8th AF East Anglian bases aerial shots 18/10/08

I thought i would add some more to the collection, taken on the first flight of the ‘pligrimage'(!) on the 28/09/08. 1st Air division bases (in pic order):

Bovingdon
Bassingbourn
Podington
Chelveston
Molesworth
Kimbolton
Grafton Underwood
Deenethorpe
Glatton
Alconbury

Any more stories or other related pictures? This could be an Airfields of the Eighth now, then and then thread! 😀

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fab pics always wondered what the places looked like from the air:)
If you want to add even more hours to your cpl try a nav-ex of Lincolnshire bases:D

I’ll consider that for next time!! 😀

Great shots B-17 Buff,you probably are already aware that there is an overlay for Google earth that places pretty much all of the airfields in the UK from the last century taken within the last year or two but nothing compares to seeing them in person.

pauljolee, actually no i wasnt aware! Where can you pick it up from?

I’d guess the guys at Debach and Framlingham would say they are pretty actively involved in the preservation of the relevant parts of their sites. Both have museums in the Control Towers as well.

Not quite the a statement from you with regards preservation I feel.
It just not quite how we’ed like to see them!

Guys i was merely refering to the fact that not many of the runways, taxiways and hardstands are left – a lot were removed for their hardcore value, as opposed to the lack of peoples efforts. 🙁 I am very aware that many groups and individuals have put much time, effort and money into restoring many of the old towers and creating museums, of which i’ve visited a few. A very comendable achievement of which i, and im sure many others are very grateful! We had another thread going previously, talking about which could be saved as a ‘complete’ airfield, such as Tibenham with its runways still intact. Bassingbourn still gets my vote! (which by the way has a great tower museum too :D)

Richard, its great to hear of your old memories and stories of Lavenham, it brings life to these ghostly outlines. This is why i posted the pics, they are certainly very thought provoking even for us who were never there. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and its great to compare pics!

I’d guess the guys at Debach and Framlingham would say they are pretty actively involved in the preservation of the relevant parts of their sites. Both have museums in the Control Towers as well.

Same may apply elsewhere but these are sites I know there is active work being done.

As would the guys in the tower at Thorpe Abbotts, Knettishall has a little museum and Rattlesden still has it’s tower, also, the fact that many of these places are still active for flying is also good credit to people and their activities for keeping them active.

Very nice piccys which I have a number of myself over the years, most recent Glatton and Alconbury,
Not quite the a statement from you with regards preservation I feel.
It just not quite how we’ed like to see them!

Bomberboy

SPIT,

Halfway up the picture on the left, where the taxiway curves to the left, just before the curve starts, on the left.

The dispersal that NX611 used to park on in 1968/9, by the threshold of the runway at the bottom left of the picture, is long gone.

RB

LAVENHAM

You may be interested in these B&W shots of Lavenham that I took on 27th August 1969 (from G-AWUX) on a photo ‘jolly’ to photograph the airfield from about 2000ft. The first shows the majority of the runways still in place at that time and you will be able to pick out the very dispersal you refer to, with Lancaster NX611 clearly in view in the bottom left, just up from the NW/SE Runway No.3. The control tower complex is located off to the left of the perimeter track just before it curves to the left, half way up the photo from the Lanc’s position.

The second shot is a close-up of that dispersal, taken from about 500ft and
the third is an aerial shot of the Control Tower and various outbuildings which were utilised by Reflectaire Ltd (then owners/operators of NX611 and other historic aircraft etc.) for undercover storage of various of their aviation & wartime vehicle collection during their time on the airfield (1968/70).

I was privileged to have been actively & personally involved as an employee / preservationist of Reflectaire at that point in time, living a great deal of the time in the old control tower (not to be forgotten – this was no comfortable hotel I can assure you !!!) and had many opportunities to ‘hitch a lift’ from pilots of visiting light aircraft to the airfield, so I got to know the airfield and surrounding countyside from the air quite well. It’s really awful to view the gradual and relentless destruction of the historic “home of the 487th Bombardment Group” over the years since those memorable days.

As you point out there is now very little left of the runways or dispersal areas for today’s visitors to view, but there is still one thing that the bulldozers can’t destroy and that is the very special atmosphere which still pervades the whole airfield site whenever I return for a ‘dose of the old days’. I am sure that this is also very evident to others who make the trip, especially to the veterans of the 487th (and their relatives) who make the trip down memory lane from across the ‘big pond’. At least the renovated control tower has been given a new lease of life and stands proudly as a poignant memorial to all those who flew from this airfield.

Hope you’ll excuse this latest trip down memory lane – those of you who have been fortunate to have visited the old airfield site in person will, I am sure, know what evocative emotions I am trying to describe here.

Richard

Some cracking photos, well done, much better than my efforts the other day!!!
See here:
http://airfieldinformationexchange.freeforums.org/a-nice-day-out-t1377.html

Lavenham

SPIT,

Halfway up the picture on the left, where the taxiway curves to the left, just before the curve starts, on the left.

The dispersal that NX611 used to park on in 1968/9, by the threshold of the runway at the bottom left of the picture, is long gone.

RB

Hi B-17Buff
I was wondering ref your super shot of Lavenham, where about on the photo would the old control tower and concrete area that was by it have been :confused::confused:

Great things these GPSs (Only joking). Another 5 minutes would have given you Old Buckenham and the chance for a decent cup of tea and a sandwich.

Ah Tibenham !! I seem to remember it as the flattest runway I have ever flown from,I could see one threshold from t’other.Bit different to (say) Marham 😀
Nice photos…thanks

cheers baz

Great shots B-17 Buff,you probably are already aware that there is an overlay for Google earth that places pretty much all of the airfields in the UK from the last century taken within the last year or two but nothing compares to seeing them in person.

fab pics always wondered what the places looked like from the air:)
If you want to add even more hours to your cpl try a nav-ex of Lincolnshire bases:D

Also Great Ashfield and Tibenham. (they wouldnt fit on the last post!)