began work overhauling radio systems, the future was looking bright for the expanding airfield.

The December of 1950 saw the Glasgow University Air Squadron (UAS) move to Scone as a temporary measure whilst their runway at Abbotsinch was resurfaced. As a result, Airwork became responsible for the maintenance of the training aircraft they were using, primarily Tiger Moths and Miles Magisters. Airwork soon came up with the idea of a trophy to be contested for by the various Scottish University Air Squadrons, called the Scone Cup, the first competition was held in October 1951 and won by Glasgow. After a further name change of the UAS to Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron (UGSAS) in 1965, the squadron re-equipped with DH Chipmunks, bringing yet another type to the small Scottish airfield.

Old buildings are utilised for modern purposes.

Meanwhile the Scone Cup continued, as did the relationship between Scone and the various Air Squadrons, until in 1969, when the RAF centralised all its maintenance work at RAF Turnhouse, and the link with Scone was broken. The GSAS were then reassigned back to Glasgow airport, the location of its origin way back in April 1941.

Like so many other contracts with the military post war, the Admiralty’s pilot training programme wouldn’t last long either, and a gradual reduction in the need for pilot training for the service, forced Airwork to look elsewhere for their trade. The dynamic years that followed saw a huge growth in civil aviation, with jets now spanning the globe in hours and not days, and private flying was becoming evermore affordable to the masses. It was this opportunity that Airwork seized, becoming the first civil school to gain an Instrument rating course certificate for pilot training.

This enabled the now renamed ‘Airwork School of Aviation’ to officially offer its services to civilian operators for the first time, an offer that was taken up by numerous airlines including the first, Sudan Airways, with the first trainees arriving in November 1955.

Although the Navy had ended its contract with Airwork and Scone, it was not the end of military training for good. Whilst 1957 brought the disbandment of some landmark units, on March 8th, another training unit, 1 Civilian Fighter Control Co-Operation unit, formed here at Scone operating the Avro Anson T22. Little seems to be published about the activities of this unit, but I would assume it was, like other training units at Scone, operated by civilians working as part of the Royal Air Force’s training programme. The unit remained active here at Scone, until 31st January 1961 where upon it was disbanded. A year after its cessation on May 10th, an Anson of the unit ‘VV977’ was sold as scrap at No.27 Maintenance Unit (MU) at Shawbury.

With that any RAF connections with Perth ceased. The airfield was passed to ACS Aviation, who claim to be the “leading Commercial Flight Training Organisation in Scotland”. Operating a range of services including commercial pilot training and maintenance provisions.

By the turn of the 1950s / 60s, Scone was heralded as a thriving pilot training facility, seen by many organisations as one of the best available. In acknowledgement of this, the recently formed British United Airways sent their pilots here and were quickly followed by other UK based airlines. The prestige that attracted these airlines led to an award by the Ministry of Aviation confirming Scone’s high ranking status, something that had not been done before to any other UK based school.

Airwork’s organisation stretched the length and breadth of the UK, and as military reorganisations took place, so some of Airwork’s units were either closed or relocated to alternative locations. In the early 1960s, Scones Airwork School of Aviation began to expand further by taking over the School of Aeronautical Engineering from Hamble, which led to yet another name change to Airwork Services Training (AST) to match the new role now being served at Scone. As the school developed and established itself at Scone, so it too began to expand, delving into the roles of electrical, turbine and rotary fields, all of which required further development of the pre-war site.

Modern day Scone is home to a large number of small aircraft.

As Airwork has expanded into the rotary field, the next natural step was to train helicopter pilots at the airfield. The first such operation took place on 30th September 1963, with students from the Ghana Air Force. The instructor on that course, one Cryil Sweetman, would go onto gain his own fifteen minutes of fame flying a Hiller UH-12C in James Bond’s ‘From Russia with Love.’

The growth of Scone continued on throughout the (1960s) decade. During these years no less than thirty Cessnas (130 and 150 models) were brought into the airfield to train pilots, a number that would make it the largest fleet in Europe, giving Scone the advantage over other European training centres. Combine that with the additional training facilities and private maintenance work, Scone was rapidly becoming one of the biggest players in the civil aviation industry.

In the final part, we see how Scone had grown from strength tot strength, through different ownership it has continued to supply training for new and established pilots, establishing itself as one of the largest training centres around.

The full history of Scone can be read in Trail 56.

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (2)

May 17, 2025February 17, 2025 / Aviationtrails / 6 Comments

Part 1 of this trail, saw how Scone began its life, and how through private enterprise, it developed into a pilot training centre for RAF pilots. As the need for pilots and navigators increases so does the work at Scone.

On September 3rd 1939, with Britain’s declaration of war, the training units operating on behalf of the RAF were immediately reorganised and re-designated, 11 E&RFTS becoming known more simply as 11 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS).

This reorganisation of training schools also led to new aircraft, the Tiger Moths currently under civilian registration, were given military designations (BB672 – BB692) and the Hart trainers were replaced by Miles Magisters. Whilst ground crews remained as civilians, the instructors were drafted into the RAF and the school became RAF controlled.

Also at this time, Airwork formed and operated a further training unit here at Scone, 7 Civil Air Navigation School (CANS) flying Avro Ansons. Like 11 E&RFTS, they were, in October, disbanded and re-designated 7 Air Observers Navigation School (AONS), this new designation beginning on 1st November 1939. To fulfil their role, they would then take on eight Dragon Rapides, specifically to train new crews in cross country navigation techniques. After further expansion of both aircraft numbers and type, on June 1st 1940, the AONS was disbanded, further streamlining of training units meaning these needs were met elsewhere.

It was in these early war years that Scone almost became the hub for vital research into radar, when in late 1939, the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) relocated here from Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk; mainly to be away from prying eyes but also away from the possibility of attack by German bombers. The pioneer of radar Robert Watson-Watt, grew up in this region and later went to University here, so it was a natural place to move the research to. However, once at RAF Scone, it was realised that the facilities were far to rudimentary and completely insufficient to accommodate the amount of work needed to carry out this vital research. So, in early 1940, the establishment moved again this time near to Swanage on the Dorset coast. Scone’s fifteen minutes of fame had sadly and quickly passed them by.

Then in early November 1940, 309 Squadron sent a detachment of Lysander IIIs to Scone. Only recently formed, they remained here for about six months, being primarily based at Renfrew where the Polish pilots found the number of woods and railway lines confusing. The sole purpose of 309 Sqn was as a Polish Co-operation unit to work in conjunction with the C-in-C of the Polish Army. It was unique in that it was ‘double’ ranked, having both British and Polish officers in charge, the idea being that once the Polish personnel were in place the British would be pulled out and the squadron would operate as an independent Polish unit. A series of training flights were carried out by the Polish pilots, but with lectures being carried out through a translator, it was often a difficult task to do.

In September 1941, ‘E’ Flight of 11 EFTS was used to form a new training unit, 5 Flying Instructors School (Supplementary) then again simply to the Flying Instructors School, finally becoming the Flying Instructors School (Elementary) from April 1942. The small number of resident pilot instructors flew Miles Masters and Tiger Moths training hundreds of pilots between them before the unit was eventually disbanded in November 1942.

Scone airport looking south in 1947. (@Britain from above)

The remainder of 11 EFTS continued on to the war’s end however, gradually being reduced in size as demand for new pilots decreased. Post war, in 1947, it was renamed as 11 Reserve Flying School (RFS) still operated by Airwork and still flying the biplane the Tiger Moth along with Airspeed Oxfords, Ansons and Hawk trainers. By 1954, the unit had wound down finally being disbanded that same year on the 20th June.

The immediate post war years also saw a huge closure of now ‘unwanted’ airfields, all surplus to requirements. Many were put into care and maintenance or reserved for future use should east-west relations diminish. RAF Errol, located to the east of Scone between Perth and Dundee, was closed and proposals put forward to turn it into a municipal airport for Perth and Dundee. This proposal allowed Airwork to put forward their own offer to Perth Town Council for the site at Scone, the offer (£54,000) was quickly accepted and the deal was finalised and ownership handed over on 31st July 1946, just four months after the initial offer was made.

The war’s end allowed many of the former civilian clubs to reinstate their operations, some though, were unable to due to high costs or lack of suitable facilities. The Strathtay Aero Club, who were one of the lucky ones, were once again able to continue their operations with Airwork at Scone.

Throughout the 1940s, a resurgence of public events saw many air pageants and displays take place across the country. At Perth, the Strathtay Aero Club in conjunction with Airwork, organised its first post war air display attracting around 10,000 spectators, highlighting the renewed interest in aviation at that time.

Amongst those present at the display on 16th August 1947, were the Lord Provost Ure Primrose and Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse. Aircraft taking part ranged from Bleriot’s 1909 monoplane to a squadron of clipped wing Spitfires. A short film of the event is available to view through the British Pathe News website.

Thus renewed interest in civilian flying, allowed Scone (Airwork) to become the saviour of yet another civilian aeroclub, and another that had been forcible suspended by the war. The Scottish Flying Club (SFC), who were initially based at Renfrew and whose buildings 309 Sqn moved into, were closed following the declaration of war and evicted from their premises. After being ejected from their airfield, they found themselves in the awkward position of having nowhere to operate from and unable to afford the high fees being charged by many civilian operators in the immediate post war years.

Airwork allowed the SFC to use Scone’s facilities in such a way that Airwork made no profit out of the agreement. This was clearly a saving grace for the club who eventually joined forces with the Strathtay Aero Club later in 1956, to form a new organisation, The Scottish Aero Club, who would continue to operate from here at Scone.

But the RAF had not finished with Scone yet. In 1949, 666 Squadron was reformed at Scone as an Royal Auxiliary Air Force unit (RAuxAF) comprising of the 1966 Air Observation Post Flight (AOP), the 1967 (AOP) Flight at Renfrew and the 1968 (AOP) Flight at Abbotsinch. The squadron flew Austers Vs and VIs, in a cooperation role with Army units, but by 1957 all three flights, and thus the squadron, had ceased to exist when a letter, signed by the Queen, was handed to more than eighty senior officers of the RAuxAF, officially ending its existence as a military unit. With that, thirty-two years of history had come to an end, a history that had seen the RAuxAF take part in virtually all of Britain’s major air battles since 1925.

With the war over, the RAF’s need for pilots reduces dramatically and so does the need for supporting civilian operations. However, at Scone, operations go from strength to strength.

The full history of Scone can be read in Trail 56.

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (1)

May 10, 2025February 17, 2025 / Aviationtrails / 10 Comments

In Trail 56, we head north once again, this time across the River Tay into Perthshire, the gateway to the Highlands.

The grand city of Perth boasts a majestic history, once the capital of Scotland, it is a city with galleries, museums and stunning architecture; described by VisitScotland.com as “a picturesque playground for Kings and Queens“, and rightly so.

The village that gave this airfield its name, has its own history, going back as far as the Iron age. Once the seat of Royals, it is mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and once housed the famous ‘Stone of Scone‘ or ‘Coronation stone‘ that has for centuries been used for coronations of the Kings and Queens of Scotland and England. It was stolen by King Edward I of England who took it to London, where it remained until 1950 when it was stolen once more by four Scottish students and taken back to Scotland. It was a year later, returned to London where it remained, being used for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1996, the Queen and Prime Minister agreed the stone should be returned to Edinburgh on the proviso that it be brought to London for any future coronations, the last one being King Charles III – it must be the most famous 125kg of rock anywhere in the world. *¹

So, on Trail 56 after passing through the beautiful city of Perth and onto this small but famous village, we find one former RAF airfield that has since become Perth Airport. Located in the same region as Scone Castle, we now visit the former RAF Scone.

RAF Scone.

RAF Scone was built in the 1930s, and has been known by a series of names: Perth Airport, Perth Aerodrome, Perth Municipal Airport, RAF Perth, RAF Scone and Scone Aerodrome. The airfield is located about 3.5 miles north-east of the aforementioned city of Perth.

In the days before Scone was built, the Lord Provost of Perth, Thomas Hunter, had an idea to build an aerodrome near to his home town, designated Newlands aerodrome. The idea never came to fruition however, and no real progress was ever made on the site. However, in 1935, with the rumblings of war in Europe, the Government announced the expansion of the Royal Air Force, and so the idea was taken up again, this time by Sir John Ure Primrose.

Sir John, with support from many Perth Councillors, put forward a plan costing some £20,000 for an aerodrome, and with a small committee of members, began to seek advice from a number of sources including the aircraft company A.M. Airwork Ltd., and the architects Norman, Muntz and Dawbarn. After looking at the designs and reviewing Sir John’s plans, a revised model was put forward doubling the cost to some £40,000.

The new scheme was passed however, and 250 acres of woodland and pasture were purchased from two local landowners, Scone Estates and J. Patrick Cuthbert of Barclayhills. In September 1935, work began on clearing the site which employed around 440 labourers and tradesmen all employed by two companies, Maxwell M. Hart & Co. and William Taylor & Son.*²

It was agreed that the running of the airfield would be undertaken by the Airwork company, who were founded in 1928 and based at the then Heston Aerodrome in Middlesex. For much of this time, Airwork’s chief pilot was Captain Valentine Baker MC, DFC, who later joined forces with Sir James Martin to form the now famous Martin-Baker company, famous for it ejector seats found on numerous fast jests world wide.

Numerous buildings survive from Scones wartime past.

Initially Scone (pronounced Scoone) aerodrome, would be a municipal aerodrome used by various civilian operators including North Eastern Airways and Railway Air Services, who made both local and national flights as far as London and Aberdeen. Some of these flights began in the dawning of 1936, before the airfield had officially opened and so the future looked fairly bright.

This burning light was also fuelled by the formation of the Strathtay Aero Club here at Scone, on May 29th 1936. Set up by three ex-RAF personnel, its initial operations were short lived however, being suspended due to the impending war in Europe. Despite this, with the war’s end in 1945, the club was allowed to continue these operations, including holding major events in 1947 leading to further growth over the next few years.

However, with increasing tension on the continent in the 30s, the RAF’s expansion was paramount and it would take preference over civilian operations. Not only would huge numbers of military personnel be required – an additional 2,000 pilots and over 16,000 ground personnel – but new airfields to operate and fly the aeroplanes from to wage such a war.

With some fifty new aerodromes required by the end of 1937, and so many new pilots to train, elementary flying training would have to form a major constituent of the programme, the majority of which would pass to civilian hands allowing the RAF to focus their efforts on advanced flying techniques. To meet this demand, civilian centres were to be increased from four to an initial thirteen *¹, of which Scone would be one.

The entire training programme was overhauled with separate sites providing different instructions – ground or air – and a new RAF Volunteer Reserve class was set up to provide temporary training to cadets designated the rank of Sergeant. It was planned that those part-time trainees located at Scone, would learn to fly in one of twelve aircraft, each aircraft accumulating as many as 3,500 flying hours each year as a result.

The demand was therefore great, and Scone’s civilian operators, who were by now well established, would be joined on 27th January 1936, by No. 11 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School (E&RFTS) operating under the control of 51 Group RAF, who were then based in Leeds. Even though 11E&RFTS were a military unit, their pilots would be trained by civilian instructors whilst they were stationed at the airfield.

It was clear at this point though, that Scone’s infrastructure was going to be insufficient for both the military and Airwork’s needs, and further land and development was going to be required. To this end, another 120 acres were either purchased, or leased from local landowners, allowing the development, now costing £60,000, to have two runways, 1,000ft and 4,200ft both initially of grass. These new extensions and the extra teaching facilities provided would add both space and accommodation to the original large hangar, administration and support buildings, terminal and its six cottages.

Airwork’s influence stretched far beyond the boundaries of Scone though, their experiences elsewhere allowing them to develop the airfield and provide much of the infrastructure themselves. As an established aviation company they already provided maintenance facilities and operations across Britain, supporting what would become a thriving civil aviation network. In fact, this additional work would provide as much for the aviation industry as the flying training did.

The current Watch Office at Scone (Perth Airport).

The original twelve training aircraft supplied by the RAF were also going to be insufficient, so a further eight were obtained giving of total of twenty, a mix of Tiger Moths (DH.82) along with a handful of Hawker Harts and Hawker Hinds. Over the next few months, various other models would be obtained and used by the unit at Scone, these included: Audax, Fairy Battles and Avro Ansons at some point.

With the number of operators using the site growing, it was going to be busy, and the ground would take considerable punishment. But the cold winter weather prevented the growth of newly laid grass and so, for a period of some two months, 11 E&RFTS moved out until the grass had established itself and the colder weather had passed.

Not long after this, the airfield was officially opened. On June 5th, 1936, a grand ceremony, led by Viscount Swindon, and a number of dignitaries, saw the airfield officially handed over to the Airwork Company under the management of P. Perkins, the general manager of Airworks – Scone had been born.

Even with all the development and extension work that had been going on, Scone would remain a relatively rudimentary station. On site, there would be a watch office, a single Civil 160 x 90 ft hangar; one 120 x 110 ft hangar, six blister hangars but no hardstands and the runways remained grass. A hard perimeter track did circumnavigate the airfield and although it only had two runways, a third strip was also used. A set up that would see Scone enter the war.

In Part 2, Scone develops as the war progresses. Pilot training and maintenance work increases.

The full history of Scone can be read in Trail 56.

Operation ‘Fuller’ – “The Channel Dash”.

February 12, 2025May 29, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 6 Comments

The Second World War was full of extraordinary operations many of which succeeded in their aim resulting in great jubilation on home shores, whilst others will always be remembered for their catastrophic fail and loss of life. In these operations, and even though the mission may have failed, those who took part went far beyond the ‘call of duty’, showing incredible bravery and self sacrifice for the better good.

One such operation took place on February 12th 1942.

Up until now, German warships had been causing havoc in the waters around Britain, sinking in excess of 100,000 tons of allied shipping since the opening days of the war; their ‘trophies’ including the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and the battleship HMS Hood. In January 1942, three of those German warships responsible the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst (Gluckstein and Salmon as the ships were known by bomber command crews) and Prinz Eugen, all heavily armed and battle hardened, were laying in the port of Brest. Even by remaining there, they were causing the Royal Navy an immense headache, as they were diverted from other important tasks, including operations in the Middle East against German supply ships supplying Rommel, and the valuable protection of allied shipping crossing the Atlantic. The small fleet were a major thorn in the Royal Navy’s side and had to be dealt with.

Coastal Command had been closely monitoring the vessels over a period of months, but information had led to little more than that. With the aim of sinking these ships, the RAF became involved undertaking a total of 299 attacks against them whilst docked in the port. During these attacks, forty-three aircraft were lost along with 247 brave airmen. Included in these raids, were in December 1941, ten such operations by Bomber Command which resulted in the loss of some twenty aircraft and seventy airmen. On the 8th of that month, forty-seven bombers escorted by ten fighter squadrons also attacked the docks. Whilst the three ships remained intact, three enemy fighters were claimed to have been shot down but with with the loss of four Stirlings.

During this time though, the ships were indeed hit, and in the case of Scharnhorst, damaged badly, but none ever badly enough not to be beyond repair.

The decision was eventually made therefore, to move the ships, Hitler’s fear of a second front being opened in Scandinavia proving to be the deciding factor. On that decision two routes were considered, the northern route around Scotland which would take the small, but powerful fleet in range of British carriers and warships at Scapa Flow, a fight the Germans did not want to engage in. Alternatively, they could attempt a daring dash through the narrow and well defended English Channel. It was a difficult decision to make.

The presence of the ship and their likely move to safer harbours prompted William Helmore (one of those behind the Turbinlite project) to go to the Alan Muntz Company with an idea as to how to sink them. In conjunction with GEC, RAE Farnborough, Dowty and Stones of Deptford to name but a few, the idea of a radio controlled, 5 ton torpedo with a diameter of 39 inches able to fit a Lancaster bomber, was devised.

The idea was that a Mosquito would control the torpedo once it had been dropped from the Lancaster, and a mast would rise to maintain radio contact with the controlling aircraft. The torpedo would have a range of 25 miles with a warhead weighing 1 ton, limited only by the size of the Lancaster. While tests were carried out, many issues raised their heads including an air supply for the engine, (a Meteor Tank engine) which all proved too complicated and the project was eventually shelved*⁴.

However, following a meeting on January 12th, 1942 between many top ranking German officials including Hitler, Raeder (the C In C of the Navy), Vice-Admiral Ciliax and Adolf Galland as commander of the Luftwaffe in the Channel area, a decision was finally made, the shorter English Channel route would be the one to take and so Operation Cerberus, (the breakout) was born.

The decision raised great concerns though. Both Galland and other Luftwaffe officials knew that there were too few available fighters in the region – just some two groups and a few training units – to be able to provide the 24 hour protection the ships needed as they dashed through the straits. Night fighters were especially needed, a decision which was affirmed and granted by Major General Jeschonnek, the Luftwaffe Chief of Staff; but the numbers of aircraft available to Galland would still remain greatly inferior to those on British soil ready to attack.

So, Operation Thunderbolt (Donnerkeil ) was put in place, the air umbrella that would protect the ships as they sailed northward. Operation Cerebus (the breakout) was affirmed with February 11th chosen as ‘X’ day, and a sailing time set at 8:00pm. In the weeks leading up to the ‘dash’, German transmitting stations based at both Calais and Cherbourg, began a cat and mouse game transmitting a series of elaborate but false messages to interfere with British radar stations along the south coast. They provided a cover story, suggesting that the fleet would set sail but head toward the Pacific in support of the Japanese and not north to Scandinavia. In preparation, trial runs were made to test engines, guns and communications. The British, still monitoring their actions, began a series of raids on the port, none of which achieved any great success.

During these attacks, which had been occurring regularly since early January, several aircraft were lost including: three Manchesters from 61 Squadron; two Hampdens from 144 Sqn; three Wellingtons, one each from 12, 142 and 300 Sqns and on the 10th February, another Manchester from 61 Sqn.

To meet the anticipated challenge, Galland had some 252 fighters, including a mix of 109s, 190s and some thirty 110 night fighters at his disposal, but he argued, it was still not enough to provide the cover he wanted.

As ‘X’ day approached, the radars went wild with false readings and interference. But the British, now aware of an impending escape, were on high alert, additional Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) were docked at Dover and Swordfish aircraft were drafted in to RAF Manston in Kent. Some 1,100 magnetic mines were laid along the projected route and Dover command was put on standby. At 8:00pm on February 11th, the flotilla began to assemble outside of Brest harbour, just as a routine air raid was launched, and so the port was shut down. Although only one aircraft was lost, a Wellington from 150 Sqn, the raid proved no more than a nuisance, only delaying the fleet’s departure by two hours.

Now temporarily blinded by false radio measures, the British were unable to ‘see’ the mighty armada as it finally slipped out into the open waters of the Channel. Their escape had been a success.

During the night, good progress was made by the fleet and the lost time was made up quickly. Meanwhile, the skies remained quiet, the British not yet realising the ruse. The early morning remained dark, night fighters patrolled along side the fleet at wave top level, thus avoiding detection by British radar. Day fighters joined them in a relay operation that would be held below the cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet.

At 11:00 am on the 12th, the Germans intercepted a British message signalling that the fleet had been spotted. But it remained another hour before further RAF aircraft were seen, the British being wary and unsure of the message’s accuracy. Even though for months the British Command had been monitoring the fleet, those in command failed to act on valuable information, a mistake that led to a vital delay in operations.

Then, in the early hours of the afternoon, as the fleet approached the narrowest point of the Channel, British defences at Dover opened fire. A sea battle then raged between German warships and British MTBs, but for all their valiant efforts they failed to achieve their goal.

At 13:20 A group of sixteen Spitfires took off from Kenley on a Beaufort escort mission that were sent out to search for, and attack the fleet. They initially rendezvoused with twelve more Spitfires from 602 Sqn, but then failed to meet the Beauforts over Manston. The formation then continued on to the target area looking for the convoy and its escort. Soon after arriving over the Channel, 485 (NZ) Sqn’s leader, Group Captain, Francis V. Beamish DSO and Bar, DFC, AFC, spotted six destroyers, two E-Boats and two German Battle cruisers. At his altitude there was no fighter escort, the mix of Bf109s and FW190s remaining firmly below radar level at 600ft.

Seizing his chance, Beamish then attacked one of the destroyers raking it with gunfire along the length of its deck, a Spitfire’s guns were no match for the destroyer though and little damage was done. The remaining aircraft of the two squadrons then took on the enemy who were forming a low level protective umbrella, achieving a greater rate of success with several ‘kills’ being reported back at Kenley.

Now fully aware of the situation, the RAF and Navy were called into action. At RAF Manston, eighteen young men began to prepare for take off, their target, the escaping German fleet of some sixty-six surface vessels including the warships Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen, now sailing almost unopposed through the English Channel.

The six Fairy Swordfish of 825 Naval Air Squadron were ageing biplanes, they were no match for Galland’s fast and more dominant fighters, nor the defensive guns of the mighty German fleet they were hoping to attack. To pitch a handful of biplanes with torpedoes against such a heavily armed and well prepared armada, turned out to be no less than suicide.

In front of their Swordfish, Lieut Cdr E Esmonde, RN, (2nd Left) on board HMS Ark Royal, October 1941. This photo was taken after the attack on the Bismark, and includes the various aircrew who received decorations as a result of that daring attack. (Left to right: Lieut P D Gick, RN, awarded DSC; Lieut Cdr E Esmonde, RN, awarded DSO; Sub Lieut V K Norfolk, RN, awarded DSC; A/PO Air L D Sayer. awarded DSM; A/ Ldg Air A L Johnson, awarded DSM). (© IWM A 5828)

The winter of 1942 was very cold, but the Swordfish were kept ready, engines warmed and torpedoes armed, now they could no longer wait, and instead of attacking as planned at night, they would have to attack during the day, and so the order to go was given. The crews started their engines and set off on their daring mission in what was appalling weather.

Shortly after take off, the escort arrived, merely ten Spitfires from No. 72 Squadron RAF, led by Squadron Leader Brian Kingcombe, and not the five Spitfire squadrons promised. The six Swordfish, led by Lt. Cdr. Eugene Esmonde, dived down to 50 feet and began their attack. Hoping to fly below the level of the anti-aircraft guns each of the six Swordfish flew gallantly toward their targets. Eventually, and even though they were hit and badly damaged, they pressed home their attacks, but they were out-gunned, and out performed, and just twenty minutes after the attack began, all six had fallen victim to the German guns. No torpedoes had struck home.

Of the eighteen men who took off that day, only five were to survive.

Leading the attack, Lt. Cdr. Esmonde (an ex-Imperial Airways captain) was warded the V.C. Posthumously, he had previously been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his part in the attack on the Battleship Bismark; an award that also went to: S/Lt. B Rose, S/Lt. E Lee, S/Lt. C Kingsmill, and S/Lt. R Samples. Flying with them, L/A. D. Bunce was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal and twelve of the airmen were mentioned in dispatches.

The attack became known as ‘The Channel dash’ officially called Operation Fuller, and in honour of the brave attempt to hit the German fleet that day, a memorial was erected in Ramsgate Harbour, the names of the eighteen Swordfish crew are listed where their story is inscribed for eternity.

Operation Fuller was a disaster not only for the Royal Navy and Coastal Command who had been monitoring the fleet for many months, but also for the Royal Air Force. A force of some 100 aircraft made up from almost every Group of Bomber Command had made its way to the Channel. By the time evening had dawned, it had become clear that some sixteen aircraft from the force had been lost. The loss of life from those sixteen aircraft totalled sixty-four, with a further five being captured and incarcerated as prisoners of war.*¹

Bomber Command were not without their terrible stories either. The sad loss of W/C. R MacFadden DFC and his six crew who remained in their dingy after their Wellington from 214 Sqn ditched in the cold waters of the Channel. Over a period of 72 hours all but Sgt. Murray, slowly died from the cold, he being rescued at the last minute and incarcerated by the Germans. Of all the RAF squadrons that took part that day, their losses amounted to: 49 Sqn (4 x Hampdens); 50 Sqn (1 x Hampden); 103 Sqn (1 x Wellington); 110 Sqn (1 x Blenheim); 114 Sqn (1 x Blenheim); 144 Sqn (2 x Hampdens); 214 Sqn (1 x Wellington); 419 Sqn (2 x Wellingtons); 420 Sqn (2 x Hampdens) and 455 Sqn (1 x Hampden)*²

February 12th had been a disaster, so bad that The Daily Mirror reported on February 16th 1942 under the headline “9 Lost Hours in the Channel“, that a demand had been put forward to Parliament for a complete statement on Naval strategy during the event. It also questioned the “suitability of Admiral Sir Dudley Pound”, in fulfilling his role. The paper goes onto say that a lag of some nine hours had largely been ignored by officials, that being the time between the first notice and when action was finally taken against the fleet. It also says that although the initial sighting was no earlier than 10:42 am, it took another hour before it too was responded to. The public had been mislead it believed.

The entire operation has been badly organised by those in command, with little or no cohesion nor coordination between this various forces involved. As a result, the entire operation was a catastrophe with a major loss of life and no real result. The entire operation was seen by some as akin to a “Gilbert and Sullivan” comedy*³.

However, from that disaster came stories of untold heroism, bravery and self sacrifice by a group of men that have turned this event into one of Britain’s most remarkable and incredible stories of the war.

*¹ To read more about Bomber Commands part in operation Fuller and a German film of the event, see the Pathfinders Website.

*² Chorley, W.R., “Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War – 1942” 1994, Midland Counties publications.

*³ Bennet, D “Pathfinder“, Goodall, 1998

*⁴ McCloskey, K., “Airwork – A History.” The History Press, 2012

A German account of the ‘dash’ is given in “The First and the Last” by Adolf Galland published in 1955 by Meuthuen & Co.. Ltd.

Smith. G., “Heroes of Bomber Command – Cambridgeshire“. Countryside Books (2007)

National Archives AIR 27/1933/20, AIR 27/1933/21

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Part 4 – The end of an Era.

September 21, 2024September 1, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

Continuing on from Part 3

2 (AC) Sqn by now, also had a move away on the cards, and following a meeting on the 28th January the advanced party departed first, followed on the 31st by the ground party. The Mustangs moving to RAF Bottisham, from where they would now operate before being divided and part moving to Fowlmere. After a short stay at the two sites they returned to the Hertfordshire airfield once more. Their departure had lasted a mere four months.

The Standby Generator House now a stores for machinery.

Whilst they were away, the airfield was used on a temporary basis by 652 Sqn flying Austers, On arrival, they immediately took over Blount’s Farm and used it for their own personal use. In the short time they were here, they participated in Exercise “Spartan” again in conjunction with the Army, departing the airfield in late March.

After being spilt between Bottisham and Fowlmere, 2 (AC) Squadron was now reunited and returned to training flights, air to air firing, ground support flights and increased operational activities. A large part of the squadron’s role now included photographic reconnaissance of enemy territory, many of these operations taking place over the Hook of Holland, den Helder, Kijduin, and Ameland. Some of these required the squadron to detach to other stations but the majority of operations flew from Sawbridgeworth, the Mustangs fairing much better than the heavy Typhoons of 182 Squadron earlier on.

In Mid may, disaster struck again for the unit when three aircraft crashed into a hillside after setting off on a photo reconnaissance flight to photograph locomotive movements in northern France in Operation “Asphalt“. On the way out, a bank of sea fog was encountered and the order to climb was given. Unfortunately, flying abreast, three of the ten Mustangs failed to clear the hill they encountered, and Pt. Off. J. McLeod, Fl. Off. D. Hirst and Fl. Off. N. Miller were all killed. The remaining aircraft then flew to Thruxton where they were detached to, and a search commenced for the missing airmen. Their bodies were later recovered and funerals held in their respective homes at the end of the month.

Photo reconnaissance flights and attacks on shipping, increased becoming the main role for the squadron. Sadly during one of these operations, Operation “Lagoon“, Fl. Off. Butt was killed when his Mustang crashed into the ground before he was able to land. The resultant explosion and fire killing him.

July 1943 saw yet another move for the squadron, this time to Gravesend, where they were immediately billeted under canvas and then inspected for fitness to serve overseas. No such move came through though, and after moving around various other local airfields, in November, 2 Sqn returned to the Hertfordshire airfield that had become their semi-permanent home; this time though, they were not unaccompanied, they brought with them the Mustangs of 4 Squadron.

During their absence, Sawbridgeworth had not been deserted, in fact it had been very busy and home to several other squadron detachments. On the 12th November 1943, 63, 168 and 170 Squadrons had all moved in with Mustangs, then on the 30th, both 63 and 168 departed moving back to their parent unit, their short detachment coming to an end; whilst 170 remained here until mid January when they were disbanded.

The return of 2 Sqn and the new Mustang unit that November, saw a continuation of reconnaissance operations over the continent. 4 Sqn had been dogged by mechanical issues resulting in many unserviceable aircraft and even for the move, only five aircraft were able to make the initial flight. It was these ongoing issues that led to them to begin changing their old models for newer examples, a change that would unfortunately take time to complete.

For much of December the weather played the dominant part, the winter of 1943 – 44 being extremely wet and foggy. For much of the month the airfield was yet again, unserviceable and only top priority operational flying could take place and even that was sporadic.

At nearby Hunsdon, both a Mosquito and a Spitfire along with suitable trainers were made available, and it soon became known that 4 squadron was going to re-equip with both and move to Aston Down. At last, the older, problematic Mustangs were being replaced by a much needed and higher performing aircraft.

Conversion of the crews would take place at Hunsdon who would transfer across regularly to take flight instructions whenever the weather allowed. It didn’t come a moment too soon either as serviceability for the Mustangs of both squadrons, remained critically low; at the end of the month, 4 Sqn only had two airworthy aircraft.

In early January 1944, 4 Sqn finally got their departure orders and made the move to Aston Down. The conversion had been successful, and further training flights were carried out once at Aston Down, gradually more and more of the new models arrived bringing the squadron back up to full strength once more. That was not the end of 4 Squadron though, as on March 3rd 1944, they returned to Sawbridgeworth with their new Spitfires and their Mosquitoes, their period of reconnaissance training on the two types now almost complete.

On the 3rd March, two parties left Aston Down, the road party in the morning and then, in the afternoon, the air party, forming the largest ‘Balbo‘ the unit had known for some time. in all, twenty-two aircraft made up of Spitfires, Mosquitoes and Mustangs flew in formation all the way to Sawbridgeworth, their arrival in the late afternoon must have been a magnificent sight for those waiting on the ground.

The squadron was then divided into two flights, ‘A’ Flight flying the Spitfires and ‘B’ Flight the Mosquitoes. During March the ‘A’ Flight Spitfire XIs were used to fly photo reconnaissance sorties over ‘Noball‘ targets – rocket installations in France, the first operational sortie since December 12th. However, and a blow to the squadron, there was 10/10ths cloud over the target area and no photos were taken as a result.

With ‘A’ Flight busy on operational sorties, ‘B’ Flight continued with their Training flights in their Mosquitoes. However, as with the Typhoons earlier, things were not as straight forward and easy and they may have been. It was found that stones and clinker had found its way onto the tracks and these had been thrown up damaging the tail plane of the aircraft rendering all the aircraft used unserviceable.

Poor weather continued to hamper operations as it had done for months, the Mosquitoes now taking part in photographic flights having their flights cancelled and the squadron being stood down on several occasion.

In early April, they were ordered out of Sawbridgeworth and on the 4th, both air and ground parties left for Gatwick, their penultimate stop before moving to the continent where they would stay for many years after the war’s end.

Meanwhile, 2 Sqn had continued operations over enemy territory, carrying out both air-ground attacks and reconnaissance flights over the continent. Yet more detachments away at various airfields including Benson and North Weald, led to them being divided once more. However, being posted to North Weald caused problems for the resident 268 Sqn who were now forced to leave there and come to Sawbridgeworth, North Weald being too small to accommodate both units. When 2 Sqn returned to Sawbridgeworth on March 26th to continue their operational activities, 268 departed, being transferred to RAF Gailes where the entire squadron undertook a Naval Bombardment course.

During their time here, 268 had been operational flying regular sorties over France. With the impending invasion, they photographed beach defences along the French coast, Radar station at Ostend and carried out “Noball” operations searching for and photographing V1 launch sites.

2 Sqn’s last departure from Sawbridgeworth than came, and on 24th March 1944, they along with 4 squadron shortly after, departed the airfield for Gatwick, never to return to Sawbridgeworth again.

2 Sqn would go on to serve well into the future, taking their Tornadoes to Marham in 1991 after serving in Germany post war. With a long and distinguished history that extends as far back as 1912, they would operative some of the worlds most modern aircraft including: Meteors, Hunters and Jaguars all in front line operations.

With 2 Squadron now departed and not going to return, there was room for other squadrons to utilise the airfield. April saw the arrival of both 80 Squadron on the 24th April followed by 126 Sqn on the 30th; both units flying Spitfires VB and IX respectively.

80 Sqn had been overseas for the last few years and as soon as they arrived at Sawbridgeworth, they were granted leave of up to seven days. Many were disgruntled at such a short period of time and some were given extensions. On return, the squadron then moved immediately to Hornchurch to form a new Wing along with 229 and 274 Squadrons.

Only one other squadron used the airfield after that, 126 Sqn, who, like 80 Squadron, had been abroad and were essentially regrouped here. No flying took place and once settled they were assigned to RAF Culmhead.

After D-Day no other units used the airfield and Sawbridgeworth had had its day. Now redundant it was handed over to the Maintenance Command and placed into care. All flying ceased, military units were pulled out and the airfield gradually wound down.

Its demise was swift, the mesh runways were quickly removed using POWs, the tower was demolished a year after the cessation of conflict in 1945, and many other buildings were removed or demolished; the land rapidly turned back to agriculture.

Wandering the site today, there is luckily still quite a bit of evidence about. The perimeter track is complete, not in its full width throughout, but a large proportion of it. A number of pill boxes remain scattered around the perimeter of the site and the Battle Headquarters (design 11008/41) can be found with determined searching amongst the brambles and hedgerows.

To the west of the site is a small industrial complex utilising what was a ten-bed sick quarters, dental annex, a twelve bed Barrack hut that doubled as a hospital ward, mortuary and an ambulance shed. An ablutions block is was also located here and the site is more or less complete. Not far from here, is a modern farm, which houses a number of smaller original buildings including a Parachute store (built to drawing 11137/41), fabric store, sub station, main stores and other technical buildings. These are all located on private land and in use by the farmer. There is also a signals block, located nearby to these sites and easily visible from the road.

Across to the east of the airfield, is whats left of the communal site. Here stood 33 buildings in total, incorporating a wide range of supporting units for recreation and general living. The only remaining buildings being the standby generator house and the grocery store. Both are used by local businesses.

A memorial to those who served at Sawbridgeworth stands outside what was the guard house. A recent addition, it is a nice reminder of the dedication of the crews who were stationed here during two world wars.

Sawbridgeworth took years to develop and continually struggled with nature and her elements. Those stationed here struggled with mud and poor weather, undertaking co-operation flights, photographic reconnaissance operations and attacks on enemy targets on the continent. But it never really reached its true, and full potential, languishing in the background with no real direction or planning to see it thrive. Possible loved by many, but loathed by some, it remains today as a reminder of what those dark days of the 1940s were all about.

It is a small well hidden airfield and takes some finding. Hidden by woodland and crops, it was created through luck rather than good planning. The crews and aircraft of Sawbridgeworth played a big part in the Second World War, and all in its short but yet significant life.

Whilst in the area, a third, very important and still active airfield, can be found not far away at North Weald.

Sources and Further Reading (Sawbridgeworth)

*¹ Herts Memories website accessed 30/6/24

*²National Archives AIR 27/406/1, 39 Squadron Operational Record Book 1916 May 01 – 1930 June 30

*³ ‘A Fleeting Peace’ website. visited 1/9/2024.

*⁴ (a form of gas that is thought to be harmless and used in trials. Mustard Gas would be stored and used in the event of an invasion). National Archives Air/27/19.

*⁵ National archives AIR 27/1135/1 – 182 Squadron Operational Record Book

National Archives: AIR 27/19/9; AIR 27/19/13, AIR 27/19/15; AIR 27/19/19; AIR 27/19/21, AIR-27-2876; AIR 27/19/25; AIR 27/19/30; AIR 27/19/33; AIR 27/19/32; AIR 27/19/36; AIR 27/19/30; AIR 27/1564/5; AIR 27/671/7;

For personal stories and further information see the Wartime Airfields website.

The Hertfordshire Airfields and Memorial Group have further information about the site and the memorial on their website.

The full story can be read in Trail 25.

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Part 3 – P-51s Arrive.

September 14, 2024September 1, 2024 / Aviationtrails / Leave a comment

Continuing on from Part 2

With all Tomahawks now airworthy, if not troublesome, exercises away at other airfields were the main order of the day. Courses held here were well attended meaning the airfield would see a range of personnel, including naval staff, residing at the site for short durations, over the coming months.

Perimeter track

Personnel spirits were raised once more when Flt. Lt. Houseman and Sqn. Ldr. Eyres visited RAF Duxford in February to see the new American built P-51 ‘Mustang’, it was thought this was to be the new replacement for the Tomahawks which had been nothing but problematic throughout their time at Sawbridgeworth.

Convinced of the Mustang’s superiority, arrangements were quickly made for other personnel to also visit the airfield and see for themselves what the new aircraft was capable of. Then, in April 1942, after some initial training at Bottisham, the first three Mustangs arrived at Sawbridgeworth flown in from Speke, Liverpool. With a further six arriving the next day, the total number of Mustangs at the airfield quickly began to increase.

RAF Mustangs of 2 (Army Cooperation) Sqn.

As with the introduction of the Tomahawk, the introduction of a new aircraft takes time and is rarely trouble free. On April 9th, no less than three Mustangs were either written off or substantially damaged in accidents. The first, ‘AG401’, was on a message dropping flight when it inadvertently hit hidden HT cables severing its pitot head and aerial. With no air speed indicator, the aircraft made a fast landing causing the wheel to slip off the tracking and hit a hole in the ground. The wheel lodged itself in the hole causing the aircraft to flip onto its nose. In the second accident, as ‘AG403’ piloted by Pt.Off. G. Gosnell, ran down the runway, it struck a second Mustang, ‘AG488’ piloted by Pt. Off. P. Willmett, who was taxiing prior to taking-off. After the impact, ‘AG403’ rose into the air, flipped onto its back and crashed into the ground fatally wounding Pilot Officer Gosnell. Pt. Off. Willmett in the second Mustang was however, uninjured in the collision.

Only ten days later Pt. Off. Willmett was involved in another accident when the Mustang he was flying, this time ‘AG492’, suffered a stalled engine. Unable to restart it, Willmett made a forced landing in a field near to High Wycombe. Neither he nor the aircraft suffered any injury or damage.

In June, further consideration was given to extending the runway once again and more surveys were made of the ground by Captain Storey of C.R.E. Bottisham. But any positive news from this was marred by the two deaths of personnel from Sawbridgeworth. Firstly , P. O. G. Young was killed in an air firing exercise at Stert Point ranges on Fenning Island. The aircraft failed to pull up after the attack and subsequently hit the sea wall completely destroying the aircraft. The cause of the accident remains unknown. The second person to die was LAC Dodds, who accidentally drowned whilst swimming in a river local to the airfield, both tragic accidents that marred an otherwise positive day.

Exercises in July took detachments to both Snailwell and Wendling. Residing at Shipdham, they carried out forty-six sorties altogether all with excellent results – the Mustang and its crews were performing well. With the official release of the P-51 at the end of the month, the squadron was visited by press officials who were invited to take photos and also meet the crews who would be flying them.

On August 8th, 1942, one of many support training units that were to operate from the airfield, was created here at Sawbridgeworth. The 1495 (Target Towing) Flight, who like 2 (AC) Sqn early on, was equipped with the Lysander and Martinet. It was a short lived unit though, created to support air-to-air gunnery practice using targets towed behind the aircraft; being absorbed into another unit at Hutton Cranswick merely a year later.

The naval link continued in September when a detachment of No. 809 Sqn Fleet Air Arm, arrived bringing with them Fairey Fulmars. The three aircraft staying here, were practising low level attacks through smoke screens in conjunction with 54 Division Battle School. A further twelve officers and six more aircraft then arrived at the end of the month bringing the total number of naval personnel to nine. These were very quickly supplemented over the next few days, and soon the airfield was awash with staff.

This cooperation between units brought many varied aircraft and personnel to Sawbridgeworth. A detachment of 239 Sqn arrived here for a short stay between 22nd October and 18th November, flying their own Mustang Is in conjunction with those of 2 (AC) Sqn, this move would have considerably increased the number of aircraft using the site and the station would have become increasingly active.

Former Sick quarters

October 29th would sadly be another black day for the airfield though, with the loss of three more Mustangs during night manoeuvres. Flying in bad weather and unsure of their location, the flight of three descended to lower altitudes to gain visual references. In doing so, the first aircraft, ‘AG605’ flown by Pt. Off. D. Williams, collided with trees and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was sadly killed. In the second incident, one of the wingmen (AG633), was forced to make a wheels up landing in a field next to the airfield after attempting an overshoot. The pilot, Pt. Off. P. Whittenham luckily escaped without injury. The last of the three, the leader of the flight (AG465), ran out of fuel and baled out leaving the aircraft to crash into hotel grounds at Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire. He landed without further incident.

Further cooperation flights, involved the arrival at the end of November, of sixteen Spitfires from the Norwegian squadron then based at North Weald. The pilots were here to train in Army cooperation, again operating alongside the Mustangs of the now expert 2 (AC) Sqn.

With the principle aircraft now being the Mustang for 2 (AC) Sqn, a few Tomahawks still remained on their books, and it was one of these that would crash on landing causing minor injuries to the pilot Pt. Off. P. Gordon-Crosby in ‘AK144’. The type had by now though, seen its day and was largely phased out of squadron use by this time.

As 1942 drew to a close, Sawbridgeworth had grown and developed. It had links with squadrons across the country and across different forces, it had also seen a variety of nationalities reside at its grounds. Whilst it was at least now making its mark, conditions at the site were far from perfect, a problem that was to be highlighted when news came in to 182 Squadron based at Martlesham Heath that they were to relocate to Sawbridgeworth. In preparation, the station commander, Sqn. Ldr. T. Pugh and adjutant Flt. Lt. R. Melhuish, set off by road to inspect the airfield, paying particular attention to its accommodation facilities, hardstands and runways.

It was clear from the outset that the airfield was “going to give everyone a formidable array of difficulties to face, the accommodation is uncompleted, the dispersals are uncompleted and deep in thick, clayey mud, and the larger hangar is only half erected and has no roof, and everywhere is mud, thick and sticky.” *⁵

These findings were then confirmed by Flt. Lt. Manak, who returned to Martlesham after landing a Hurricane at Sawbridgeworth. The entry recorded in the ORB *⁵ reflected Manak’s feelings in just a few words: “He returns with a very dismal face.”

As a result, Sqn. Ldr. Pugh contacted Headquarters 11 Group to express his deepest concerns at the state of the airfield, but promised to try and see if the squadron could operate from it,despite the difficulties they would face. It was a brave attempt that would not last long. That night, in honour or the squadron, a party and competition were held between 132 and 182 Sqns at Martlesham which, as often happens, became a little ‘boisterous’ resulting in the C.O. and Squadron Engineer Officer both being sent to hospital for injuries sustained in the activities.

Then, on the 6th December, the ground party began their move, followed the next day by the air party lead by Flt. Lt. Manak, in which seventeen Typhoons and one Hurricane took off in groups of four, set for Sawbridgeworth. The problems they were going to face became immediately obvious as they were faced with sticky mud as soon as they landed. Undaunted by the challenges ahead, by the evening they are all bedded down ready for the challenges of their new home.

Conditions at the dispersals made flying virtually impossible for the heavier Typhoons, and considerable work was needed to bring them up to any sort of standard, deep “cleyey‘” mud prevailed making movement difficult, even the runways were a challenge despite the fact there was matting lain down.

By the 13th December, a week into their stay things had improved slightly, and flying began with thirteen officers putting in twelve hours thirty-five minutes of patrols.

Former Signals block

But by the 15th, the rain had returned, and the airfield became difficult to fly from once more. Further rain followed and by the 17th it was completely out of commission, a state it remained in for many days thereafter. With flying scaled right back, it was decided to make good use of the time by providing ground lectures covering a wide-range of topics. By the end of the month, little had changed and six aircraft were ordered to disperse as soon as possible to nearby RAF Hunsdon so that some flying could, at least, take place.

It was not until the 29th December that the airfield was in any state to permit flying to take place. The six aircraft destined for Hunsdon then managed to take off, lead by Sqn. Ldr. Manak. To support them, a ground party also left taking with them supplies and spares to Hunsdon from where they would now operate until further notice.

To combat the continuing mud problem, the north-south runway was eventually relaid, the east-west runway was considered ‘usable’, as long as there was no further rain, and it was therefore left in situ. The slightest amount of rain however, would simply turn the ground into thick mud and slush.

Christmas then passed, and 1943 would see little change in the weather. After a few dry days, adverse weather returned once more, and once again the early days of January saw little flying take place. However, a short break did allow history to be made when, on the 3rd January 1943, the first operational sortie of 182 Squadron was made. Two Typhoons, flown by Flt. Lt. Manak and Sergeant Shields, flew to Martlesham Heath, where they were ‘ bombed up’ with 250lb bombs and then attacked inland port installations at Bruges. Whilst the overall outcome of the operation was not known, it was nevertheless the squadron’s first operation since its inception and there were no losses.

Between then and the 17th, bad weather persisted, it became so bad, that at one point the mud seeped through the mesh and a substantial amount of flying by the squadron, had to be cancelled as a result. However, on the 17th, ten aircraft were able to get airborne and after joining with four of those detached at Hunsdon, they made their way, with two lighter Mustangs from 2 (AC) Sqn, to RAF Snailwell where they would take part in ground support operation with Army Command. Snailwell’s resident 181 Sqn welcomed their sister squadron with open arms, and threw a huge party in their honour. The following day, they all took part in the training exercise “Shatter“, before all aircraft, from both squadrons, returned to Sawbridgeworth and the mud they had left behind. 182 Sqn then made the decision to attempt to operate the all its aircraft from the airfield, but, with mud accumulating along the track, by 23rd the new station commander W. Cdr. Bristow, had had enough and declared the runways unserviceable and the airfield all but closed.

By the 27th, concerns for Sawbridgeworth had reached the higher ranks of the military and the Air Officer Commanding Army Co-operation Command, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barratt KCB, CMG, MC, who arrived at the airfield to discuss the future of 182 Squadron with W. Cdr. Pugh. The outcome was that the squadron would have to move elsewhere as training had been held up for far too long, and this must now stop; a move away was on the cards and not a moment too soon either.

By the 30th January, all was set and the squadron managed to get airborne returning to their former station at Martlesham Heath. The following day all ground personnel also left and the squadron settled in at their former airfield, leaving a disastrous stay at Sawbridgeworth well and truly behind.

Part 4 continues with the end of the war and the end of Sawbridgeworth. The full story can be read in Trail 25.

Aviation Trails

A trail around Britain's historical airfields many lost to developers or mother nature herself. Come along on a voyage of discovery and nostalgia.

Royal Navy

Trail 65 – RAF Thurleigh Part 2 – The USAAF Arrive.

A New Ally Arrives: The American Transformation of Thurleigh

**The 306th Bomb Group: Arrival of “The Reich Wreckers” (Autumn 1942)**

Baptism by Fire: First Operations and Early Losses

Weather, Warnings, and Misfires: October’s Frustrating Missions

Emergency Landing: A B-17 Touches Down at Sutton Bridge

Mounting Pressure: Heavy Losses and Royal Visits

The B-17’s Fatal Flaw – and its Remedy

Trail 65 – RAF Thurleigh Part 1 – Its Birth.

RAF Thurleigh (Station 111)

The War Reaches Bedfordshire: Early Bombings and Construction (1941)

Tropical Kit and Tragedy: The Brief Story of 160 Squadron (1942)

Tragedy and Transition – May 1942

RAF Narborough – ‘The Largest Aircraft Base of the First World War.’ Part 1

RAF Narborough

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (4)

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (3)

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (2)

RAF Scone – A little airfield with a big History (1)

RAF Scone.

Operation ‘Fuller’ – “The Channel Dash”.

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Part 4 – The end of an Era.

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Part 3 – P-51s Arrive.

A New Ally Arrives: The American Transformation of Thurleigh

The 306th Bomb Group: Arrival of “The Reich Wreckers” (Autumn 1942)

Baptism by Fire: First Operations and Early Losses

Weather, Warnings, and Misfires: October’s Frustrating Missions

Emergency Landing: A B-17 Touches Down at Sutton Bridge

Mounting Pressure: Heavy Losses and Royal Visits

The B-17’s Fatal Flaw – and its Remedy

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RAF Thurleigh (Station 111)

The War Reaches Bedfordshire: Early Bombings and Construction (1941)

Tropical Kit and Tragedy: The Brief Story of 160 Squadron (1942)

Tragedy and Transition – May 1942

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RAF Narborough

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RAF Scone.

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**The 306th Bomb Group: Arrival of “The Reich Wreckers” (Autumn 1942)**