Trail 67- Northants and Bedfordshire Twinwood Farm (Part 4)

October 31, 2026October 11, 2026 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

Part 3 of this trail saw the arrival of the Americans, a new name being added and a perplexing mystery about to unfold.

A mystery emerges.

In 1944, Twinwood Farm became etched into history as the last place Glenn Miller was seen alive. Miller, the pre-war musician who had revolutionised popular music with his distinctive style and sound, had enjoyed enormous success in America with hits such as In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade and Chattanooga Choo Choo. But after the United States entered the war, Miller was determined to use his music to support the armed forces overseas, while the loss of several key members of his orchestra to military service also encouraged him to find a way of contributing to the war effort.

Maj. Glenn Miller in a relaxed pose. (IWM UPL 28085)

After initially being refused by the Navy, Miller joined the US Army on 7 October 1942. He eventually became involved with the Army Air Forces, where his musical expertise was put to use in developing military bands and entertainment for service personnel.

His eventual deployment to Britain came at the request of General Eisenhower, who wanted Miller to contribute to the Allied Expeditionary Forces’ programme and help maintain the morale of troops in Europe. Miller arrived in Britain in June 1944 and, after a short period in London, moved his organisation to the Bedford area.

On 9 July, Miller and his new band rehearsed at the Bedford Corn Exchange. The performance was broadcast on the AEF network that evening and was a huge success. It was the beginning of a period in which Miller and his musicians would perform at bases across Britain, with hangar dances becoming a popular way of raising morale among war-weary personnel. Miller had become a phenomenon.

But the joy Miller was bringing to Allied personnel was to be short-lived. In December, he was asked to travel to Paris to make arrangements for a forthcoming performance. He accepted an invitation to fly with Lt. Col. Norman Baessell, who was serving with VIII Air Force Service Command and was himself travelling to Paris on temporary duty.

Military driver Edward McCollough drove Miller to Twinwood Farm, from where Miller had departed on previous occasions with his band for concerts. There, he boarded a small Noorduyn UC-64 Norseman with Flight Officer John Morgan and Lt. Col. Baessell.

The aircraft took off from Twinwood at 13:55 on 15 December 1944 in thick fog. It was never seen again. Miller was officially declared missing on 18 December and was subsequently declared dead.

The nature of Miller’s disappearance has haunted historians ever since. His small aircraft disappeared somewhere on the journey across the Channel and neither it, nor its three occupants, was ever found. The absence of any wreckage or bodies inevitably encouraged speculation, and over the decades numerous theories have emerged.

Former hangar now a music venue stage.

These have ranged from claims that Miller never left Britain to suggestions that he was killed in Paris, accidentally shot by American military personnel or even deliberately executed by members of the OSS. Another theory has blamed bombs jettisoned by returning RAF aircraft. There have also been claims from supposed eyewitnesses who said they saw either the aircraft or Miller after he had officially disappeared.

None of these theories has been conclusively established. The disappearance of one of the wartime era’s greatest musicians therefore remains one of the enduring mysteries associated with the Second World War.

Miller’s disappearance is not the only mystery associated with Twinwood Farm, but it is perhaps the strongest link between the airfield and the world of wartime secrecy. The surrounding area was heavily populated with airfields, transmitting stations and operational establishments, some of which were connected with clandestine Allied activities.

Among these were establishments associated with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Both organisations operated in considerable secrecy, and much of their wartime work remained obscure for decades afterwards. Their activities inevitably contributed to the mythology that subsequently grew around the airfields and installations of Bedfordshire.

However, this is an area where caution is needed.

During the research for this trail, repeated claims were encountered suggesting that SOE or OSS agents assembled at Twinwood Farm before departing on secret missions. Despite extensive investigation, no contemporary documentary evidence has been found to support these claims.

It seems likely that the story has become confused with the well-documented activities at nearby RAF Tempsford, where agents were housed at Gibraltar Farm before embarking on clandestine flights into occupied Europe. Given the close proximity of the two airfields, the American presence at nearby Milton Ernest Hall and Miller’s links with the USAAF, it is perhaps unsurprising that local memories and later accounts have occasionally merged these separate wartime stories.

As far as the evidence currently shows, the American use of Twinwood was considerably less dramatic. The USAAF used the airfield as part of its wider network supporting VIII Air Force Service Command, with American aircraft using the station for the movement of officers, supplies, equipment and personnel. It was a useful staging and liaison point rather than a major American operational base.

Twinwood therefore remained, fundamentally, an RAF airfield operating alongside an additional American role. Under the USAAF’s identification system it was designated Station 506, or Milton Ernest (Twinwood Farm), but there is no evidence that the Americans took ownership of the airfield itself or assumed exclusive control of its facilities.

The war’s end and hope for the future.

In the summer of 1945, the war came to an end and many of the OTUs, now surplus to requirements, were disbanded. The axe fell heavily, and 51 OTU was one of the units to disappear, with June 1945 signalling its demise.

With its departure, RAF Twinwood Farm was left without any flying units, and only a small number of personnel remaining on site. It remained in this state for several months.

On 2 January 1946, the site was transferred to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, ceasing to operate as an RAF station by the end of the month. This move, however, did not signify the end of Twinwood as an aviation establishment.

In the post-war years, Twinwood’s links with both Thurleigh and Little Staughton would continue through an ambitious plan to create Britain’s foremost aeronautical research establishment, one intended to rival the famous Muroc test facility, later Edwards Air Force Base, in California.

The scheme, first conceived as early as 1944, recognised that the next generation of aircraft would be larger, faster and more powerful than anything seen during the war. Britain needed somewhere capable of developing and testing these advanced designs, requiring extensive flying space together with specialised research laboratories and engineering facilities. After examining a number of potential sites across England and Wales, the Ministry selected the neighbouring airfields of Thurleigh, Twinwood and Little Staughton.

Inside the watch office.

The proposal was bold. Thurleigh and Little Staughton would be linked by an immense runway planned to extend for more than five miles, creating an aviation research runway on a scale never before attempted in Britain. Twinwood, connected by a taxiway, would become the scientific and engineering centre of the establishment, providing maintenance, workshops and the wind-tunnel complex that would support Britain’s rapidly developing aircraft industry.

Although the scale of the proposal would undoubtedly have transformed the surrounding countryside, it never progressed beyond the planning stage. Financial pressures and changing post-war priorities meant the giant runway was abandoned, and the establishment instead developed as separate but closely linked sites. Under this revised plan, Thurleigh became the principal experimental flying airfield of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE Bedford), while Twinwood became the centre for aerodynamic testing.

Twinwood’s role nevertheless proved to be of national importance. As the war ended, Allied scientific teams moved quickly to secure Germany’s remarkable advances in aeronautical research. British, American and Soviet specialists examined laboratories, experimental aircraft and technical records, recognising that German engineers had achieved significant progress in areas such as high-speed flight, swept-wing design, compressibility and rocket propulsion.

British teams investigated a number of Germany’s principal research establishments, including the Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt (AVA) at Göttingen, the research facilities at Braunschweig and the extensive experimental centre at Peenemünde. Thousands of technical reports, drawings and research papers were recovered and analysed, providing an invaluable foundation upon which Britain’s own post-war aeronautical research programme could be built.

Although the wind tunnels later constructed at Twinwood were British-built, they reflected many of the lessons learned from these German investigations and embodied the latest understanding of transonic and supersonic aerodynamics.

Within this scaled back plan, Twinwood became the centre for wind-tunnel research while Thurleigh remained responsible for experimental flying. Little Staughton, no longer required, was omitted from the project altogether.

Parts of the former wartime airfield at Twinwood were transformed into a modern scientific research complex containing the High Speed Laboratory, offices, engineering workshops, model shops and five major wind tunnels capable of investigating everything from low-speed handling characteristics to transonic and supersonic flight. Among these was the remarkable Vertical Spinning Tunnel, designed to study the behaviour of aircraft during stalls and spins, one of the principal causes of fatal flying accidents during the Second World War.

Despite the reduction in scale, the completed facilities still formed one of the most advanced aeronautical research centres in Europe, a status it retained throughout the 1950s and 1960s. This enabled Twinwood to contribute to the development of many of Britain’s most significant post-war aircraft.

Construction of the wind-tunnel complex began in 1948 under Dorman Long & Co. Ltd. of Middlesbrough together with Whessoe*⁷. The project was itself a notable engineering achievement, pioneering the on-site welding of large pre-formed steel plates to create the enormous pressure vessels required for the wind tunnels, a technique that was virtually unprecedented in Britain at the time.

The first of Twinwood’s major facilities entered service in 1955. Although the wider vision of a unified aeronautical research establishment centred on a five-mile runway had never been realised, the completed Vertical Spinning Tunnel represented a major advance in aerodynamic research. Standing 24.4 metres high and measuring 13.7 metres in diameter, it remained one of the most distinctive structures on the site and survives today as a Grade II listed building, recognised for both its engineering significance and its place in Britain’s post-war aviation heritage*⁸,*⁹

The site containing the wind tunnels was sufficiently far from the main airfield not to interfere with any flying that might take place. This allowed Twinwood, in the mid-1950s, to unexpectedly find another new role, this time as a flight-test airfield for gliders.

Engineers and test pilots from Slingsby, used the former wartime station to conduct meticulous performance trials on the company’s latest sailplanes. These experiments, carried out over many months using carefully controlled glide tests and supported by wind-tunnel investigations, contributed to the development of one of Britain’s most successful post-war competition gliders.*¹⁰

This short-lived reprieve for Twinwood did not, unfortunately, lead to any long-lasting aviation revival. In 1983, the Ministry of Defence finally put Twinwood Farm and its land up for sale.

The farm, which had been leased to A. T. Quenby since 1962,*¹¹ consisted of a house, a bungalow and the usual mix of farm buildings. Other buildings remained from the RAF’s days, including a corrugated-iron hangar adjoining Little Oakley Wood, measuring 89 feet by 45 feet, together with a mess room and Nissen huts used as stores, measuring 91 feet by 28 feet.

With that, this small airfield returned to agriculture. The business park was subsequently sold and resold, developed and redeveloped. It remains today, although many of the original buildings have been removed.

The landowner of the airfield site has agreed to allow the watch office to become a thriving Glenn Miller memorial, while many of the surviving huts in the area have become museums documenting wartime life both on and off the airfield.

Another part of the site has become a music venue, staging regular festivals featuring music from the 1940s through to more modern times. It even utilises one of the remaining original hangars as a stage.

Although much of the former airfield has disappeared beneath later development, a small part of Twinwood survives. Through these developments, the memory of both Glenn Miller and the important work of the OTUs has been allowed to live on.

Twinwood’s legacy.

Twinwood Farm was a small and relatively insignificant airfield when it was established. Yet, despite continual struggles with accommodation, storage and the practical challenges of creating an operational station from open farmland, its personnel quietly made an important contribution to Britain’s air defence. Thousands of training sorties prepared numerous night-fighter crews for the demanding task of defending Britain’s skies after dark, while the airfield also supported Army Co-operation duties and became home to a variety of aircraft and units throughout the war.

Its post-war years were no less significant. Ambitious plans to transform the region into a major aviation research establishment ultimately failed to materialise. Although Twinwood established itself as a major centre for wind-tunnel research, its use as an airfield eventually came to an end. Remarkably, from those quiet beginnings emerged first a museum and later a music venue, ensuring that the site continued to attract visitors long after the last military aircraft had departed.

Yet, despite all that Twinwood Farm achieved, this is not the story that ultimately secured its place in history.

It would be easy to remember Twinwood simply as the place from which Glenn Miller made his final flight. But that is only part of the story. By 1944, the airfield had quietly become an important link in the wider logistical network supporting Headquarters, VIII Air Force Service Command at nearby Milton Ernest Hall. While RAF night-fighter training continued, Twinwood simultaneously supported the American headquarters with liaison and transport flights, connecting the administrative heart of the Eighth Air Force with the rapidly developing campaign in Europe.

It was this little-known dual role that brought Glenn Miller to Twinwood on that cold December day in 1944. Without it, one of the world’s most celebrated musicians would almost certainly never have passed through its gates.

In the end, Twinwood Farm’s legacy extends far beyond the disappearance of a single aircraft. It is the story of an unassuming Bedfordshire airfield that quietly fulfilled many roles, adapted to changing demands and made a contribution to the Allied war effort far greater than its modest size ever suggested.

Sometimes history is not written by the biggest stations or the most famous squadrons, but by places that simply did their job exceptionally well when they were needed most.

The full story of Twinwood Farm can be found in Trail 67.

Sources and further information (Twinwood Farm).

*¹ RAFweb.org. website accessed 1.8.26

*² National Archives Operation Record Book AIR 27/321

*³ Jackson, R., & Ritger, L., P-51 Mustang. Pen & Sword Aviation, 2020.

*⁴ National Archives Operation Record Book AIR27/1563/9

*⁵ National Archives Operational record Book AIR 27/1094/1

*⁶ Bedfordshire Archives Website [ref: WW2/AR/C2/182].

*⁷ Historic England website accessed 27/7/26

*⁸ 28 days later website. Accessed 3/8/2026.

*⁹ Historic England Website. Accessed 3/8/2026.

*¹⁰ Ince, D., Combat and Competition* *Newton Publishers, 1992

*¹¹ Bedfordshire Archives Website. Accessed 8/8/2026.

National Archives: Operational Record Books: AIR 27/1563/9; AIR 27/1085/35, AIR 27/1085/37

IWM American Archive Website Accessed 16.8.26

The Bedford aerodrome website contains extensive material on the current and some historical use of Thurleigh.

The Bedford Aeronautical Heritage Group website (now closed but accessible) contains information about the work and history of RAE Bedford. It has since been moved to the FAST website below.

Farnborough Air Services Trust website offers endless information about the services of RAE Bedford and RAE Farnborough.

Bedfordshire and Luton Archive and Record Service has an extensive collection of Third London Airport material as part of the Bedfordshire County Council archive which includes material for all four original sites. It also has material from BARA.

PPRuNe forum has information, photos and personal information about the research at Thurleigh and Twinwood Farm.

Osbourne, M. Defending Bedfordshire: The Military Landscape from Prehistory to the Present. Fonthill Media, 2021

Jackson, R. P-51 Mustang. Pen and Sword, 2020

Conyers Nesbit, R. Missing: Believed Killed. Pen & Sword Military 2010.

Spragg, D. Glenn Miller Declassified. Potomac Books, 2017

Grudens, R., Chattanooga Choo Choo. Celebrity Profiles Publishing Company, 2004.

The museum website can be accessed at: https://www.twinwoodaviationmuseum.org/

Trail 67- Northants and Bedfordshire Twinwood Farm (Part 3)

October 24, 2026October 11, 2026 / Aviationtrails / 3 Comments

Part 2 of the trail saw Twinwood receive new aircraft in the form of the Tomahawk and then the P-51 Mustang. But that did little to alleviate problems on the base.

Newly delivered, the Mustangs soon found themselves grounded awaiting much need repairs and spare parts, none of which were readily available. But a change was coming, and soon, 169 Sqn was able to depart.

By 15 July, all but one of the Mustangs – which was still awaiting repairs – had left Twinwood and were at their new base at Doncaster. A new era was about to begin for them.

While 51 OTU continued to perform its training duties, other squadrons continued to come and go. The next to arrive was 239 Sqn, another Mustang Mk.I unit, which arrived at the end of August 1942.

The Mustangs had been patrolling the skies along the south coast around Brighton and Beachy Head, and as far inland as Gatwick, their former station. No sooner had they arrived than a small detachment was sent to Snailwell, leaving the squadron split between three airfields: Gatwick, Twinwood and Snailwell.

The Snailwell section took part in exercises and returned briefly in early September, only to transfer to Castle Camps to take part in further Army Co-operation activities. The Gatwick section continued covering the south coast, while those newly arrived at Twinwood practised night landings in their Mustangs.

This fluid movement at Twinwood continued until 22 October, when the entire squadron moved to Cranfield to take part in further exercises. This effectively ended its association with Twinwood.

At Twinwood, night training was always hazardous, even for experienced pilots. A nearby homestead, Rutters Cottages, was the site of a tragedy on 28 November 1942, when one of 51 OTU’s Havocs crashed close by. Its pilot, Sergeant Leonard James Casey, was sadly killed. A New Zealander from Herne Bay, Auckland, Casey was just 21 years old and was buried in Kempston Cemetery.*⁶

His aircraft, Havoc I BJ501, was undertaking a solo night-training exercise and, at the time of the crash, was carrying out overshoots. As the aircraft pulled away it suddenly entered a dive and crashed. Casey was not killed outright, but was taken to Bedford County Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

The Americans arrive and a reshuffle takes place.

By early 1943, the Eighth Air Force was gaining strength in Britain – the friendly invasion had begun. Lacking experience in night-fighter operations, the USAAF began sending airmen to Twinwood, where it was hoped they would benefit from British expertise, particularly that of the OTU.

One of these American units was the 417th Night Fighter Squadron, which arrived via Scotland on 11 May 1943.

Constituted as the 417th Night Fighter Squadron on 17 February that year, the unit came under the control of VIII Fighter Command, attached to the RAF. Its journey here began at Orlando Air Force Base, before moving to Kissimmee and eventually to Ayr on Scotland’s west coast, where a small detachment remained.

Exposed shelter at Twinwood.

Training in the United States had been undertaken on the P-70, a converted Douglas A-20 Havoc/Boston. The purpose of the conversion was to provide the USAAF with an airborne radar interception capability, something it lacked at the time. With upgraded engines, the P-70 also carried the British Mk. IV radar, specifically designed for airborne interception. Intended as an interim solution until the Northrop P-61 Black Widow became available, only 160 P-70s were ever converted.

Once in the UK, however, the men of the 417th found themselves training on Bristol Beaufighters rather than the P-70s with which they were familiar.

Conversion and training began quickly and progressed well however. Before long, the Americans were ready for their own aircraft and were transferred to RAF Scorton in North Yorkshire, where some twelve Beaufighters duly arrived. Training continued there until August, at which point the squadron was declared ready for combat.

Their theatre of operations, however, was not to be the dark skies of Europe but the warmer climate of Algeria. The squadron would eventually receive its P-61s, but not until March 1945, when it returned to Europe to undertake night-fighter duties protecting Allied bridgeheads as the advance into Germany continued.

It was also during 1943 that a renumbering of training units led to the resident 51 OTU, along with other OTUs across the country, being renumbered. This was connected with Operation Saracen, later revised as Operation Banquet, the contingency plan for countering a German invasion of Britain. Under the scheme, OTUs had 500 added to their existing numbers, redesignating them as squadrons. Thus, 51 OTU became 551 Sqn.

While some units readily adopted their new numbers, many continued to be referred to by their original OTU designations. Consequently, when 51 OTU became 551 Squadron RAF on 17 September 1943, it continued its night-training duties much as before. In practice, little changed and, as with many of these newly numbered units, no formal change in organisation took place, nor were they ever formally recognised as RAF squadrons in their own right.

1944 – winds of change.

Between 5 and 13 January 1944, a small detachment of 164 Sqn, equipped with Hurricane IVs and Typhoon IBs, visited Twinwood. Whilst here, they carried out practice dive-bombing attacks against mock targets, while the bulk of the squadron remained at Fairlop flying armed sorties.

They would stay briefly but return for another short period in February, when further practice flights involved ground strafing and battle-formation flying. The late-winter rain, however, curtailed many of the planned activities, with some days seeing no flying at all.

Although US aircrew had previously been present at Twinwood, no American aircraft had been located there. That changed on 29 January 1944, when during a ferry flight to King’s Cliffe, the right engine of P-38J 42-67873 failed while the aircraft was approaching the airfield. As the pilot attempted an emergency approach, the left engine also failed and a wheels-up landing was made. The aircraft, flown by Harry V. Dulick, was believed to have been salvaged and returned to service.

During 1944, Twinwood acquired a second identity: USAAF Station 506. This appears to have been an American administrative designation rather than a replacement for its RAF identity. The airfield remained RAF Twinwood Farm, while its location and facilities brought it into the wider network supporting the United States Eighth Air Force. The official USAAF designation was Milton Ernest (Twinwood Farm), Station 506.

Fire post.

The significance of this American connection was greater than a simple alteration of name. By 1944, VIII Air Force Service Command had become the vast logistical organisation responsible for keeping the Eighth Air Force operational across Britain and, following D-Day, on the Continent. Its headquarters was located at nearby Milton Ernest Hall, and Twinwood provided a convenient airfield for the movement of liaison aircraft, personnel, mail and equipment. The two sites were only a few miles apart, making Twinwood a useful addition to the American headquarters.

RAF activity continued alongside and dominated this American use. The night-fighter training role remained the airfield’s principal function, even after the resident training unit had been redesignated 551 Squadron in September 1943. The American presence was therefore an additional role rather than a complete takeover of the station. In fact, few local residents would have realised that their familiar RAF station was now being used as part of the wider logistical network supporting one of the largest air forces ever assembled.

It was this American connection that would ultimately secure Twinwood Farm’s place in popular history. Without the relationship between the airfield and the nearby headquarters of VIII Air Force Service Command, it is unlikely that one of the world’s most celebrated bandleaders would ever have passed through its gates. Yet, on a cold December day in 1944, the routine departure of a small American liaison aircraft would transform an otherwise unassuming Bedfordshire airfield into the setting for one of the Second World War’s most enduring mysteries.

With the arrival of American forces nearby a new association has begun. But this link, does little but lead to an intriguing mystery that has perplexed historians ever since. In the last part of the trail we see how Twinwood becomes famous and how its post war future looks temporarily bright.

The full story of Twinwood Farm can be found in Trail 67.

Trail 67- Northants and Bedfordshire Twinwood Farm (Part 2)

October 10, 2026September 13, 2026 / Aviationtrails / 3 Comments

in Part 1 of this trail, Twinwood was identified as a satellite airfield but gradually, as it grew, it became a station in its own right. However, development was slow, and it remained poorly equipped and overcrowded – it was not a pleasant place to be stationed. As we return in Part 2, things just get worse.

More personnel arrive and conditions worsen.

This use of Twinwood as a temporary airfield continued well into 1942. The first unit to arrive that year, transiting from Doncaster, was 613 Sqn, in early April. The advanced party travelled by road, leaving Doncaster at 09:00 hours on 10 April. The main party followed the next day, also by road, led by F.O. Adcock. They arrived at Twinwood that evening after a long ten-hour journey. A third group, travelling by rail, had arrived two hours earlier. Hot meals were prepared for the arriving personnel, providing a welcoming, if not false start to their new posting. The rear party, which closed up at Doncaster, arrived on the evening of 12 April, marking the beginning of a new episode in the squadron’s history.

On arrival at Twinwood, however, 613 Sqn found that the airfield was still under construction. Personnel from 51 OTU were settled in, whilst other accommodation was being occupied by 2791 Defence Squadron along with two additional Flights. Conditions were far from ideal. Some of the latrines were full, and a contractor had to be brought in to empty them. Worse still, 613 Sqn had no latrines specifically allocated to them and none were readily available elsewhere.

To add to the initial discomfort, an inspection by the Senior Medical Officers from both Cranfield and Group discovered that there was no hot water and no telephone available for 613 Sqn’s Senior Medical Officer. The medical facilities themselves were also totally inadequate for dealing with more serious cases.

It quickly became apparent that Twinwood was not going to be a particularly comfortable place to be, and soon personnel began to complain about the lack of proper food; tea and biscuits being provided after a hard day’s work rather than anything more substantial. All in all, it was far from the grand start they had been hoping for.

Operating in the Army Co-operation role, the squadron continued to perform daily flights, with the flying personnel and their aircraft mainly located at Western Zoyland. These flights consisted largely of quick-reaction scramble exercises in Tomahawks, known as FXQT, together with cross-country navigation exercises in Lysanders.

FXQTs were the equivalent of today’s QRA (Quick Reaction Alert), requiring aircraft to become airborne very quickly in response to an alert of an imminent threat. There were numerous false alarms, resulting in twenty-four FXQTs on 13 April and a further twenty-seven on 14 April.

It was during this period at Twinwood that 613 Sqn began upgrading its aircraft to the P-51 Mustang Mk.I, with ten being collected by aircrew, from Speke, on 15 April. With a further seventeen FXQT flights being made by the Tomahawks together with four flights ferrying personnel to Speke, it was a busy period at Twinwood, and all whilst training continued.

A spell of poor weather curtailed many exercises over the next few days, although some cross-country flights were made, along with air-to-air firing, photographic runs and supply drops. By 24 April, the skies had cleared and four airmen did manage to get their Mustangs airborne, gaining valuable experience on the new type.

Meanwhile, 51 OTU continued to operate its Blenheims. On 24 April, two of the aircraft suffered mishaps. In the first, a Sergeant Instructor with a Sergeant pupil-pilot and gunner were carrying out sodium flare landing practice when their aircraft landed too far along the runway. To avoid running off the end, the pilot swerved, careered across the flarepath and came to an ungainly rest just beyond it. A fire tender and ambulance were quickly on the scene, but there were no casualties and no fire broke out.

Later that same day, another Blenheim fell victim to a freak incident. After landing normally, its starboard engine suddenly burst into flames without warning. The crew quickly brought the aircraft to a halt and escaped, and once again the fire tender was quickly on the scene. However, while extinguishing the fire, chemical fluid used to douse the flames covered one of the crewmen, A/C Goodwin, who subsequently required treatment for his eyes. The situation was made more serious by the lack of a telephone for the medical officer.

Meanwhile, 613 Sqn’s problems on the airfield continued to develop. In a further attempt to ease the chronic storage problems, attention turned to the nearby Oakley Hunt kennels at Milton Ernest. The medical officer of No. 613 Squadron inspected the site with a view to commandeering it as a storage and motor transport (MT) maintenance facility.

Yet, like so many other efforts to solve the station’s difficulties, this promising solution quickly encountered another obstacle. Before the site could be used, the water supply from its well had to be tested. Sample bottles were obtained from RAF Halton, filled and dispatched for analysis. The results were deeply disappointing: the water was found to be contaminated by sewage and was therefore unfit for use. It was yet another setback in the seemingly endless struggle to turn Twinwood into a fully functioning and operational station.

For a short period in early May 1942, the weather improved and the crews of 613 Sqn made the best use of the opportunity. Aerobatics, formation flying, navigation exercises, combat flights and other training sorties quickly filled the better days.

Over the following weeks, the squadron collected more Mustangs, allowing an increasing number of training flights to be carried out.

It was midway through this period, on 11 June 1942, that Wing Commander Campbell-Voullaire arrived at Twinwood to form and take command of a new squadron, 169 Sqn. In preparation, a number of personnel were posted in to 613 Sqn as supernumeraries, ready to transfer directly to 169 Sqn when it became operational. Five unmodified Mustangs also arrived and awaited their new pilots.

Finally, at 00:01 hours on 15 June 1942, 169 Sqn officially came into being, and the personnel already posted in began to transfer across.

The following day, W. Cmdr. Campbell-Voullaire interviewed and addressed all the squadron personnel, explaining the reason for the squadron’s creation. He explained that, as soon as the Army invaded the continent, they would fly in support of the armoured divisions. Until then, he told them, each and every man should consider himself a member of the “fighting troops”, prepared to undertake whatever job was required. *⁵

Almost as soon as the squadron was formed, however, investigations began into the suitability of Doncaster as an alternative location for the unit. W. Cmdr. Campbell-Voullaire visited the airfield on several occasions over the following weeks to ascertain its suitability.

In the meantime, 169 Sqn continued to expand. The pilots and aircraft of ‘B’ Flight, 613 Sqn, formed the new ‘A’ Flight of 169 Sqn, while those personnel previously posted in formed its new ‘B’ Flight.

Over the next few days, additional vehicles arrived, along with two more unmodified Mustangs and a Tiger Moth. Tools and spares were less readily available however, and the ground crews had to rely on 613 Sqn for supplies. The unmodified Mustangs were essentially without radios, leaving their wireless operators with little to do. They were quickly attached to the squadron’s signals officer for further training.

With accommodation on the airfield now stretched even further, it was decided to billet the new crews of 169 Sqn at nearby Eastfield House. The food and bedding were considered ‘most satisfactory’, although the accommodation itself was somewhat overcrowded.

Living conditions at Twinwood remained an ongoing problem. The latrine arrangements had still not been fully resolved, and it was discovered that the contractor was emptying latrine buckets into the surrounding ground. An order was issued for this practice to cease, which it immediately did. On a more positive note, construction of more permanent accommodation was nearing completion, and some hopes were raised. While this offered hope for those stationed at Twinwood, it did little to relieve the immediate frustrations of crews still waiting for decent beds.

On 22 June, a further accident involving a 51 OTU Blenheim occurred. The aircraft, piloted by P.O. W. Gray, took off at 14:10 hours and crashed almost immediately, approximately two miles from the airfield. By the time the ambulance and crash team had arrived, P.O. Gray had climbed out of the Blenheim and had been given a lift to Bedford County Hospital, where he was admitted with injuries.

At 22:00 hours the following evening, No. 613 Squadron made history by carrying out its first night flight in the new Mustangs. Three pilots took off and completed the sortie without incident, marking another important milestone in the squadron’s transition to the new aircraft.

The achievement, however, was soon overshadowed by two events that tested the resilience of those at Twinwood. The first was relatively minor but nevertheless disruptive: the cameras being fitted to the Mustangs had been installed in an unsatisfactory position and had to be repositioned.

The second was a far greater tragedy. The body of AC2 R. Douglas was recovered from the River Ouse near Oakley Bridge, after he disappeared while bathing with colleagues. Despite efforts to find him, he had drowned, casting a sombre shadow over an already disappointing start.

At the end of June 1942, the many visits by 169 Sqn’s Wing Commander Campbell-Voullaire to the north, culminated in the movement of the squadron’s headquarters’ section to Doncaster. Fifty personnel went with them, leaving only a small detachment of aircraft and aircrew at Twinwood Farm. The move eased the pressure on accommodation slightly, but the problems faced by the station’s longstanding residents were by no means solved.

Throughout July, 613 Sqn carried out exercises with other squadrons at Sawbridgeworth, Snailwell, Castle Camps and Old Sarum. But the mood at Twinwood continued to deteriorate, with those remaining at the station now complaining on a regular basis.

This all came to a head on 7 July, when it was noted that the new huts intended exclusively for 613 Sqn had been completed. Yet officers, NCOs and junior ranks were still not allowed to use them, even though they stood just ten yards from where the men were currently sleeping. Much to the disapproval of the personnel, they were informed that they would have to wait until the entire site was completed before they could move into the new blocks.

If that wasn’t enough, the situation was then made worse by both the presence of the 169 Sqn detachment and an infestation of black beetles and earwigs in the old huts. Tempers began to fray.

169 Sqn was also experiencing problems of its own. On 4 July 1942, a crack was found in one of the hydraulic cylinders of a Mustang’s undercarriage during a routine inspection. As a result, all aircraft were grounded until remedial work could be carried out. However, the continuing shortage of spares and the tools needed to carry out the repairs did nothing to speed the process. The problem effectively nullified a new order to transfer all remaining aircraft and personnel to Doncaster.

Gradually, the necessary Mustang parts filtered through and repairs could be completed. Flights between Twinwood and the new station at Doncaster soon began and, before long, on 10 July, news arrived that fourteen fully modified Mustangs would soon be delivered to complement the unmodified aircraft already in use. Perhaps, at last, things were looking up for 169 Sqn.

As the situation appears to improve for 169 Sqn and those stationed at Twinwood, the future looks brighter. A new name and a new air force becomes linked to Twinwood and with it come new challenges.

The full story of Twinwood Farm can be found in Trail 67.

Trail 67- Northants and Bedfordshire Twinwood Farm (Part 1)

October 3, 2026September 13, 2026 / Aviationtrails / 1 Comment

In Trail 68 we continue our journey around Bedfordshire and its neighbour, Northamptonshire.

In this next leg of our journey, we travel a short distance to an airfield that despite its modest size and limited operational role, earned a unique place in the history of the Second World War.

It is an airfield that might have gone relatively unnoticed had it not been for one man. His legacy has endured in legend, but the circumstances surrounding his life have remained a perplexing mystery for historians ever since.

Today, parts of the airfield remain. The watch office is now a museum, while a few surviving buildings house displays covering both everyday life during the war and the history of the airfield itself. Other parts of the site have since been transformed into a popular music venue. Despite all this, much of the airfield’s history continues to remain relatively unknown.

In Trail 68, we delve into the history of the former RAF Twinwood Farm, an airfield whose story is far more intriguing than its modest appearance might suggest.

RAF Twinwood Farm

The 330-acre airfield of RAF Twinwood Farm is located four miles north of Bedford. It was a small airfield situated east of the River Ouse, on a plateau 275 feet above sea level. It shares the region with the former airfields at Thurleigh to the north, Little Staughton to the east and Poddington to the west. With other stations such as Tempsford and Grafton Underwood also nearby, it is a region rich in wartime history. In the post-war years, the airfields at Twinwood Farm, Thurleigh and Little Staughton would share an ambitious and promising future but ultimately the plans would come to nothing.

Over its history, Twinwood Farm has been known by several different names, reflecting changes in ownership, administration and local usage. During the Second World War, it initially served as RAF Twinwood Farm prior to receiving the title USAAF Station 506, officially designated by the Americans as Milton Ernest (Twinwood Farm) under Headquarters, VIII Air Force Service Command. It has also appeared in official documents and contemporary accounts as Twinwood Farm Aerodrome, RAF Station Twinwood Farm and Twinwoods, whilst in more recent years the site has become linked to Twinwood’s Business Park.

The watch office now a museum.

The name of the airfield was relatively unusual in itself, being one of the few that used a local farm as its namesake. Normally, RAF airfields took their names from the nearest village, aiming to avoid confusion with similarly named sites. American airfields, on the other hand, were given numbered designations to distinguish them from one another. To be named after a farm was therefore relatively unusual, sharing the honour with Mount Farm and Sutton’s Farm, perhaps two of the better-known examples.

The farm itself had its own history. Named Twin Wood Farm, it formed part of the Duke of Bedford’s Oakley Estate and was sold in 1918 as a large mixed farm of around 240 acres, with a modest farmhouse, extensive livestock and storage buildings, all supporting traditional agricultural methods. By the 1920s, it had been absorbed into the wider Quenby family farming unit, incorporating several other holdings. Valuation records of the period show an area of mixed building quality, with basic services and high rents, reflecting the economic pressures faced by large estate farms.

It was this land that would later be requisitioned by the Government for use as a military airfield – RAF Twinwood Farm.

The airfield was constructed by a number of different contractors, opening in the summer of 1941 under the control of No. 12 Group, Fighter Command. Initially, it served as a satellite airfield to RAF Cranfield in the defence of Bedford. As a minor airfield, it only had grass runways, which were later upgraded in 1942 to three hard runways. The main runway, running north-west to south-east, was 1,600 yards long; a secondary runway running south-west to north-east was 1,400 yards; whilst a third, running west to east was 1,100 yards long. All were the standard 50 yards wide. The runway foundations were constructed from concrete and topped with a mixture of wood and rubber chippings.

Storage and maintenance facilities were not as extensive as those found on larger airfields, but were typical of similar sites. There were just six blister hangars in which aircraft maintenance could be carried out, together with twenty-two hardstandings around the site. Accommodation was entirely temporary and could house up to 70 officers, 118 SNCOs and 740 other ranks. With accommodation for a further 150 WAAFs, the site was intended to house just over 1,000 personnel.

Accommodation for these personnel was provided across several dispersed sites, all located on the south-western side of the airfield. A mixture of hut designs was used, including the common Laing huts, some of which still exist today.

A view east over the airfield.

Operational life begins.

The operational life of Twinwood Farm began in the early months of 1941, when the airfield was used as a relief landing ground by No. 14 Service Flying Training School (formerly No. 14 Flying Training School), which had been formed at Kinloss in Scotland in April 1939. Although the unit operated a variety of aircraft types, including the Audax, Demon and Hind, and later larger aircraft such as the Anson and Oxford, its use of Twinwood was limited.

No. 14 SFTS moved out of Twinwood in August 1941 and was quickly replaced by No. 51 Operational Training Unit (OTU), which arrived on the 17th of that month. Whilst many other units would come and go, the OTU would remain as the primary user of Twinwood for the duration of the war.

Formed only a month earlier, No. 51 OTU was primarily based at RAF Debden in Essex, as part of No. 81 Group, Fighter Command, whose responsibility was to oversee the training units within the air force. The specific role of No. 51 OTU was to train pilots in night-time interception techniques, taking aircrew who had already completed their basic and advanced flying training and preparing them for operational service as night-fighter crews.

The majority of aircraft used for this specialised role were twin-engined types, initially Blenheims and Havocs, followed later by Beaufighters and Mosquitoes. Some of the crews trained in this way would likely go on to serve in the short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful Turbinlite squadrons elsewhere.

The OTUs were essentially the final stage in a progressive training system, where crews honed their skills before joining front-line squadrons. The focus was not simply on flying an aircraft, but on teaching crews the specialist skills required to perform their operational roles.

Night-fighter OTUs trained pilots and navigators, and later radar operators, in the use of Airborne Interception (AI) equipment. As night fighters, crews had to learn not only how to fly in darkness, but also how to operate in formation, use airborne radar, conduct air-to-air interceptions and carry out intruder operations. The latter involved flying over occupied territory to attack enemy aircraft as they landed or took off from their airfields, a tactic used to great advantage by both the allies and the Luftwaffe.

No. 51 OTU remained at Debden for only a short time before moving to Cranfield. While at Cranfield, a special Airborne Interception Conversion Flight was formed within the training unit. It would remain associated with the squadron for the remainder of the war and played an important role in the training of aircrew for the increasingly sophisticated night-fighter role.

The ‘Ops board’.

Cranfield, however, quickly proved to be too small, and it became apparent that another site was also needed to accommodate the increasing number of personnel and aircraft involved in the training programme. A satellite site was therefore sought. Although Twinwood was far from ideal, with only grass runways and relatively poor facilities, it featured as a strong contender. With pressure mounting, the site was quickly allocated to the unit, and development began.

By April 1942, the small satellite airfield had been provided with concrete runways, together with basic supporting facilities for aircraft maintenance, repairs and accommodation. It was during this period of development that No. 51 OTU moved in.

The importance of the work undertaken at Twinwood Farm cannot be understated, and to meet the growing demand for night-fighter and intruder expertise, another specialist training unit, No. 2 (Intruder) Squadron, operating within the OTU, transferred to Twinwood to carry out this role. The squadron continued in this way for just over a year before converting to the recently renumbered No. 60 OTU at High Ercall.

The demand for trained pilots was high. At Twinwood, the expectation was that around seven crews would complete the course each month, qualifying as intruder crews. By early 1943, this demand had increased further, with the number expected to pass through each month rising to sixteen. This placed an even greater demand on the instructors.*¹

No. 51 OTU would not have the airfield to itself however. Throughout this early period, a number of visiting units would use the site, many on a temporary basis while taking part in local and wider exercises.

On 30 September 1941, the first of these units arrived: two new squadrons that would use Twinwood as a temporary base. The first, 26 Sqn, stayed for just one day while transiting between RAF Barton Bendish in Norfolk and RAF Upwood in Cambridgeshire. ‘C’ Flight departed Barton Bendish at 08:30 hours, arriving at Twinwood at 13:00 hours. ‘A’ Flight arrived at about the same time, with the remainder of the squadron following at around 17:00 hours. To support the personnel, they brought rations with them from RAF Marham, Barton Bendish’s close neighbour.

The next day, the squadron’s Tomahawks operated out of Twinwood before moving on to RAF Upwood at around 18:30 hours. The air party left first, followed by the ground party, which transferred tools, tents and rations. A small section of the squadron remained at Twinwood until the following day, when they too departed heading directly for RAF Snailwell. Once, there, they re-joined the main body of the squadron, which had by then also moved on from Upwood.

Twinwood’s accommodation site.

The entire operation was a planned exercise designed to familiarise personnel with rapid changes in operational circumstances, something that was described by 26 Squadron’s Sqn. Ldr. Hadfield as “a great benefit to all”. *²

26 Sqn was an Army Co-operation unit and, in October, would perform ground-attack duties in France. However, the vulnerabilities of the Tomahawk were quickly exposed, its poor performance making it easy prey for faster Luftwaffe fighters. The squadron would soon replace these aircraft with the P-51 Mustang and would become the first unit to carry out Mustang operations over occupied France the following year. *³

Joining them, also via Barton Bendish, was another Army Co-operation unit, 268 Squadron, which had been carrying out ‘Bumper’ sorties over Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It left Barton Bendish at 08:00 hours, arriving at Twinwood some time later. Immediately upon arrival, the squadron began performing tactical reconnaissance duties, carrying out eighteen sorties on the first day and a further eleven on the second. By 18:00 hours on that second day however, it too had departed, moving with 26 Squadron to Snailwell.

Their short stay was marred by two accidents. Firstly, F.O. Morris landed with the undercarriage of his Tomahawk IIa in the up position. Secondly, F.O. Barlow taxied his aircraft into a fuel bowser. In both instances, severe damage was done to the aircraft, although neither pilot was injured.*⁴

Tomahawk Mark I, AH769 at Boscombe Down, before serving with No. 268 Squadron

In Part 2 of this trail, yet more personnel arrive at Twinwood and the conditions for those residing here worsen.

The full story of Twinwood Farm can be found in Trail 67.

RAF Hunsdon – The Mosquito Bites (Part 4)

March 30, 2024January 27, 2024 / Aviationtrails / Leave a comment

In Part 3, we saw how Hunsdon and gone through various squadrons, operating the ill fated Turbinlite system which was soon withdrawn, and onto the arrival of the Mosquito, a deadly aircraft that could out run every German aircraft at its introduction. It was now time to bite, and the bite would come directly at the heart of the Gestapo.

In one of the war’s most famous attacks, so many questions would be asked, but answers would be short-coming and the truth may never come out.

The new wing, previously formed at Sculthorpe, would consist of the three multinational squadrons, a ‘British’, Australian and New Zealand unit, and all would be based at Hunsdon as part of the RAF’s Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) designed to support troops in the forthcoming invasion.

RAF Hunsdon – The end of the Turbinlite (Part 2)

March 9, 2024March 9, 2024 / Aviationtrails / Leave a comment

In part 1, we saw how Hunsdon was developed and how the new Turbinlite system was developed. However, things don’t quite go to pan the system falls doesn’t meet expectations.

After taking on Hurricanes IIB/C at Martlesham Heath in April, 3 Squadron arrived at Hunsdon from Stapleford Tawney, and like 85 Sqn, would remain here until mid May 1943, when it took its Mosquitoes to West Malling.

Pilots and aircraft of 3 Sqn would make their first appearance at Hunsdon on the 2nd August 1941 when twelve pilots arrived to practice formation flying with crews of the special Havoc Flight created earlier in May. These initial twelve would be followed by another twelve on the third, and then ten more crews on the sixth. The two squadrons would perform practice night flights together, formation flying and ‘dog fighting’ tactics with drogues. By the 10th, the bulk of the squadron had moved over leaving only a detachment both at Manston and Shoreham, where crews undertook both dawn and dusk patrols over southern England and over enemy airfields looking for bombers either landing or taking off.

Hurricane IIC, BD867 QO-Y, 3 Sqn, at Hunsdon. The exhausts have shields over them to help prevent them being seen whilst on night fighter operations. (@IWM CH 3509)

The combined practice flights would take Hunsdon’s 3 Sqn and the Turbinlite Flights aircrew well into the summer and autumn of the following year, progress being marred by continuing poor weather. GCI (Ground Control Intercept) training and formation flying between the two units took up the majority of the time whilst they were here, however, both dusk and dawn patrols in their Hurricanes gave the pilots of 3 Sqn a little respite from the routine of formation flying with the two Special Flights.

September 1941 then brought the second of the two Special Flights to Hunsdon. On the 20th, 1459 (Fighter) Flight, the penultimate of the ten, was formed here also operating both Havoc Is and Boston IIs, Fs and IIIs. The last of the Flights to make up the ten units would follow just after, being based in northern England at RAF Acklington.

It was quickly found that the Turbinlites not only had a lack of firepower, but poor speed as well, so they were soon demoted to being used solely as a searchlight platform with 3 Squadron’s Hurricanes taking over the main role of interceptor.

With the formation of a new squadron at Croydon, 287 Sqn would have detachments spread far and wide including one here at Hunsdon. Staying here for virtually the entire war, they would fly a range of aircraft including: Blenheims, Hudsons; Lysanders; Hurricanes; Masters; Defiants; Martinets and Spitfires. Even as a detachment flying support flights, they were the longest resident at Hunsdon but never achieved the same status as many of those that were to be based here.

After the turbulence of 1941, 1942 would initially bring a much calmer time at Hunsdon, with less movements in or out of the airfield, although staff changes did cause problems for some units. Changes were initially relatively small, the first of which wouldn’t come until the July of 1942, when a small detachment of 605 Sqn Bostons arrived. After being reformed the month before, at RAF Ford, the small group remained here until mid March 1943, when after taking on the Mosquito, they transferred to Castle Camps in Essex.

605 had previously been posted to Batavia where the majority of ground personnel had been captured by enemy forces. Those that were left were posted to various units and the squadron disbanded. Its reformation at Ford would be a slow process, but gradually it would receive both men and aircraft, accepting machines from 23 Squadron as it also eventually took on the Mosquito.

Whilst based here at Hunsdon, they would primarily carry out training, performing cross country flights, searchlight co-operation flights and gunnery practice. Navigation also came under scrutiny with logs being examined by the squadron’s navigation officer. By the end of August though, all was well and the personnel returned to Ford thus reuniting the entire squadron once more.

As was the case with many other airfields, training and support flights also used the same airfields, training pilots in new and more modern ways to fly. Hunsdon was no different, and in August a new Flight fulfilling this role was created here at Hunsdon. 1530 Beam Approach Training (BAT) Flight, who were formed specifically to train pilots to land in the dark, or poor weather, using a ‘beam’ (formally blind approach) or radio system. They remained here for some time eventually moving to Wittering where they were disbanded later in 1944.

It would also be in August 1942, that Hunsdon’s resident 85 Sqn would take on the Mosquito, the MK.IIs being a major change from the Havocs previously used. It would only be a trickle of aircraft at first, with just a small number of the ‘Wooden Wonders’ being received by the month’s end.

The trickle continued into September as did the nightly Havoc patrols. On the 7th, Sgt. McCormick sighted what he believed to be a Ju. 88, and closed in for the attack. After following the aircraft he managed to close to 150 feet at which point he opened fire on the starboard engine which quickly caught fire. The aircraft fell from the sky and was later seen burning on the sea below. It was confirmed not as a Ju. 88 but as an He.111 distinguished by its fixed rear-firing machine gun in the extreme end of the fuselage.

September 1942 then brought yet more change. At this point it was decided to raise all ten Turbinlite squadrons to squadron status. The date decided upon was September 2nd 1942. However, due to administration problems, only five could be raised on that date, the remaining five being raised six days later on the 8th of the month. By then, all ten Turbinlite training Flights had been disbanded and reformed as operational squadrons.

With that, 1451 became 530 Sqn on September 8th and continued to operate from Hunsdon, whilst 1459 became 538 Sqn and was relocated to Hibaldstow.

The reformation meant that flights were initially curtailed for 530 Sqn. The poor September weather then added to the issue meaning that flying was at best sporadic. Two further support Hurricanes soon arrived for the squadron taking the total available to four. But their arrival did not ease the situation, the poor weather and other factors continuing to dominate operations to the point that little operational flying took place at all.

October fared little better. More poor weather combined with the fact that three of their four Hurricane pilots (all American), were transferred to the US Army Air Corps, meant that 530 Sqn was unable to progress the way it had hoped. It had been a very poor start for the operational Turbinlites.

By November there were a total of eight Hurricane pilots, some of which had transferred in from O.T.Us, but all were lacking night flying experience. As a result, they were rushed through a night flying course at Hunsdon and were passed as ‘operational’ by the month’s end. However, the problems did not end there. Formation flying in good weather was considered difficult and in visibility of 2,000 ft or less, impossible. This meant that the required number of night flights were not being made which held back all operational flights. Compounding this, continuing bad weather had by now turned the ground very soft and a number of aircraft were getting bogged down in the mud. In addition, whilst aircraft serviceability was generally good, a few had experienced wrinkling of the skin over the air frame and were now awaiting an inspection before being allowed to fly. By now, the crews must have been wanting 1942 to draw to a very quick close.

And to a close it came. December brought rumours of the demise of the Turbinlite squadrons causing uncertainty amongst the personnel. Continuing bad weather had curtailed all but the most urgent of flights. Lectures prevailed bringing escape tactics and Luftwaffe organisation information up to date. A new Havoc was brought in for testing with a new windscreen deicing system, unfortunately this was found unsatisfactory, so a new hot air method was suggested by the squadron and tested under the same conditions. This proved much more successful.

Christmas celebrations then kept the personnel occupied and were ‘livelier than expected’ primarily due to the inclement weather. Crews in the meantime being kept on standby in case the weather turned and operations became necessary again.

The battle headquarters.

With New Year 1943, came the news that the Turbinlites were indeed being disbanded. Of the ten squadrons formed, only five made successful enemy intercepts – Turbinlite was not a great success and as a result, on the 25th January, 530 Squadron along with all other units, ceased to exist and all personnel were scattered amongst other squadrons.

The end of the Turbinlites meant that Hunsdon only had two operational units at this point, both 85 and 3 Sqn continuing to fly from the airfield when they could. The early part of the year, brought considerable fog and cold weather, the fog preventing flying on many occasions, which hampered test flights for 3 Sqn on their new Typhoons when they arrived in February.

By mid May though, both these units were to depart also, 3 Squadron transferring to West Malling, with the Mosquitoes of 85 Sqn joining them soon after, but not until after a very important ceremony.

The full story of RAF Hunsdon can be read in Trail 25.

RAF Hunsdon – The beginnings of Turbinlite (Part 1)

March 2, 2024January 27, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

In Trail 25 we head to the south once more, to the west of Harlow, and to two wartime airfields; one of which played a major part in striking a blow at the very heart of the Nazi regime.

The county of Hertfordshire is an area popular with commuters to both London and the technological towns of Harlow and Bishops Stortford. Being north of London, it is also close to Stansted airport, itself an ex World War II airfield. Hertfordshire has some beautiful countryside, delightful little villages and quaint country pubs. It is also an area with a wealth of history.

Our first stop is a small airfield nestled in the heart of this beautiful countryside. It is situated north-east of the village that gives it its name, RAF Hunsdon.

RAF Hunsdon

The Hunsdon Village sign reflects its history and links to the RAF.

Even before Hunsdon was built, it is referenced in some areas that the site was being used for a detachment of 107 Squadron Blenheims, then based at RAF Wattisham and later Leuchars. This may have been part of the ‘Scatter’ directive given to squadrons in the immediate period before war was officially declared, and was thought to occur between May 1939 and March 1941. However, there are no references to this in the official squadron files and so this action is doubted. However, if this were the case, then it would certainly suggest an early use of the site before it was developed into a fully operational airfield, and it may have been an indication that an airfield was on its way in the near future.

The site was earmarked for development in 1940, with construction occurring over the period October 1940 to March 1941, after which the first squadron moved in. It was built by various construction companies and incorporated two asphalt runways; the main running east-west reaching 1,750 yards in length after its later extension, with a second running north-east to south-west extended to 1,450 yards; both were built to the standard 50 yard width. Aircraft dispersals, maintenance and storage buildings consisted of eighteen ‘twin-engined’ hardstands; sixteen blister hangars (a mix of ‘Over’ (4) and ‘Extra Over’ (12)) and a Bellman hangar. There was also a fuel dump and accommodation buildings for up to 2,240 airmen and some 276 WAAFs, all located across eight dispersed sites.

A large number of operational units, (in excess of twenty-five) would pass through its doors throughout its relatively short life, providing Hunsdon with a multinational mixture of crews and a number of aircraft types.

The airfield itself lies within a stone’s throw of London and so its initial role was that of night fighter operations covering London and the south / east area.

The first recognised squadron to make its mark at Hunsdon was 85 Squadron on May 3rd 1941, transferring across from RAF Debden flying Defiants and Havoc MK.Is. The move across on the 3rd went smoothly with personnel and equipment being transferred across in lorries and 32 seat busses, the majority of personnel arriving later that day.

The Parachute store now holds farm machinery.

On arrival at Hunsdon, personnel of ‘A’ Flight were immediately billeted on the aerodrome close to their dispersals, whilst those of ‘B’ Flight were housed on Number 2 Site, located about a mile or so from the main airfield area. Personnel of both the Headquarters Flight and the servicing Echelon were billeted even further away, about four miles in fact, at Gilstone Park. The officers meanwhile, had the better accommodation, being billeted in a house called ‘Boningtons’ believed to be the former home of “Mr. Brooke Bond” the family of the P.G. Tea empire. It is thought that the family purchased the house in 1940, moving out of their London residency to avoid the blitz. Unfortunately, it was rather a short lived purchase as the property was requisitioned by the RAF not long after!

By the end of the 4th, all 85 Sqn personnel were in and unpacked at Hunsdon, and so night flying duties could commence straight away with patrols taking place over the Felixstowe area. Immediately, a Heinkel He.111 was vectored onto, and a skirmish took place in which both aircraft both gave and received machine gun fire. The Luftwaffe bomber came off worst though, and was last seen diving into cloud firing a white verey pistol, either as a resignation of the fight or possibly as a distress signal to any would be rescuers.

Over the next few nights further contacts were made and several Ju. 88s were either confirmed or claimed as shot down. The squadron was performing well, morale was high and all was looking good.

The night of the 13th could have been different for some though. On his return from a patrol, Fly. Off. Hemingway’s instruments failed and with little choice, he gave the order to bale out. After his operator, Sgt. Bailey, had departed the Havoc, Hemingway followed, both men landing in close proximity to each other in the grounds of Much Hadam Hall (a grade 1 listed building built in the early 1700s). Whilst both airmen were safe, Hemingway’s was not the model jump, as he came to rest in a tree in the grounds of the hall. Bailey fared little better, landing rather ungainly on a bucket not too far away. This was Hemingway’s third successful bale out of a stricken aircraft, his previous two both occurring during the Battle of Britain.

On May 17th, Wg. Cdr. Peter Townsend, now with a DSO, flew to Great Massingham, Flt. Lt. Marshall flew to Odiham to test the runway and Flt. Lt. Rabone flew to Heston from where he collected a special and secret Havoc which was to be tested by the squadron. The first flight of this new variant occurred on May 23rd, and was quickly followed by a second aircraft on the 28th, After this, they would then begin testing both aircraft as a new night flying platform.

This particular type of aircraft was the forerunner of what became known as the Turbinlite Havoc, a new design that was the brainchild of one Sidney Cotton.*³

The main runway has been reduced to a track.

With the help of William Helmore, Cotton took out two patents; GB 574970 and GB 574118, each one relating to this new idea. It would be Helmore (an Air Commodore) who would then develop the idea further turning it into what would become commonly known as the Turbinlite system.

Originally designated Air Target Illumination, Cotton’s idea was passed to the Alan Muntz Company, who in conjunction with G.E.C., developed it into what was at the time, the most powerful searchlight in the world, and one that would fit neatly into the nose of a Douglas Havoc, or Boston as it was known in the RAF.

The light was so powerful that it would require a staggering forty-eight batteries each stored in the bomb bay of the aircraft, adding an additional weight to the aircraft just short of 2,000lbs. The light was so strong (1,400 amps) that it would discharge in less than 12 seconds meaning its use was limited to short searches only.

Havoc Mark I (Turbinlite), AW400, on the ground at Burtonwood, Lancashire. This aircraft served with Nos. 1422 and 1454 (Turbinlite) Flights, and with 1459 (Turbinlite) Flight/538 Squadron RAF, before transfer to the USAAF in April 1943. (© IWM ATP 10654C)

The first full prototype Turbinlite aircraft fitted with the unit was Boston W8254 and was flown by Acting Squadron Leader A. Clouston of 1422 (Night Fighter) Flight formed at Heston on May 12th 1941. The Flight would then operate a number of these aircraft, along with several other types which included the only Turbinlite Mosquito; along with a Defiant, Wellington and Hurricane.

Heston was the home of Airwork, an aviation company set up by two ex-Cambridge students and soldiers of the great war, Sir Henry Nigel Norman and Alan Muntz. Their vision, was to create the best aerodrome near London, a dream that would cost Norman his life and Muntz to lose his son. Airwork would go through many changes during its life, taking on several Government contracts including a range of flying schools to train RAF pilots throughout the Second World War. These included RAF Digby, RAF Grangemouth, RAF Scone (Perth) and RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

Airwork would themselves modify a further four Bostons, with a further sixteen being modified by the Heston Aircraft Company. A third batch was then developed at RAF Burtonwood, giving a total of nine flights for training and ten operational squadrons comprising just short of 100 aircraft in all.

It was soon realised however, that the Bostons lacked firepower and so the company began to look at the Mosquito as a possible replacement aircraft. Only one Mosquito was modified (W4087, a Hatfield built F.II) at Heston, but this idea, unlike the Boston, failed to progress any further than the prototype stage, and no other aircraft were converted.

The Only Mosquito converted to carry the Turbinlite.*⁵

The Turbinlite project quickly gained pace, but the units wouldn’t be raised to squadron status until September of the following year. In preparation, ten special Havoc flights were created to train crews to operate the aircraft. The first of two, formed at Hunsdon (and the first of the ten) was 1451 (Fighter) Flight on May 22nd 1941. The Flight used several examples that included both Boston IIIs (AL469 and Z2280) and Havoc Is (AE470 and AW405). It also utilised a Cygnet and Tiger Moth for pilot training. By the end of the month, 85 Sqn had flown a total of 505 hours, 482 of them undertaken in Havocs, with 213 of these being on night flights.

On August 9th 1941, 85 Sqn were joined here at Hunsdon by 3 Sqn, one of the original three squadrons to have been formed by the Royal Flying Corp. Created on May 13th 1912, when the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers was absorbed in to the month old Royal Flying Corps, 3 Sqn joined both 1 and 2 Squadrons as the oldest units to have operated in the RFC. As such, its history is long and very distinguished.

In Part 2 we see how the Turbinlite develops, and how, as the war goes on, the first of Mosquitoes arrive.

The full story of RAF Hunsdon can be read in Trail 25.

Trail 64 – Central Scotland (Part 3)

September 2, 2023July 9, 2023 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

Part 2 of this trail saw a range of units arrive at Grangemouth, each one bringing new aircraft and new personnel to this small Scottish site. Some, playing a rather sinister role, eventually move on to leave Grangemouth’s longest standing unit here to see the war out.

58 OTU was initially set up to train night fighters, but was quickly turned into a Spitfire training unit, the purpose to train pilots to fly the Spitfire, many of these trainees would be Polish. In fact, so many were training here that by February 1941, the unit had grown from a small half sized unit to a full unit with in excess of 50 Spitfires and 20 Masters available to the trainees. To help accommodate the aircraft, Grangemouth was paired with a satellite airfield located at Balado Bridge*⁸ between Edinburgh and Perth.

The training unit would become the longest standing resident unit at Grangemouth and this would set the scene for its future.

The turn of the year though, really saw little change, except the weather got even colder. More rain and fog was joined by frost, and on several days the airfield was closed, its ground simply unsuitable for any flying activity.

Even though the weather was playing havoc, the work that both 58 OTU and the resident 614 Sqn would do in conjunction with the Polish airmen, led an affiliation between 614 and the Polish forces on January 10th 1941; an acknowledgement of the good work that was being done jointly between the two.

March 1941 then brought the news that 614 Squadron would be moving on, to Tranent (Macmerry), perhaps a welcome move as the last few months had seen flying hours drop to around 200 in the day and less than 20 at night. Several accidents had left aircraft badly damaged, crewmen injured and the squadron short of aircraft, it had not been a good year. But by early in the month, the move had taken place and 614 had departed to its new home where it could continue to carry out its sinister role.

With that, the OTU remained the main sole user of Grangemouth until on 10th March 1941, when the Aircraft Delivery Flight Grangemouth was set up. (A month later it would be re-designated 4 Aircraft Delivery Flight). During its lifetime it would operate a number of aircraft: Oxfords, Dominies, Lysanders, Beaufighters, Mustangs and Typhoons. The role of the flight was to ferry aircraft from one location to another, taking new aircraft to new squadrons in support of 13 and 14 Groups.

Delivering aircraft was not without its problems either. On October 2nd, a Hurricane IIA was being transferred by Sgt. Arthur Carl Young of the Flight from Martlesham Heath to Grangemouth. The pilot became disorientated in cloud, and so bailed out leaving the Hurricane to its fate crashing in an area near Goole.

The numbers of trainees at Grangemouth had grown significantly by 1942, so much so, that within 58 OTU a dedicated squadron was formed. Designated as ‘A’ squadron, it was manned by both British and Polish instructors, many of these were hardened veterans including Sqn. Ldr. Henryk Drobinski who had multiple kills and awards to his name.

But Grangemouth would be a multinational training centre, taking pilots from all around the world. The diversity of languages must have been a headache for some, the non- English speaking airmen having to learn very quickly indeed.

Collisions played a large part in the accident roll at Grangemouth, such was the nature of the training programme and those learning to fly the Spitfire, close formation flying being a large part of the syllabus here at the airfield.

In his biography “Challenge in the Air” (William Kimber, 1988), Miroslav Liskutin describes how on a six week course, six of the thirty pilots on his course were killed, a fact they simply lived with.

On April 17th, two pilots were killed when Spitfires R7073 and X4905 collided over Falkirk. One was killed outright, whilst the other died during an attempted crash landing following the incident. Sgt. Siemienczuk (26) along with P/O. Malkiewicz (24), both from Poland, were subsequently buried in Grangemouth Grandsable Cemetery located to the south of the airfield site.

In fact, 1942 saw no less than six collisions or near collisions, all of which resulted in either one or both pilots being killed. All these young men were in their 20s and from countries far beyond Britain’s own borders.

As the demand for training increased and subsequently the numbers of trainees increased, it was decided to increase the length of the main east–west runway by some 300 yards. This would allow for a greater amount of time to land and come to a stop and would allow for faster or larger aircraft to utilise the airfield should the requirement demand. Whilst the necessary work was carried out, operations and training flights continuing unhindered.

The extension of the runway however, didn’t prevent further accidents from happening whether in the air or on the ground. Collisions with parked aircraft appear on several occasions, although and perhaps the worst incident, would occur some distance away from the airfield site.

On January 16th 1943, three Spitfires from the OTU were out on a formation flying exercise when they collided with a hillside killing two of the three airmen. It is what happened subsequent to the crash that is perhaps more incredible.

The accident occurred on Saturday 16th January 1943, when bad weather intervened in their flight plans. Initially they were ordered to land at the satellite airfield at Balado Bridge, but an accident there prevented this and so they were diverted to Perth.

In dense mist the three Spitfires X4614 (Ia), AR254 (Ia) and P8276 (IIa) remained in formation resulting in all three colliding with a 648ft high hill known as King’s Seat in the Ochils, 3km north of Dollar, Clackmannanshire. In the collision, two of the three pilots F.O. Hugh Gordon ’Bud’ Reynolds and Sgt. Gordon Murray Duda were both killed instantly. The third pilot, an RAAF airman, Sgt. Vincent P Daly, managed to see the hillside in time and pulled his Spitfire’s nose up at the last minute to reduce the impact on the hillside. As a result, he survived sustaining only a broken leg and other minor injuries.

The crash site being high up in the hills and covered in snow, would not be reached for some time though, and so Daly, even though suffering from a range of injuries (a compound fracture, bruising and cuts to head and body), managed to drag himself down the hillside where he was found two days later by a local farmer.

Daly had managed to use his scarf at the time of the crash, to tie his legs together making a make shift splint to support his broken tibia. He then set off, in freezing conditions, down the hill side toward safety and help. During the decent, he began to contract double pneumonia and suffered severe frostbite to both his toes and his nose – the tip of which he lost.

Once he had been located, Daly was transferred to Larbert Military Hospital, where he made a partial recovery, having to use special shoes and a walking stick to walk. Once out of hospital, he was sent back to RAF Grangemouth, but he never recovered sufficiently to fly again in the RAF. He died in 1969 in his home country, Australia, at the age of just 48 from a heart condition.

Reynolds and Duda were both flying with the RCAF (Duda being an American) and their bodies were eventually found and brought back to be buried at Grangemouth Grandsable Cemetery.

In memory of the airmen and as a lasting tribute a Cairn has been erected at the site (as is common in Scottish mountain crashes) in 2009, and was marked with a flypast by the BBMF Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster.

Between 1944 and 1945 Grangemouth was used by several maintenance units, including both No. 14 MU and No. 243 MU, who used the site after the departure of the OTU to store materials and ammunition. This took the airfield into the late 1940s, at which point there followed a period of limited flying, primarily through a number of RAF gliding schools.

The first of these was No. 6 Gliding school , who were formed here in January 1945 using Cadets, Grunau Baby IIBs and Sedburgh TX.1s. In 1947 a second school, No. 2 Gliding School was also reformed here after being disbanded at Dumfries earlier in the war.

Then on April 1st, 1948, No. 13 Reserve Flying School was formed here at Grangemouth, under the control of Airwork Ltd,. This organisation ran a number of flying training units around the country including two at Scone outside of Perth. 13 RFS used six Tiger Moths and were led by Wing Commander F. Nugent. The School was disbanded a year later in 1949, with almost 200 trainees on their books at various stages.

In 1949, the two Gliding Schools were also amalgamated, the Scone operations continuing at the demise of Grangemouth and absorbing all their equipment.

A third school No. 4 Gliding School then joined Grangemouth in 1951, and eventually all three were absorbed into one under the control of No. 2 Gliding School. A year later the grand terminal building, which had now stood throughout the war, would be destroyed by a major fire, which further helped the demise of the airfield categorically killing any future it may have had.

By 1955, neither Glasgow nor Edinburgh councils had shown any interest in the site as an aviation project, despite the money that had been spent on it previously. Scottish Aviation had also pulled out its resources and so, with all glider schools gone, the terminal building destroyed and no prospect of further flying, the land was put up for sale with an £11m price tag.*⁹

With that, the airfield was closed. The great dream of civilian aviation at Grangemouth would never materialise again after that. The runways became a proving ground for the young, and new car drivers honed their skills on the concrete paths. By the 1960s, the site was being ripped up and built upon, houses very quickly filled the gaps and the oil refinery took over most of the site. The runway extension, built to allow for longer landings, now holds the Charlotte Dundas Shopping centre along with further housing.

Grangemouth’s humble existence started off as an amazing dream, one that was shattered by the calling of war. A future that was so promising for Scotland’s Aviation industry sadly failed to materialise. Instead, Grangemouth became a training ground for many young men who were far away from their homes in Europe and across the commonwealth. In all, 80 air and ground crew lost their lives while serving at Grangemouth, 60 of those being aircrew. The majority of these lay buried in the local cemetery close to the airfield where they served all those years ago. There are many famous names synonymous with Grangemouth too, many of these were ‘Aces’, highly decorated pilots who achieved many ‘kills’ in their attempt to turn the tide of war. Becoming trainers they also set many trainees off on their long journeys to the war’s end. One such pilot was Neville Duke the test pilot, who went on to achieve great things in the aviation industry.

Whilst elements of the site are still visible, (the two original hangars and traces of one of the runways as part of a Inchyra play park) the airfield leaves few distinguishing features and you would be forgiven for not knowing such a site ever existed close to this growing Scottish town.

In 2013, the cadets of 1333 (Spitfire) Squadron led by Squadron Leader Tom McMorrow, finally saw their plans come to fruition when they were present at the unveiling of their Spitfire memorial outside the original hangar that remains standing today.

Their work and dedication ensures that the memories of those who not only who died here, but served at Grangemouth will go to survive so that we can enjoy the peace we have today.

The full story appears in Trail 64.

Sources and Further Reading (Grangemouth)

National Archives: AIR-27-969-1; AIR-27-1547-1; AIR-27-1550; AIR-27-2073; AIR-27-2079-1; AIR-27-2120-1

*¹ Falkirk Herald newspaper website accessed 24/6/23

*² Delve. K., “The Military Airfields of Britain – Scotland and Northern Ireland“, Crowood Press Ltd. 2010.

*³ During this early part of the Grangemouth’s operation, the unit names became interchangeable, the use of ‘civil’ in 10 CANS being dropped in many situations, and 10 AONS being referred to in the ORBs as early as September.

*⁴ Secret Scotland website (unsubstantiated)

*⁵ Aviation Safety Network Website.

*⁶ Photo from Daily Record newspaper website. Accessed 1/7/23

*⁸ The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust placed a marker on the site of Balado Bridge on 8/7/23.

*⁹ McCloskey, K., “Airwork A History“, The History Press, 2012 (via Google books)

Trail 64 – Central Scotland (Part 2)

August 27, 2023July 9, 2023 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

In Part 1, we saw how Grangemouth was created through incredible vision, but how the impending war shattered that dream. Also how it then went on to become a training airfield, training young pilots to fly Spitfires. This was not an easy task, the weather playing havoc with training schedules and an ill prepared airfield adding to the cauldron of problems that would culminate in the inevitable accidents and resultant deaths.

On October 1st 1939, F.O. James A. B. Somerville (known as Young Hamish, to his family) was taxiing his Spitfire I. (L1047), when P.O. J.S. Morton flying Spitfire I (L1059) landed on top of him. In the resulting accident Somerville was killed outright and his aircraft totally written off. P.O. Morton was uninjured and his aircraft received only minor damage, however, the accident would no doubt have a lasting impact the injuries to F.O. Somerville being so severe. *⁵

On October 6th, the order to move the entire 602 Squadron finally came though and the next day the main portion of the unit transported its belongings to Grangemouth. More poor weather prevented another early departure by the aircraft, but by lunchtime, all ground and air crew along with their Spitfires, were over at Grangemouth. Lacking in accommodation, airmen had to be billeted off site in the town itself, whilst Officers took up residency in one of the vacant houses just north of the airfield. The war had finally started for this small airfield in Central Scotland.

602’s stay at Grangemouth was to be short lived though. With threats of German attacks coming from the east, it was decided to move 602 elsewhere, and within a week new orders had come through to move lock, stock and barrel to RAF Drem, in North Berwickshire. By the 13th October, the Spitfires and all their personnel, were gone and Grangemouth was vacant once more.

602 Sqn would go on to make further ‘firsts’ whilst at Drem, when on the 16th of October, pilot George Pinkerton would intercept and shoot down, a Heinkel 111. In doing so, he would be the first pilot to to fire in anger in the skies over Great Britain. It would also be 602 who would down the first ‘intact’ enemy aircraft onto British soil. Known as the Humbie Heinkel, it would become famous for this reason.

It would then be all change again, and on the 19th October 1939, Grangemouth would see the arrival of a new squadron and a new aircraft. 141 Squadron Led by Pilot Officer H. Anderson, another former Turnhouse unit, brought with them Gloster’s Galdiator, an outdated but much loved biplane that began being supplemented during November by the more updated Blenheims.

Like their predecessors, airmen were billeted in three halls in the town whilst officers occupied two vacant houses -110 Boness Road and its neighbour. Whilst accommodation was far from ideal, it would do for now and all those assigned here were soon in and settled.

On the next day, a funeral guard of honour was provided back at Turnhouse for the burial of several German airmen. Those who were to stay behind had the unenviable task of filling sandbags, which were to be used around the dispersal points to protect aircraft from attacking bombers; a task that was eventually postponed due to yet more heavy Scottish rain.

In the following weeks little happened at Grangemouth. Six Gladiators were eventually brought in and used for local flying practise. The squadron tried to use the Air Observer School Ansons and although permission was eventually granted by Fighter Command, no instructors were available due to the School’s own backlog of hours. Further sand was delivered and yet more bags were filled, the monotony of such duties being broken only by the trickle of a small number of Blenheims from Hullavington.

Training flights were fraught with danger, and there were several accidents including on November 12th 1939, a crash on a night approach by Sgt. P. Green in his Gladiator. Sgt. Green was unfortunately injured in the accident, but after being taken to nearby Falkirk hospital for treatment, he made a good recovery. Also in November five Gladiators were sent to Acklington for firing practice. Due to bad weather though, all five had to make emergency landings en route, P.O. Louden hit a wall and P.O. Smith landed badly. In both incidences the aircraft received substantial damage but thankfully neither pilot was injured. The other three aircraft reported no damage after their various forced landings.

P.O. Louden would have a second lucky escape in the following January when the Blenheim he was flying, overshot the runway and crashed beyond the airfield boundary. Again the aircraft was badly damaged but P.O. Louden was once more unhurt.

The weather in southern Scotland can be terrible, and persistent heavy rain not only caused cancelled flights, but also made the ground boggy and difficult to traverse. Even the floodlight tractor became bogged down and stuck in the mud causing further problems for night flying activities.

The routine of local flying, link training and lectures then became the norm for the days leading into the new year. January 1940 saw snow, rain and fog play a large part in the daily lives of those stationed here, causing as many issues on the ground as it did in the air. In the following month, the squadron was given new orders to transfer to Prestwick, a move it made on the 13th. But before they had time to unpack and settle in, further orders came in to return back to Grangemouth, their stay at Prestwick lasting no more than a week!

The early part of the year saw yet more night flying practice and yet more landing accidents. The Blenheims taking a bit of beating as heavy landings caused considerable damage to landing gear and aircraft structures.

By April 1940 another new aircraft was being delivered to the Grangemouth squadron, the Boulton Paul Defiant I. A ‘fighter’ that had failed miserably in its initial role – falling foul of the enemy’s superior aircraft – but would later become more effective as a night fighter. The first of these aircraft was delivered on April 4th 1940, by from 24 Maintenance Unit (MU) based at Ternhill.

141 Squadron continued to re-equip with the Defiants, and by the end of June 1940 they were carrying out target practice at various sites around the UK. Excitement then came to the airfield when on 26th June 1940, crews were called to standby – the first air raid warning of the year sounded over Grangemouth. No bombs were dropped but an enemy aircraft was seen to be shot down. Those pilots from 141 Sqn who were put on stand by at the airfield were not needed and probably disappointed for not having the opportunity to put into practice their new found flying skills.

A second warning sounded again on the 28th June, but once more those 141 Sqn pilots put on standby were not required, another disappointment for those waiting for the signal to scramble and a chance to get their revenge.

On that very same morning (June 28th 1940), new orders came through to 141, their posting to Grangemouth had come to an end. It was all move once more. Busses began to ferry the staff and their equipment from Grangemouth back to Turnhouse, a move that lasted for most of the day. By the late afternoon all aircraft and personnel had made the transfer across and the settling in process would begin once more. This wouldn’t be the end of the link however, for a small detachment would return in July before the ties between Grangemouth and 141 Sqn were finally severed for good.

The month of June would see many changes at Grangemouth, not only did 141 Squadron depart, but there would be three other units all arrive within days of each other before the month was out.

On the 8th, 614 Squadron arrived, followed the next day on the 9th by No 52 (Army Co-operation) Wing and then on the 28th, 263 Squadron. It would be a hectic time for this small and ill prepared airfield.

Two of these units, 52 ACW and 263 squadron would both be short lived stays, neither remaining beyond the end of September 1940.

The role of No. 52 (Army Co-operation) Wing, was a tactical move to help defend the northern regions from enemy attack. These Lysanders and Defiants were brought in to free up valuable Spitfires and Hurricanes who could subsequently be moved south to protect London and the South East. Here in Scotland, they could protect not only the industrial regions of the north from attack, but assist in army training operations ready for their return to the continent – whenever that would be. Being located at Grangemouth, they were in easy reach of both the west and east coast, an area they began patrolling almost immediately. This stay would be yet another short lived one though and they soon would move on elsewhere just a month after their arrival.

The second of these short stay units were the Hurricanes from 263 Squadron. 263 had been re-established at RAF Drem earlier in the month, after flying on board naval carriers, including HMS Glorious until she was sunk on June 8th 1940. They were now firmly a land based unit, and gradually getting back to full strength.

The other change came with the introduction of Westland’s Whirlwind for 263 Squadron. The underrated and rather obscure fighter being brought in to replace the Hurricanes they had been using since their reformation the month before.

In early September 1940, the time for change came once more, this time it was 263 who were to transfer from Grangemouth back to Drem, taking their newly acquired Whirlwinds with them. This would be the squadron’s only spell at Grangemouth before their final disbandment in 1963.

Over the next two days, twenty-two Lysanders would arrive, the crews being billeted in tents around the airfield site; hardly an ideal situation considering the location of the airfield and the weather they were experiencing at the time.

614 Sqn was another of the twenty-one Auxiliary Air Force units, and the only one formed in Wales. It had been operating in France assisting the Army as artillery spotters, providing coordinates for the French and British gunners desperately trying to stem the tide that was the blitzkrieg.

Once settled, 614 Squadron began practise flights dropping messages and performing tactical reconnaissance sorties. By the 17th June 1940, day long patrols were being carried out along the east coast of Scotland, covering an area from Inverness to Berwick, flying over the coastline and up to 5 miles inland. None of these patrols provided any signs of enemy action though.

Over the next few weeks further patrols and practise flights took place, one aircraft was damaged when struck by a second trying to land, and others had to land in fields due to bad weather or engine failures. There were no causalities but some of the aircraft were badly damaged in these incidents.

614 were also used to test gas spraying techniques in a chemical warfare role. Parts of Grangemouth were off limits and heavily guarded, and permits had to be issued to those personnel needing access to such areas. The idea behind this was that of the enemy launched an invasion force along the Scottish coast, then mustard gas (stockpiled at Grangemouth) would be used against them. This secret and somewhat underhand method of warfare was carried on by 614 once it moved to Macmerry in the following year.*⁴

In July 1940, internal changes saw the headquarters, motor transport unit and armaments sections move from one part of the airfield to a farm located at the northern side of the site. Simultaneously 180 airmen moved into the recently requisitioned annex at the local Grange School, whilst a further 100 moved into the school itself. A temporary measure that would only last until the next school term started. Other duty personnel were moved to tents around the airfield, perhaps somewhat reluctantly, especially as within days, heavy rain would flood them out resulting in them being billeted off site as well.

Over the next few weeks little flying took place as bad weather continued to cause problems. Airfield defences continued to be erected and a visit by the Inspector General Sir E. Ludlow-Hewitt, broke the monotony of the pouring rain.

On August 10th 1940 an accident occurred when Lysander P9186 piloted by F.O. N. Merrett and F.O. J. Harper collided with Lysander N1251 flown by P.O. Cheminant. During the evasive tactics exercise the aircraft struck Merrets Lysander losing virtually all its main-plane. The aircraft then crashed to the ground killing both occupants. The second aircraft, whilst damaged, managed to land safely.

Bad landings caused extensive damage to several aircraft in the month that followed, whilst three others were grounded awaiting spares. Luckily none of the occupants in the poor landings were injured, but it did mean the squadron was now six aircraft down causing issues with both cover and patrols.

The last few days of September 1940 brought other incidents and fatalities. Outside the airfield, a dispatch rider was killed in a head on collision with a car, and an enemy bomber dropped a bomb in the vicinity of the airfield. No damage was done to the site but it brought home the fact that war was never very far away. At this time work also began on building the asphalt runways, which up until now had remained as grass. With luck, the heavy rain that had continued throughout the summer would soon not hinder flying activities.

At the close of September 1940, 754 hours had been flown by crews in daylight but only 17 had been flown at night; it had not been a great summer all round.

On the 4th November (1940) news came though that Grangemouth was transferring from 22 Group back to Fighter Command, the news brought little more than hope, those units already here remaining where they were and with what they had.

The miserable weather of 1940/41 brought little to cheer about at Grangemouth. Perhaps the greatest interest, apart from a hopeful christmas break, was the formation of a training unit in December. On the 2nd, 58 Operational Training Unit (OTU) was set up and provided with Spitfires along with a selection of Fairy Battles, Hurricanes and a Whitley amongst others. The OTU was supposed to have been formed earlier in November, but when Sqn. Ldr, (later Air Vice Marshal) Henry Hogan arrived, it was not ready for the OTU and so he left disappointed having to return the following month.

The last part of the trail shows how Grangemouth met it demise. Once the dream of a visionary it slowly begins to decay as the war comes to an end and units are gradually pulled out, surplus to requirements. The end comes slowly, but not before its last and longest standing unit arrives.

The full story appears in Trail 64.

Trail 64 – Central Scotland (Part 1)

August 20, 2023July 9, 2023 / Aviationtrails / 6 Comments

In this latest trail around Britain’s wartime airfields, we travel to central Scotland, and the foothills of the Highlands. Travelling west from Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, we head toward an area of outstanding beauty where the flat lands begin to meet the lower highlands. Here during the Second World War, lay an airfield that never reached its full potential, but it did play a major part in the training of the RAF’s fighter pilots.

In Trail 64, we visit the former RAF Grangemouth.

RAF Grangemouth.

Grangemouth lies 1 mile from the town that gave it its name and 3 miles from Falkirk. The Firth of Fourth, Edinburgh’s major sea outlet, crosses west to east north of the airfield providing not only major docks and shipping services, but dry docks for submarines and other naval vessels as well. It is the natural sea outlet that led to Grangemouth’s very existence when founded in 1768 by Sir Lawrence Dundas, following the creation of the Forth and Clyde Canal that linked Glasgow to Edinburgh.

The Shipping that this development brought led to a huge expansion of the docks at Grangemouth. Exports increased along with the number and size of the docks available. Then during the First World War, these were taken over and renamed HMS Rameses, by the military, who set up a mine manufacturing and training school here. Once usefulness of mines was realised, old merchant vessels were quickly adapted to drop mines and these were both stored and loaded here at Grangemouth.

The airfield itself was located to the south of these docks, and would play a large part in their defence, especially as a major oil refinery has been located here for many years. The expansion of this refinery, albeit a turbulent one, has since taken over the airfield site leaving little trace of its history behind.

Accommodation for those personnel stationed here was often rudimentary to say the least, tents providing cover for many whilst the local town hotels were used for the luckier ones. A substantial number of houses along Boness road, just beyond the airfield perimeter, were also known to have been requisitioned over a period of time, some used for sick quarters whilst others became aircrew billets.

Life for Grangemouth airfield began long before the current industrial modernisation of the area though, initially being earmarked as a civilian site for commercial operations before war broke out. It was opened on May 1st, 1939 and was intended to have as many as four grass runways, the longest being 1,360 yards long. It would be operated and run by Scottish Aviation Ltd., who were based at Prestwick. Built by a number of companies including the construction company Wimpey, it would have at least twenty dispersals, two of which had blister hangars on them by the war’s end.

The main Edinburgh road originally passed between the airfield and the Firth, thus restricting any wartime expansion northwards. Now replaced by the M9 to the south, this road is now a minor road through housing serving a thriving residential community.

When it was handed over to the military, the site was then developed further, some of the rudimentary accommodation was replaced by more substantial blocks, and the grass runways were replaced with tarmac. The airfield was by then, able to cater for upwards of 600 personnel of mixed rank and gender.

With a total of eight Blister hangars added, its maintenance facilities were then extended far beyond those of its civil requirements.

It ambitious origins began in early 1939, with the purchase of 500 acres of farmland to develop into what was intended to be Scotland’s largest airport, initially serving routes to London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Shetland Isles. During its construction, two large civil airport hangars were built along with a large and luxurious terminal at a cost of some £160,000 (£14,000,000 today).

North It was intended that more routes would soon open up encouraging new operators and prosperity to the area, unfortunately this was only a pipe dream and with increasing costs and cheaper rail tickets challenging the operator, these routes were soon closed proving uneconomical to run in light of strong competition. The onslaught of war then hammered the final nail in to the coffin of commercial operations, By September 1939, all flights had ceased, and the future of Grangemouth was no longer in the hands of civilian operators.

Whilst these commercial operations were the prime reason for the purchase and development of Grangemouth, Scottish Aviation’s interest, and that of Air Marshall Trenchard was more than a passing coincidence. The company had early on in the proceedings, secured a government contract to train pilots for what seemed to be an inevitable war with Germany.

Scottish Aviation set up their own civilian run training group 35 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School (ERFTS) to fulfil this contract. They operated some fifty-one aircraft including: the Audax, Hawker Hinds, Tiger Moths and soon after Avro Ansons, with an intended capacity of 200 trainee pilots at any one time*²

Soon after the declaration of war, a reformation of military training operations took place, and a new unit was established here with 35 ERFTS being disbanded and reformed as 10 Civil Air Navigation School (CANS). The use of the Ansons continued. This name however, would only last until November, when a further re-naming took place, forcing the disbanding and renumbering of the unit to 10 Air Observers Navigation School (AONS)*³

10 AONS, continued to soldier on with the Ansons. Then on 2nd December 1939 it was all change again when the unit was absorbed into the Prestwick school, 1 Air Observers Navigation School. Grangemouth, now closed to all civilian operations, was passed to full control of the RAF’s Fighter Command and 13 Group. It would seem there were to be big changes ahead.

Meanwhile, back on August 25th 1939, the RAF began mobilisation, orders were sent round military airfields to begin preparing for war. One such order came through to the Abbotsinch based 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, instructing them to inspect the buildings at Grangemouth with a view to moving there shortly afterwards. Sqn Ldr. Farquhar and two other members of his staff then travelled by car to Grangemouth, inspected the site and made their findings known later that evening.

On September 1st 1939, at 23:45 hrs, a notice came through to 602 Squadron to mobilise all units and prepare for war. With a considerable amount of preparation already having been done, the squadron were able to pronounce themselves ‘mobilised’ by 10:30 hrs the following morning. Commanding Officer Sqn Ldr A.D. Farquhar with Flight Lieutenants W. Robinson “A” Flight, and G.D. Pinkerton “B” Flight, led the way, taking the Scottish unit to war.

602 Sqn had the grand distinction of being the first of the Auxiliary Air Force squadrons to be formed, an honour that occurred in 1925. Although the first staff member, adjutant Flt. Lt. Martyn arrived at Renfrew to begin proceedings on September 12th 1925, the squadron’s official birthday wasn’t recorded until September 15th.

The two hangars and terminal building. These hangars are the sole remaining structures left on the site. See photo below. (Falkirk Herald Website)

Between its formation and its impending move to Grangemouth, 602 Sqn had operated a wide range of aircraft: Hawker Harts, Hinds, Hectors Gauntlet IIs and from May 1939, Spitfire MK.Is. The Spitfire being a major leap forward in terms of flying technology, speed and power. This change gave 602 yet another ‘first’, being the first Auxiliary unit to receive the new aircraft type.

Two days later on September 3rd, official notice Movement Order 3 of 1939, gave notice of the imminent move, and preparations immediately began at Abbotsinch. The aim of the squadron’s move to Grangemouth was to protect the valuable iron foundries, dockyards and numerous chemical factories that were now abundant along the banks of the Fourth.

Apart form organising the move, the first few days of war were unsurprisingly uneventful, with orders to “Stand by” being given to both A and B Flights coming to nothing more. The routine quickly changed to night flying practise, and as a result, the first ‘casualty’. In the dark, with little lighting to guide them in, a Spitfire crashed on the airfield whilst trying to land but luckily no one was injured and the aircraft only suffered ‘minor’ damage.

The quietness of the Phoney War, enabled the C.O. to test a new device that would stop the obscuring of the windshield from oil thrown out by the propeller. The unit was made, fitted and tested in the air, and photographs along with a detailed report was submitted to Fighter Command on September 6th. On the 8th, Sqn Ldr. Tidd of 13 Group came to see the item in action for himself, and finding it most suitable, had it used on all aircraft. As a result, the idea played a major part in future Spitfire development.

Left: One of the two original hangars still used at Grangemouth.

On the 30th September, a further visit to Grangemouth led to the decision that only a small detachment, and not the entire squadron, of 602’s Spitfires could be moved to Grangemouth, not at least until the accommodation, currently held by the Navigation School, had become vacant. These few aircraft and their ground crews would operate from Grangemouth between 09:00 and 18:00 hrs each day with ground staff and pilots being billeted on site during their tour there.

The next day, October 1st, a small detachment comprising of six aircraft, along with ammunition and all the necessary flight equipment, departed Abbotsinch for Grangemouth. The desired early departure was unfortunately delayed by poor weather, something that was going to dominate the next few years at Grangemouth, and so the group, led by Flt. Lt M. Robinson, didn’t arrive until later than planned that day.

It was also at this time that 602’s sister squadron and rival, 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, another Turnhouse unit, would begin to receive their Spitfires. As these were new aircraft to the squadron, each Flight, ‘A’ and ‘B’, would travel to Grangemouth to train. ‘B’ arrived first, flying between 17th and 24th, followed by ‘A’ Flight between the 25th and the 30th. These daily flights meant a considerable amount of movement in and out of the airfield, and with so many trainees in unfamiliar aircraft, accidents were almost inevitable.

In Part 2, we see how Grangemouth goes on to develop further, how the weather played a role in its operation and how with so many young men eager to learn, mistakes were made with dire consequences.

The full story appears in Trail 64.