A medium bombardment group then arrived, being the 17th Bomb Group (M), flying the B-26 Marauder. They arrived soon after the 91st left, able to use the shorter runways. They were only here as a transitional airfield on their eventual trip destination in North Africa. When they departed, the main runway was extended.
In May 1943, the 379th Bomb Group (H) arrived flying B-17s and Kimbolton would be their home until the war ended.
Kimbolton was a bleak place at the time, with rumours of airmen committing suicide due to the isolated and dreary airfield.
I arrived and parked up with the intention of grabbing plenty of arty farty landscape shots and as it was dry I headed off towards the Admin Site and Barracks Areas. Excuse the dust spots, I've not properly edited these shots,
This pile of rubble appears to be all that remains of the Admin Site -
DSC_0319 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
A London Brick Company "Phorpres" brick, helping the date the rubble to the right period -
DSC_0315 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
A trackway leading towards and through the Barracks sites. It was at this point I began to wonder if it would rain....the arty farty landscape idea became replaced with one of just getting round quickly to try and stay dry!
DSC_0322 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
Workmen's boot tracks set in the concrete -
DSC_0328 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
Sat right by the road that now runs straight through the site (and across the runway), I think this is part of the drainage system -
DSC_0332 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
One of the few remnants of taxiway. The North/South Runway (around 01/19 orientation) runs from the taxiway, to the right of the photo, about where the pile of hay is -
DSC_0335 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
More remnants (but no buildings), this is part of the trackway within the Bomb Dump -
DSC_0340 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
I found a bolt....any ideas?
DSC_0342 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
At this point it started raining pretty hard...I approached some contractors who were working on-site, smashing up some old parts of taxiway. When the proper torrential downpour started, they suggesting I hide in one of the diggers. Being a child at heart I didn't take much persuading. This photo is taken at the southern end of the 01 runway, looking North East more or less along the course of the runway, which goes off towards the left hand side of the horizon -
DSC_0343 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
As I mentioned, the contractors were removing some of the remaining concrete sections on site. Soon all traces of the runway and taxiway will be gone. As the machine crushes the concrete, a magnet pulls out all the metallic objects dug up alongside the concrete. Here they lie in a pile. I recognise some old wartime fence posts and what I think is a plough blade - anyone else recognise anything (full res can be provided if really wanted) -
DSC_0345 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
I also found this unknown bottle amongst the pile, which I'm desperately hoping is a portable oxygen bottle or similar!!! -
DSC_0347 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
The rain continued but slacked off a little, so I left my JCB safehaven and ventured further on. After scrambling through a forest, this pile is all I could find of the ammo dump, now completely forgotten -
DSC_0351 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
Looking down the course of the NW/SE runway (around 15/33 orientation) -
DSC_0357 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
At that end of the runway I was at the furthest point from the car I was to go. Naturally, the rain started hammering it down. Even with waterproof's on, nothing could have saved me! The walk was straight down the course of the runway, following the telephone poles on the above shot, back to the road. By the time I got there, my jeans were about four times heavier than when I left the car!
The memorial sitting outside the industrial estate that now occupies part of the old technical site -
DSC_0359 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
Back to the car, trousers off (is it illegal to drive with no trousers on?) and I drove to the next point of interest - the only remaining frying pan dispersal. Sadly, it's also being dug up -
DSC_0361 by SteveS - FC, on Flickr
Compared to the scene in July 2011 -
The 379th left Kimbolton in June 1945. They were the Group in the 8th Air Force having the lowest loss record, the lowest abortion rate and the best bombing results. The base was left by the US in 1946, but remained as a standby base until the early 1960s. There are plenty of stories around about British soldiers in the intervening period seeing strange apparitions, at the same time and in the same place. Several men, walking back to their Barracks from their evening meal, in the late 1940s and 50s saw a ghostly silhouette on the airfield, being a group of US Airmen playing cards in the wreckage of a B-17. Air Cadets dug up and recovered the remains of a B-17 in the post-war years, at which point the apparitions stopped, only to be seen again a few years later. Each time, the figures would remain for a few minutes before fading away. Needless to say, I didn't see it.
Other than what I photographed is the link trainer building adjacent the industrial site, but the foliage is so thick at this time of year, it's inaccessible. There are within this small wood some remains of air raid shelters, again buries deep in the forest. There is also a go-kart centre occupying part of one of the spectacle dispersals, but being cold and very wet I packed up and drove home! Still a little left to see, including an original building to the south east housing a light aircraft, so I will have to make the trip back soon. At least I know the area's I'll find nothing now!
Steve
