Bomber Airfields

..and although not a bomber airfield, Digby still has the underground Ops room (now preserved as a museum) plus other wartime buildings (or they look like it!!) on site..Neil.

Sorry people, I was thinking of Warmwell Dorset.
Reminder to self, engage brain before posting 😀

Let’s see if this works…

Hi guys may not post much but still nosing around.

Bicester is a wonderfully “preserved” 1930’s base – Grade II listed I think or at least trying to be. All grass too. Very little modification despite USAF presence during GW1.
OAW

Ah yeah, so it is. Cancel my last… 😀

Is West Malling not a housing estate etc???

Reckon Denis might have meant West Malling…?

I think that Middle Wallop is now a gravel pit 🙁

Shurely shome mishtake! It still looked pretty much like an airfield when I flew over it about a month ago….

…or am I being “whooshed”?!

Caernarfon was a bomber-training base still in use for GA and with lots of interesting buildings to visit all around it. Surprisingly good museum, too.

I think that Middle Wallop is now a gravel pit 🙁

Do I remember reading somewhere that Middle Wallop was one of the last remaining pre – war aerodromes with just a large patch of grass rather than the wartime standard triangular strips of tarmac/concrete

I know it’s probably altered in details over the years as a function of it’s AAC use but i thought in essence it was little changed from the 30’s

Try West Rayhnam

Raynham has got to be the best. Most of the Nissen huts have gone and a new control tower was built in 1947, but otherwise Raynham remains much as it was during the war. You won’t get better today.

The main problem is one of access. The Best complete former bomber base is RAF West Raynham in Norfolk (still owned by the MoD). Also try, Driffield (no runways or control tower), Swinderby is fairly complete, Newton (Nr Nottingham), Syerston is quite complete but still in operation. Hemswell is good for showing you how NOT to preserve a 1930s RAF camp, Mandy near Louth is good for showing you how to preserve a 1930s RAF camp. If you have your own transport, then you can spend a good two months visiting most airfield in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire pertaining to bomber command. Check Out www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk for further details on RAF Driffield.

yep Manby is worth a look with a lot of the buildings converted to office space but still retaining their exterior… and theres a pub just over the road with Jet Provosts on its sign. 😀
Neil.

Goxhill in North East Lincolnshire, built in 1941 and used by No1 Group Towed Target Flight for Bomber Command, ended up being used as a training base for the USAAF.
It probably remained as the most complete example of a wartime bomber field until the late eighties due to it’s remoteness, alas the bulldozers started their work and the airfield has slowly succumbed with the flying control tower and fire tender shed demolished last year.

thanks for the reply guys, site very useful webpilot 🙂

And of course East Kirkby is a fabulous example of a corner of a bomber base brought back to life.

The main problem is one of access. The Best complete former bomber base is RAF West Raynham in Norfolk (still owned by the MoD). Also try, Driffield (no runways or control tower), Swinderby is fairly complete, Newton (Nr Nottingham), Syerston is quite complete but still in operation. Hemswell is good for showing you how NOT to preserve a 1930s RAF camp, Mandy near Louth is good for showing you how to preserve a 1930s RAF camp. If you have your own transport, then you can spend a good two months visiting most airfield in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire pertaining to bomber command. Check Out www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk for further details on RAF Driffield.

This may help:

http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/06airfields/UK/ukmenu.htm

yeah ok sorry, what i really meant is abandoned, some buildings still in situ, although now just a shell ,have seen photos of buildings.

Does anyone know which bomber command airfields have been left untouched since the war and could be worth a visit for this reason

None. Either they are still in service and much upgraded (Waddington), used for other purposes (Lindhome – prison) or have returned to agriculture (Metheringham). You might find some stations have changed less than others, but none are still 100% in their war time state.