Which WW2 Airfield is this?

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Member for

12 years 8 months

Posts: 400

Hello chaps,

I've been going through some photos which are in Bottisham Airfield Museum's archive and came across this one:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/Wonkey_Donkey/Aircraft/MustangsSM_zpsabe24e5c.jpg

Can anyone ID which airfield that is? It's likely to be one around the Cambridge area I'd guess.

Original post

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,536

Hello chaps,

I've been going through some photos which are in Bottisham Airfield Museum's archive and came across this one:

Can anyone ID which airfield that is? It's likely to be one around the Cambridge area I'd guess.

Guessing but how about Steeple Morden?

Member for

12 years 8 months

Posts: 400

Cheers for the answer - v quick indeed ;-)

I've had a look and am not sure - there's an aerial photo of Steeple Morden from 1947 on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Steeple_Morden

I'd guess the photo I've got is from sometime 1944/45.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043

Not Steeple Morden - wrong layout !

Member for

16 years 9 months

Posts: 1,011

The runway extensions are intriguing....

The B7 codes are apparently 361st FG at Hadstock / Little Walden, but that is not the airfield shown.

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17 years 10 months

Posts: 3,778

An interesting photo, I think its not a used airfield and still under construction but also looks like a 3rd runway running through but disused, maybe an update to an earlier field, I have scoured airfields of the eighth then and now without success so maybe a 9th base, should be easy to find in an photo because of its shape.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043

Looks a little Debden - ish

Or if 3rd concrete rwy later added - perhaps Castle Camps

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19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043

Comparing my Willis and Hollis with G Map - I am 90% convinced it is Castle Camps,this airfield was updated from being a 3 rwy grass airfield to being a 3 hard rwy airfield.
However it is unusual that an airfield would be upgraded as a 2 rwy and then have a 3rd added - the rwy extensions past the original peri track are quite normal as rwy lengths increased !
One of the features that does fit in with Castle Camps is the closest threshold only has a taxyway on one side of the rwy extension - this does fit with the diagram in Willis and Hollis and is fairly unusual - I suspect that this was caused by unsuitable ground (slope/unevenness) on the rhs of the rwy extension !

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20 years

Posts: 1,496

Bang on.... I would say Castle Camps too....

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20 years

Posts: 1,496

99.9% certain ;)

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18 years 1 month

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The angle at which the runways cross seems much narrower at Castle Camps than in the photo.

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 376

Absolutely, definitely this is Castle Camps.

See the attached Google Earth image, rotated to more or less match SimonR's old photo -- though it is not an oblique view like the old image. Note the direction of north at upper right.

I've copied SimonR's shot so that maybe it will be easier to compare the then-and-now views.

Castle Camps village is in the lower right corner of the old photo.

Helions Bumpstead is below and just left of the wingtip of the lead P-51.

At center, bottom, of the old photo you'll see a complex which, though changed slightly, is also obvious on the satellite image.

The Parish Church of All Saints site can be seen in both photos. In SimonR's image it is in the compound, with trees, just below and to the right of the lead Mustang's nose.

Nice job, Bazv, in pinning this down to Castle Camps.

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Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043

Thanks Matt
It is the subtle look of the 3rd rwy that makes it tricky to identify... if it had not been for the distinctive single taxyway at the nearest rwy threshold I would have struggled !

rgds baz

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 376

Hi, baz,

Yes, that third runway added a bit of confusion, but you hit the proverbial nail on the head, and quickly. Good job!

Matt

Member for

12 years 8 months

Posts: 400

Cheers all for sorting this out - I'll add it to the image metadata.

If you're around the Cambridge area on the 28th September, feel free to drop into the Airfield Museum's open day at our new location. You'll find me on the Museum's stall, hawking T-shirts, signing you up as a member and convincing you to gamble your cash on the tombola!

http://bottishamairfieldmuseum.org.uk/new-site/images/index-banner.png

More info here.

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16 years 9 months

Posts: 1,011

Hoping to be there!