RAF Bassingbourn

RAF Bassingbourn
source
Name	RAF Bassingbourn
Location	Cambridgeshire, England
Coordinates	52, 05, 30, N...
Type	Royal Air Force station
Built	1938
Used	1938–present
Controlledby	Royal Air Force, United States Army Air Forces
Battles	Second World War

RAF Bassingbourn. A former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Bassingbourn cum Kneesworth in Cambridgeshire, England. Opened in 1938, it played a significant role as a Bomber Command airfield during the Second World War, most notably for the United States Army Air Forces' 91st Bombardment Group. The station's post-war history included service as a United States Air Force fighter base, a British Army training facility, and a prison, before its current use as a British Army barracks.

History

The airfield was constructed in the late 1930s as part of the Royal Air Force's pre-war expansion, opening in 1938. It was initially home to Bomber Command squadrons flying aircraft like the Bristol Blenheim and the Vickers Wellington. The station's three concrete runways and extensive technical site were built to the standard Air Ministry specification for heavy bomber bases, a design that would prove crucial for its later use by American B-17 Flying Fortress units. Early operations from the base included reconnaissance and bombing missions over Nazi Germany and occupied Europe during the early phases of the Second World War.

Second World War

In 1942, the station was transferred to the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces. It became the wartime home of the 91st Bombardment Group, known as the "Ragged Irregulars," which flew the B-17 Flying Fortress. The group participated in many of the critical strategic bombing campaigns of the European Theatre of World War II, including raids on Schweinfurt, Regensburg, and Berlin. The base featured prominently in William Wyler's documentary film Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress. Notable personnel associated with the station included Clark Gable, who served as a gunner and made a training film there, and the crew of the famed B-17 Memphis Belle, which visited on a war bond tour.

Post-war use

Following the end of hostilities, the station was briefly used by RAF Transport Command before being placed on care and maintenance. It was reactivated in 1951 by the United States Air Force as a fighter-bomber base during the Cold War, hosting units such as the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing flying F-84 Thunderjet and later F-100 Super Sabre aircraft. The USAF relinquished control in 1959, after which the site was used for a variety of purposes. It served as a British Army training depot, notably for the Junior Leaders' Regiment of the Royal Corps of Transport, and was later converted into HMP The Mount, a Category C prison operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.

Current use

The prison closed in 2013, and the site was subsequently purchased by the Ministry of Defence. It was redeveloped and reopened in 2015 as Bassingbourn Barracks, a modern training facility and home to the Army Training Centre for the Royal Logistic Corps. The barracks now provide phase two specialist training for soldiers. Several of the original Second World War buildings, including the control tower and two T2 hangars, remain on the site and are designated as listed structures due to their historical significance.

Units and aircraft

Throughout its operational history, the airfield hosted a diverse array of units and aircraft. Initial Royal Air Force occupants included No. 215 Squadron RAF with Vickers Wellingtons and No. 104 Squadron RAF flying Bristol Blenheims. Its most famous resident was the United States Army Air Forces' 91st Bombardment Group with its B-17 Flying Fortress fleet. Post-war, United States Air Force units like the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing operated F-84 Thunderjet and F-100 Super Sabre jets. Later British Army units based there included the Junior Leaders' Regiment of the Royal Corps of Transport. The airfield also saw use by RAF Transport Command with aircraft such as the Douglas Dakota.

Category:Royal Air Force stations in Cambridgeshire Category:Military installations established in 1938 Category:1938 establishments in England