WW2 Airfields

[Bisonhead]

Sitting in the car this morning on my commute (as you do) I was trying to count all the WW2 airfields I have come across. I think there is easily a couple of hundred. Then you have the airfields that were given back to the earth/agriculture/local business etc. Many that are still operational/maintained.

This got me thinking about how they are constructed, who constructed them and how much they cost.

Does anyone have first hand experience or knowledge on this? Any interesting stories to share?

[mybrainhurts]

Was just thinking yesterday, as I drove through Burtonwood airfield on the M62, it's sad to see them vanish without a trace, but good to see others preserved, like Duxford, even though the motorway cuts through part of it now.

[Lawbags]

Don't forget that some had little more than a hanger, control tower of sorts and grass runway.
Also that there was an assortment of emergency landing strips dotted all over. You including these?

As with a lot of stuff in the war, they were slung together as fast as possible and often, with no records.

[Simpo Two]

In the current series on family businesses, a builder of nice houses was diverted to build airfields for the war.

I'd imagine the Americans built the American ones. Parham and Rougham are two nice examples in Suffolk.

It's amazing what can be achieved when man wants to; these days you couldn't build even one without a 10-year £10M planning consultation and scruffy people with banners on the local TV news. Well not unless you add a windfarm of course.

[FourWheelDrift]

The old ones I have been too were all built using prefabricated concrete slabs laid down one after another on the ground (to form the hard standings) with tarmac or grass runways. Builders were private contractors like John Laing and Balfour Beatty.

Most airfield websites have bits and pieces on their construction, or who built them like this one - http://www.longmarstonairfield.com/our-history

And Wimpey builders as well, this lists all their airfield works - http://www.rafupwood.co.uk/constructionbywimpeybyL...

Costs are listed on the above link.



As en extra this is a good list of former airfield, click on the names and then on the Google maps coordinates links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_Royal_...

[Eric Mc]

Ireland's single biggest contribution to the war effort was the supply of hundreds of thousands of building labourers - many of who were involved in airfield construction.

The opening lines to the song "McAlpine's Fusiliers" -


"'Twas in the year of 'thirty-nine when the sky was full of lead
When Hitler was heading for Poland, and Paddy for Holyhead"

[mybrainhurts]

Simpo Two said:

I'd imagine the Americans built the American ones. .

I thought all the airfields used by the USAAF were RAF properties?

[mybrainhurts]

Eric Mc said:

Ireland's single biggest contribution to the war effort was the supply of hundreds of thousands of building labourers - many of who were involved in airfield construction.

And they've still got a load of surplus tarmac left over. They keep knocking on my door, asking if I need the drive redoing...

[aeropilot]

Simpo Two said:

I'd imagine the Americans built the American ones. Parham and Rougham are two nice examples in Suffolk.

No, we built them.

Remember the US bases were all technically RAF bases.

I know Wimpey constructed Grafton Underwood, Rattlesden & Bruntingthorpe among many airfields they built for the Ministry.

As for cost, Grafton Underwood for example cost £650k to build in 1941/42.

[Eric Mc]

I don't think they were specifically allocated to the RAF. During WW2 some RAF airfields (such as Duxford) had American units based on them. In those cases, they retained their RAF prefix. US Army Air Force (USAAF) airfields were given a formal USAAF number and were usually referred to by the local name of the area.

AFTER WW2 the USAAF pulled out of the UK. However, with the onset of the Cold War, the newly formed US Air Force (USAF)came to the UK but for political reasons, any bases they were stationed at remained under the control of the UK Air Ministry (later absorbed into the MoD) and therefore always carry the RAF prefix..

That is still the case today.

[mybrainhurts]

And what are they up to at RAF Croughton now? That looks more than just communications.

Edited by mybrainhurts on Friday 31st January 13:49

[Neonblau]

The two books I've linked to below may be of interest. They are done on a "then and now" basis and tell the story of each base from construction through use and closure. They do suffer a bit from age as they were produced in the 70s and we're now further away from then than the books were from WW2.

Still very interesting and it's amazing how many runways were broken up by the St Ives Sand & Gravel company for use as hardcore in motorway construction. You're probably driving over a few runways every day.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfields-Eighth-Then-Afte...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bases-Bomber-Command-Then-...

[Eric Mc]

The A34 bypass was partly hard cored from the remains of Greenham Common's runways.

[Bisonhead]

Not to move the topic away but I was thinking about airfields across Europe. We all know the famous airfields here - Duxford, Brunters, Biggin Hill etc. but there doesnt seem to be many famous European airfields (Ramstein apart).

One things that has been a bonus from these hastily constructed airfields is the booming private aero scene. Be it gliders, microlights, powered flight, I am certain that if it wasnt for the focus on air warfare in WW2 we may not have such a thriving scene today

[FourWheelDrift]

And racing circuits, Silverstone, Thruxton, Snetterton, Castle Combe, Croft, Goodwood, Pembrey. All former airfields.

[Neonblau]

Bisonhead said:

Not to move the topic away but I was thinking about airfields across Europe. We all know the famous airfields here - Duxford, Brunters, Biggin Hill etc. but there doesnt seem to be many famous European airfields (Ramstein apart).

One things that has been a bonus from these hastily constructed airfields is the booming private aero scene. Be it gliders, microlights, powered flight, I am certain that if it wasnt for the focus on air warfare in WW2 we may not have such a thriving scene today

Remember that aviation, particularly military aviation in the 30s was very primitive and there wasn't much of it. Grass strips were predominant - there were no heavy bombers outside the UK in the European theatre - so the facilities were minimal. The Luftwaffe relied largely on a tactical approach so there were no large building projects in the occupied territories and aside from the Luftwaffe there was no other significant air arm.

After the invasion the Allies tended to move forward with improvised airfields (Advanced Landing Grounds/ALGs) but no heavy maintenance or repair was conducted there, merely re-arming, refuelling, debriefing etc, with squadrons returning to the UK. Heavy four engined bombers remained UK based.

The UK, and especially eastern England is unique in the number of bases that were built and even there many facilities were basic - the runways/taxiways and dispersals were probably the most advanced element. The remaining infrastructure being standard pattern towers, basic hangars and nissen huts with one stove for accommodation.

ETA - by late 44 the Luftwaffe was almost non existent in the west and was even flying Me262 jets from autobahns. With neither enough fuel or pilots buliding airfields wasn't an issue.

Edited by Neonblau on Friday 31st January 15:05

Edited by Neonblau on Friday 31st January 15:12

[Bisonhead]

Neonblau said:

Bisonhead said:

Not to move the topic away but I was thinking about airfields across Europe. We all know the famous airfields here - Duxford, Brunters, Biggin Hill etc. but there doesnt seem to be many famous European airfields (Ramstein apart).

One things that has been a bonus from these hastily constructed airfields is the booming private aero scene. Be it gliders, microlights, powered flight, I am certain that if it wasnt for the focus on air warfare in WW2 we may not have such a thriving scene today

Remember that aviation, particularly military aviation in the 30s was very primitive and their wasn't much of it. Grass strips were predominant - there were no heavy bombers outside the UK in the European theatre - so the facilities were minimal. The Luftwaffe relied largely on a tactical approach so there were no large building projects in the occupied territories.

After the invasion the Allies tended to move forward with improvised airfields (Advanced Landing Grounds/ALGs) but no heavy maintenance or repair was conducted there, merely re-arming, refuelling, debriefing etc, with squadrons returning to the UK. Heavy four engined bombers remained UK based.

The UK, and especially eastern England is unique in the number of bases that were built and even there many facilities were basic - the runways/taxiways and dispersals were probably the most advanced element. The remaining infrastructure being standard pattern towers, basic hangars and nissen huts with one stove for accommodation.

I didnt realise that, thanks for the info. I guess it does make sense when you look at the type of main bomber the UK and US were using when compared to Junker's attempts.
I was based in Norfolk and lived a number of years in Suffolk. You are right, the number of airfields is astounding. I seem to remember one of the old boys I spoke with at a remembrance day parade telling me that they used to call Lincolnshire 'RAF Lincolnshire' as you couldnt go 5 miles without coming across a base or satellite.

[mercGLowner]

Lincolnshire was called "Bomber County". I used to live on the edge of what was left of RAF Fiskerton in the late 70s/early 80s which was a 2nd world war Lancaster base. As a child I remember that the runway was largely still intact, as was the main hangar, control tower and some buildings. All overgrown at the time and now all but gone.

[aeropilot]

Neonblau said:

Bisonhead said:

Not to move the topic away but I was thinking about airfields across Europe. We all know the famous airfields here - Duxford, Brunters, Biggin Hill etc. but there doesnt seem to be many famous European airfields (Ramstein apart).

One things that has been a bonus from these hastily constructed airfields is the booming private aero scene. Be it gliders, microlights, powered flight, I am certain that if it wasnt for the focus on air warfare in WW2 we may not have such a thriving scene today

Remember that aviation, particularly military aviation in the 30s was very primitive and there wasn't much of it. Grass strips were predominant - there were no heavy bombers outside the UK in the European theatre - so the facilities were minimal. The Luftwaffe relied largely on a tactical approach so there were no large building projects in the occupied territories and aside from the Luftwaffe there was no other significant air arm.


ETA - by late 44 the Luftwaffe was almost non existent in the west and was even flying Me262 jets from autobahns. With neither enough fuel or pilots buliding airfields wasn't an issue.

JV44 flew it's Me262's from Salzburg airport in the final month or so of the war, which was a pre-war civil airport dating back to 1910, and is a major airport to this day.

There were plenty of inter-war airfields built by the Germans prior to WW2, for Luftwaffe use, and which were taken over for RAF/USAF use post war before either handing back to the modern Luftwaffe after the cold war or being taken out of use.

Great site for these German airfields here.....

http://www.ronaldv.nl/abandoned/airfields/ge/Berli...

[Crafty_]

FourWheelDrift said:

And racing circuits, Silverstone, Thruxton, Snetterton, Castle Combe, Croft, Goodwood, Pembrey. All former airfields.

Santa Pod too: http://www.podlook.co.uk/history.html