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Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

A forum for discussing all things related to MILITARY AVIATION including Military Aviation news. No off-topic discussions here please.
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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by 698 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:38 am

balders wrote:

With exception of the officers mess all buildings at Horchurch have gone with a school and tescos built on the Tech site. The airfield was turned over to gravel extraction but is now a country park. Some pillboxes and e pens remain on the perimeter. The gates to RAF hornchurch are now at the entrance to the RAF chapel Biggin Hill.


Back in the mid to late 1960's we had the police turn up at our school in Chingford and "arrest" a couple of the kids.
We never got to the bottom of it as EVERYONE was tight lipped but one of the lads lived in Hornchurch and the rumor was the pair of them had found weapons of some sort on the old airfield site.
They had been reported hence the police turning up at the school.

How much truth there is in this I don't know but they WERE taken away by plod as the whole playground decended on the police cars to see what was going on :lol:

Also related to Hornchurch, Fairlop ?
And stapleford Tawny for North Weald, Stapleford remains as a flying club I believe.
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balders
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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by balders » Tue Nov 09, 2010 12:41 pm

Fairlop was a satellite to Hornchurch and at one point after the war was being considered as the site of London's main airport. Horchurch was the base where the battle of Barking creek occurred in the opening days of the war where an unfortunate blue on blue incident occurred with some North Weald Hurricans. Keith Park was station commander in the late 20's

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by HawkEye001 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:36 pm

For those that are interested i can confirm that the Tower at the former RAF Metheringham is going to be restored to its former glory but will be someones house. People will be allowed to veiw it externally and information boards will be erected for when the Visitors Centre is closed.

Regards,

HawkEye001
http://www.airfieldresearchgroup.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange. ... /index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.rafingham.co.uk/

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by 698 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:49 pm

HawkEye001 wrote:For those that are interested i can confirm that the Tower at the former RAF Metheringham is going to be restored to its former glory but will be someones house. People will be allowed to veiw it externally and information boards will be erected for when the Visitors Centre is closed.

Regards,

HawkEye001

Ahh.

just reminded me, how did I forget this one.

Little Walden/Hadstock. Mainly agriculture but with industrial on the technical site which is behind the control tower which in itself is intact and is, I think, a house.

some years ago did some work in a field by the technical site and unearthed bases for buildings in the overgrowth.
There were also stacks of crittal windows (went down the dump in Haverhill) lots of wood and, in particular, which upset me a bit, there were solid wooden doors, painted light blue with number tags affixed to them that I had to help throw on the bonfire.
All from the old buildings that had already been removed I guess.
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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by RJ79 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:57 pm

Going back to WWI, there used to be airfields at Downham Market and Hethel, Hethel still has a hangar there and is now owned by Lotus and Downham Market is now industrial units IIRC. There is also Wendling, North Pickenham (home of the Thor in Cold War times), and Attlebridge, all used by the Yanks in WW2 and the runways are still there but have umpteen chicken huts on them (all nicely visible from the air too).
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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by Sparts99 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:27 pm

That reminds me, apparently there was a WW1 airfield at Downham SE London too, now a housing estate.
In this world there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig.

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by beefsteak » Tue Nov 09, 2010 4:27 pm

[quote="balders"]Swinderby was perhaps one of the best preserved WW2 RAF bases have changed little from its war days. I had a look round a couple of years which was just aswell as the current owners decided to very sympathetically flatten the whole area even though they had at the time no plans to do anything with it. Here's a few pics.


Just a slight correction here.

The site was purchased (Along with several other sites) by RMC in around 2000 later bought out by Cemex in 2005 to extract aggregates (Sand and gravel) This will go ahead when they have completed their work at former RAF Woodall Spa, utilizing the same plant equipment. Woodall Spa is (As I stated in an earlier post) being returned to nature and at the moment has 4 lagoons being used by a lot of wildlife, RAF Coningsby also have a 9 hole golf course on there!

The company of Cemex were responsible for the demolition of the old control tower, however, the only reason this was demolished was because local yobs from Witham St Hughs had trespassed onto the site and had smashed it up inside (Taking out retaining walls as well as all the windows) thus leaving it in a very dangerous condition. It was therefore decided to demolish and remove it before someone was killed !!

They have not been responsible for the demolision of the hangars as they didn't own this part of the airfield, which were partly owned by a company called British Seed House who sold some of them to a Jewish couple from London who were building a retail park on the site (The last I heard)

It has been estimated that it will take a further 42 years to extract all the aggregate from there!! It will then too be returned to nature and (Like Woodall Spa) be handed over to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.
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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by TankBuster » Tue Nov 09, 2010 4:53 pm

cosmosboy wrote:RAF Wethersfield - still largely intact and used for all sorts of things:

- MOD Plod Training School and
- MOD Firearms Training Wing
- 614 Air Cadet gliding school
- fire investigation training

I'm told there's also an emergency large-scale temporary mortuary over there...for when avian flu finally kicks in properly.
Essex Fire & Rescue Service also have a large facility over by the bomb dump where they teach Firefighters all about fire behaviour & how to deal with flashover & backdraught situations, I was on one of the courses there in March. They also do a lot of incident command training on the same site.
http://www.essexfiretraining.co.uk/inde ... &Itemid=11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

London Fire Brigade also use one of the old runways as a skidpan for their driver training.



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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by andy@cottesmore » Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:24 pm

RAF Croughton has not been an airfield since 1947, but is very much still active as a USAF base :ninja:

http://www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/factshee ... p?id=14713" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
British Military Aviation Lists - http://www.bmal.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
On the 3 degree glide path (8 Miles) PAR approach Runway 26 (EGXT) RAF Wittering

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by roughcutter » Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:29 pm

Sparts99 wrote:West Malling now a souless industrial and housing estate, some wartime buildings remain,
Although I never actually visited this airfield, according to the regular reports in Flypast magazine in the early 1980's they used to stage some cracking warbird airshows there ! :thumb:

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by ginge » Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:45 pm

Just a couple from me..

RAF Nuneaton now a motor industry test site,
RAF Desford now Caterpillar industries..

Cheers
GRIM REAPERS SUPPORTER

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by BP2324 » Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:51 pm

Take a look here:
http://content-delivery.co.uk/aviation/airfields/

Shortcut to aerial views of some of the airfields mentioned above.

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by 22A » Tue Nov 09, 2010 8:16 pm

There was a RAF Station in the Westwood area of Peterborough. Most of the site is given to industrialunits, but the perri track is still visible, the runway however was grass and that's gone. One of P'boro's two ATC squadrons meet in a building on the site thus maintaining a tenuous link. What was the Officer's Mess still stands and continues to look like what it was although today it's a college and for some reason, the road leading to it is Cottesmore Close.
160 miles away at Bristol, Filton still sees some aerial activity whilst to the South, RAF Lulsgate Bottom is now Bristol Airport.

Following the handover of Hong Kong, does the Chinese airfield use the former RAF installations there, or do they not need them?

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by Gadget Man » Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:53 pm

Here’s all Norfolk’s WW2 Airfields. I have missed one as no one’s supposed to know it was used as an airfield, and it is still a grass field.

Attlebridge. USAAF station 120. (Weston Longville.) Turkey huts and agriculture. Maybe wind turbines in the future
Bircham Newton. Construction & Industrial Training Board
Bodney. USAAF station 141. Agriculture and Army training ground.
Coltishall. HMP Prison & housing. Possible Aircraft recycling plant
Deopham Green. USAAF station 142. Agriculture. Not sure if still used for light aircraft.
Docking. Agriculture
Downham Market (Bexwell). Agriculture & Industrial Estate.
East Wrentham. . USAAF station 133. Part Agriculture, part Army.
Feltwell. USAF Distribution depot
Fersfield. . USAAF station 140 (Winsfarthing) . Agriculture
Foulsham. Agriculture, Inds Estate, & alleged Film studio
Great Massingham. Agriculture and Museum.
Hardwick. USAAF station 104 Museum and light aircraft
Hethel. USAAF station 114 Lotus Cars.
Horsham St Faiths. USAAF station 123 Norwich Airport & Museum.
Langham. Turkey huts
Little Snoring. Agriculture, Mcaully flying club, storage & plane making.
Ludham (HMS Flycatcher) . Agriculture. Light Aircraft.
Marham. Queens Airport.
Matlaske. Agriculture.
Methwold. Agriculture & Storage.
North Creake (Egmere) . Agriculture, Cattle feed & corn company and light industry.
North Pickingham. USAAF station 143. Agriculture, Storage & Tpt , light Industry and wind farm
Old Buckingham. USAAF station 144. Light airfield.
Oulton. Agriculture, turkey and pig huts.
Rackheath. USAAF station 145 Agriculture & Industrial Estate.
Sculthorpe. Dump for tyres, Industrial Estate, new village & still used by USAF for training.
Seething. USAAF station 146. Agriculture & light Aircraft, aviation workshops, museum & Astronomical observatory .
Shipdham. USAAF station 115. Agriculture, flying club & industrial estate.
Snetterton. USAAF station 138. Race track, Sunday market and distribution centre
Stiffkey . Holiday camping site.
Swannington. Agriculture and chicken huts.
Swanton Morley. Army Light Dragoons.
Thorpe Abbotts. USAAF station 149. Agriculture and museum .
Tibenham (Tivetshall) . USAAF station 124. Gliding club.
Watton. USAAF station 376. Housing.
Wendling (Beeston) . USAAF station 118. Agriculture and industry.
West Raynham. Kart track, Motor cycle training, housing.
Weybourne. Still used to access Muckleborough Museum.

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by G4UMW » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:24 pm

roughcutter wrote:RAF Burtonwood, erased! Well the runway is underneath the M-62. :(
The control tower there was demolished by the late, great Fred Dibnah.

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by mr stihl » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:36 pm

Gadget Man wrote:Here’s all Norfolk’s WW2 Airfields. I have missed one as no one’s supposed to know it was used as an airfield, and it is still a grass field.

Attlebridge. USAAF station 120. (Weston Longville.) Turkey huts and agriculture. Maybe wind turbines in the future
Bircham Newton. Construction & Industrial Training Board
Bodney. USAAF station 141. Agriculture and Army training ground.
Coltishall. HMP Prison & housing. Possible Aircraft recycling plant
Deopham Green. USAAF station 142. Agriculture. Not sure if still used for light aircraft.
Docking. Agriculture
Downham Market (Bexwell). Agriculture & Industrial Estate.
East Wrentham. . USAAF station 133. Part Agriculture, part Army.
Feltwell. USAF Distribution depot
Fersfield. . USAAF station 140 (Winsfarthing) . Agriculture
Foulsham. Agriculture, Inds Estate, & alleged Film studio
Great Massingham. Agriculture and Museum.
Hardwick. USAAF station 104 Museum and light aircraft
Hethel. USAAF station 114 Lotus Cars.
Horsham St Faiths. USAAF station 123 Norwich Airport & Museum.
Langham. Turkey huts
Little Snoring. Agriculture, Mcaully flying club, storage & plane making.
Ludham (HMS Flycatcher) . Agriculture. Light Aircraft.
Marham. Queens Airport.
Matlaske. Agriculture.
Methwold. Agriculture & Storage.
North Creake (Egmere) . Agriculture, Cattle feed & corn company and light industry.
North Pickingham. USAAF station 143. Agriculture, Storage & Tpt , light Industry and wind farm
Old Buckingham. USAAF station 144. Light airfield.
Oulton. Agriculture, turkey and pig huts.
Rackheath. USAAF station 145 Agriculture & Industrial Estate.
Sculthorpe. Dump for tyres, Industrial Estate, new village & still used by USAF for training.
Seething. USAAF station 146. Agriculture & light Aircraft, aviation workshops, museum & Astronomical observatory .
Shipdham. USAAF station 115. Agriculture, flying club & industrial estate.
Snetterton. USAAF station 138. Race track, Sunday market and distribution centre
Stiffkey . Holiday camping site.
Swannington. Agriculture and chicken huts.
Swanton Morley. Army Light Dragoons.
Thorpe Abbotts. USAAF station 149. Agriculture and museum .
Tibenham (Tivetshall) . USAAF station 124. Gliding club.
Watton. USAAF station 376. Housing.
Wendling (Beeston) . USAAF station 118. Agriculture and industry.
West Raynham. Kart track, Motor cycle training, housing.
Weybourne. Still used to access Muckleborough Museum.
An interesting and informative list Gadget Man thanks for sharing. I'm going to rack my brains and see if i can think of the missing one. Matt

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by Gadget Man » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:54 pm

Matt. Here it Is.
Image

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by TankBuster » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:54 am

Station 150 RAF Boxted.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 9&t=h&z=14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Most of the site is now arable farmland & some of the old buildings on the domestic site are occupied by small businesses.

Until recently a local historical group held an annual 'Fly In' there & they had visiting aircraft land on a small grass strip on the site of the old concrete runway for the show. Unfortunately this ceased as the airstrip is now used for growing crops :( .

http://www.boxted-airfield.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TB
Last edited by TankBuster on Wed Nov 10, 2010 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
And there's plenty more where that came from!

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by 698 » Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:04 am

Don't forget you can go back to "1945" in certain areas on Google Earth.
There are parts of East Anglia, London,Bucs, Northants etc

I say "1945" as some areas are clearly later that this.
For good or for ill, air mastery is today the supreme expression of military power and fleets and armies, however vital and important, must accept a subordinate rank.
Winston Churchill

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Re: Ex RAF Airfields and the current users

Post by Andrewausfa » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:13 am

Was Stiffkey ever a WW2 airfield as such? I thought it was a Bofors training site with a 25 pounder gun line behind the village. I know there's a Warwick out on the marsh, a Henley nearer the Morston side and a Heinkel 111 on Blakeney Point but they landed accidently :)

Andrew

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