I went out for a ride last Sunday to visit a number of former, and current, airfields near to where I live. Hope this is of interest to some of you 
Just outside my village is a small memorial to a USAF A-10 pilot. On Monday 17th April 1989, Captain Donald Roberts of the 510th TFS was returning to RAF Bentwaters from range practice at RAF Donnanook up on the Lincolnshire coast. He was killed when his aircraft crashed into a nearby field. Reports indicated that he stayed with his aircraft to ensure it did not come down on the village, thus saving many innocent lives at the cost of his own.
RIP sir.
A closer view of the plaque...
The fens aren't a natural landscape anymore, with a number of waterways draining the land, which your GPS shows is often below sea level. This is Forty Foot Drain, part of the works completed by the Dutch engineer, Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, in the 17th Century.
Whilst the drains still remain we're seeing an increasing number of wind turbines here in fenland. Some people don't like them but I have to say that I do.
Moving on I headed across the fens to Warboys, along to Pidley and down to St Ives. I dodged over the A14 and headed out into the countryside. Crossing the A1198 I rode into the small village of Graveley.
The village sign remembers the airmen who flew from the nearby former airfield.
Not much remains of the airfield now, though a few buildings can be seen which looked to me as though they date back to the war. At the entrance to Cotton Farm is a small memorial to 35 Squadron, a unit of the famous Pathfinders, and 692 Squadron, who flew Mosquitos as part of the highly successful Light Night Striking Force.
RAF Graveley played an important role in the war. Originally opened in March 1942 as a satellite for RAF Tempsford, it was first used by 161 (Special Duties) Squadron who flew three clandestine operations to enemy occupied Europe. On 30 May 1942 ground staff at Graveley supported Vickers Wellington bombers of 26 OTU who took part in the '1000 bomber raid' on Cologne. Following the formation of the Pathfinder Force in August 1942 Graveley became a Pathfinder Station with 35 Squadron, flying the Handley-Page Halifax, taking up residence. 692 Squadron was formed at Graveley on 1 January 1944 flying the DeHavilland Mosquito. Amongst the famous bomber pilots who flew from Graveley are Squadron Leader Julian Swale, DSO and bar, DFC; Group Captain Basil Robinson, DSO and bar, DFC, AFC; Wing Commander W. Guy Lockhart, DSO, DFC and bar, Croix de Guerre, who bombed Berlin in a Mosquito after losing an engine on the way there; and Wing Commander Alec Cranswick, DSO, DFC.
Flying ceased at Graveley in August 1946 with the final closure taking place in 1958.
Heading back to the A1198 I made my way through Huntingdon and Brampton before crossing the A1 on a minor road that took me up to the reservoir at Grafham Water. I went to the junior school at Great Staughton which brough back a few memories. More up to date, well 1990 to be exact, saw my marriage banns read out in the local church, St Andrews. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be there but I'm told nobody objected
Enough of that!
To the south of Great Staughton lies Staughton Moor and the village of Little Staughton. Built during 1941/42, RAF Little Staughton was originally allocated to the USAAF and used as a maintenance and repair depot for B-17 Flying Fortress bombers of the 8th Air Force's 1st Bombardment Wing.
From the road you can see the old Control Tower.
At the entrance to the industrial estate that now resides on the airfield is a small memorial.
On 1 March 1944 it was handed over to RAF Bomber Command and became home to 582 Squadron flying Avro Lancasters. Another Pathfinder unit they were joined by 109 Squadron flying DeHavilland Mosquitos. 109 Squadron had pioneered the use of OBOE and went on to use it with great success throughout the war. They are also noted as having very low casualty rates with 18 aircraft lost in 522 raids - a loss rate of 0.3%. RAF Little Staughton also has the unique distinction of two Victoria Crosses awarded to airmen serving there. Squadron Leader Robert Palmer, DFC and bar, who was Master Bomber on the Gremberg railway yards raid on 23 December 1944; and Captain Edwin Swales, DFC, of the South African Air Force, who was Master Bomber on the raid on Pforzheim on 23/24 February 1945. His aircraft was so badly damaged by night fighters that he ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft, but it crashed before he could make his own escape.
Leaving Little Staughton to a storm of hail stones I rode down into the valley and over towards Kimbolton. This is a very pretty village with an imposing public school, cunningly named 'Kimbolton School'. Don't ask me what the fees are like, I went to the comprehensive down the road
Up above the village lies what is left of the former RAF Kimbolton. Constructed in 1941 for RAF Bomber Command as a satellite for the nearby RAF Molesworth. The first residents were the rare Vickers Wellington IV's (powered by Pratt & Whitney Twin-Wasp engines) operated by 460 Squadron. Quickly moving away Kimbolton was transferred to the USAAF and became home first for the 91st Bomb Group, then the 17th Bomb Group en-route to North Africa, before finally the 379th Bomb Group took up residence, with the first of their Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers arriving on 20 May 1943.
An impressive memorial sits by the side of the road and takes the form of this granite wall flanked by flag poles.
Also near the memorial is a map of the old airfield and a visitors book.
The 379th gained a reputation for bombing accuracy and its low rate of aircraft aborts. One aircraft, 'Ol'Gappy' is thought to have completed 157 missions, an 8th Air Force record. They were awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations and when the war ended their records showed that they had flown some 330 missions, losing 141 aircraft with a percentage loss rate of 1.17%, one of the lowest in the 8th Air Force. RAF Kimbolton closed in 1946, though it was maintained in 'standby' status into the 1960's.
Just outside my village is a small memorial to a USAF A-10 pilot. On Monday 17th April 1989, Captain Donald Roberts of the 510th TFS was returning to RAF Bentwaters from range practice at RAF Donnanook up on the Lincolnshire coast. He was killed when his aircraft crashed into a nearby field. Reports indicated that he stayed with his aircraft to ensure it did not come down on the village, thus saving many innocent lives at the cost of his own.
RIP sir.
A closer view of the plaque...
The fens aren't a natural landscape anymore, with a number of waterways draining the land, which your GPS shows is often below sea level. This is Forty Foot Drain, part of the works completed by the Dutch engineer, Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, in the 17th Century.
Whilst the drains still remain we're seeing an increasing number of wind turbines here in fenland. Some people don't like them but I have to say that I do.
Moving on I headed across the fens to Warboys, along to Pidley and down to St Ives. I dodged over the A14 and headed out into the countryside. Crossing the A1198 I rode into the small village of Graveley.
The village sign remembers the airmen who flew from the nearby former airfield.
Not much remains of the airfield now, though a few buildings can be seen which looked to me as though they date back to the war. At the entrance to Cotton Farm is a small memorial to 35 Squadron, a unit of the famous Pathfinders, and 692 Squadron, who flew Mosquitos as part of the highly successful Light Night Striking Force.
RAF Graveley played an important role in the war. Originally opened in March 1942 as a satellite for RAF Tempsford, it was first used by 161 (Special Duties) Squadron who flew three clandestine operations to enemy occupied Europe. On 30 May 1942 ground staff at Graveley supported Vickers Wellington bombers of 26 OTU who took part in the '1000 bomber raid' on Cologne. Following the formation of the Pathfinder Force in August 1942 Graveley became a Pathfinder Station with 35 Squadron, flying the Handley-Page Halifax, taking up residence. 692 Squadron was formed at Graveley on 1 January 1944 flying the DeHavilland Mosquito. Amongst the famous bomber pilots who flew from Graveley are Squadron Leader Julian Swale, DSO and bar, DFC; Group Captain Basil Robinson, DSO and bar, DFC, AFC; Wing Commander W. Guy Lockhart, DSO, DFC and bar, Croix de Guerre, who bombed Berlin in a Mosquito after losing an engine on the way there; and Wing Commander Alec Cranswick, DSO, DFC.
Flying ceased at Graveley in August 1946 with the final closure taking place in 1958.
Heading back to the A1198 I made my way through Huntingdon and Brampton before crossing the A1 on a minor road that took me up to the reservoir at Grafham Water. I went to the junior school at Great Staughton which brough back a few memories. More up to date, well 1990 to be exact, saw my marriage banns read out in the local church, St Andrews. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be there but I'm told nobody objected
Enough of that!
To the south of Great Staughton lies Staughton Moor and the village of Little Staughton. Built during 1941/42, RAF Little Staughton was originally allocated to the USAAF and used as a maintenance and repair depot for B-17 Flying Fortress bombers of the 8th Air Force's 1st Bombardment Wing.
From the road you can see the old Control Tower.
At the entrance to the industrial estate that now resides on the airfield is a small memorial.
On 1 March 1944 it was handed over to RAF Bomber Command and became home to 582 Squadron flying Avro Lancasters. Another Pathfinder unit they were joined by 109 Squadron flying DeHavilland Mosquitos. 109 Squadron had pioneered the use of OBOE and went on to use it with great success throughout the war. They are also noted as having very low casualty rates with 18 aircraft lost in 522 raids - a loss rate of 0.3%. RAF Little Staughton also has the unique distinction of two Victoria Crosses awarded to airmen serving there. Squadron Leader Robert Palmer, DFC and bar, who was Master Bomber on the Gremberg railway yards raid on 23 December 1944; and Captain Edwin Swales, DFC, of the South African Air Force, who was Master Bomber on the raid on Pforzheim on 23/24 February 1945. His aircraft was so badly damaged by night fighters that he ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft, but it crashed before he could make his own escape.
Leaving Little Staughton to a storm of hail stones I rode down into the valley and over towards Kimbolton. This is a very pretty village with an imposing public school, cunningly named 'Kimbolton School'. Don't ask me what the fees are like, I went to the comprehensive down the road
Up above the village lies what is left of the former RAF Kimbolton. Constructed in 1941 for RAF Bomber Command as a satellite for the nearby RAF Molesworth. The first residents were the rare Vickers Wellington IV's (powered by Pratt & Whitney Twin-Wasp engines) operated by 460 Squadron. Quickly moving away Kimbolton was transferred to the USAAF and became home first for the 91st Bomb Group, then the 17th Bomb Group en-route to North Africa, before finally the 379th Bomb Group took up residence, with the first of their Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers arriving on 20 May 1943.
An impressive memorial sits by the side of the road and takes the form of this granite wall flanked by flag poles.
Also near the memorial is a map of the old airfield and a visitors book.
The 379th gained a reputation for bombing accuracy and its low rate of aircraft aborts. One aircraft, 'Ol'Gappy' is thought to have completed 157 missions, an 8th Air Force record. They were awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations and when the war ended their records showed that they had flown some 330 missions, losing 141 aircraft with a percentage loss rate of 1.17%, one of the lowest in the 8th Air Force. RAF Kimbolton closed in 1946, though it was maintained in 'standby' status into the 1960's.
