RAF Upwood

RAF Upwood
Name	Upwood
Location	Upwood, Cambridgeshire
Country	England
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Used	1917–1995
Garrison	Various RAF Regiment units

RAF Upwood RAF Upwood was an air station near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, England, that served as a training, bomber and maintenance base for the Royal Air Force from World War I through the late Cold War. The site supported operations connected to major events such as the Battle of Britain, the Second World War, and NATO Cold War planning, hosting squadrons linked to aircraft types including the Handley Page Halifax, Avro Lancaster, and the English Electric Canberra. After military closure the station entered phased redevelopment with involvement from local councils and heritage organisations.

History

The airfield opened in 1917 during the First World War as a satellite to RFC Scampton and hosted units impacted by the Western Front air campaign. In the interwar years Upwood accommodated postings tied to the expansion of the Royal Air Force and the strategic doctrines evolving from the Ten Year Rule and interwar rearmament. Recommissioned in 1936, the station played roles during the Second World War including bomber crew training and aircraft maintenance supporting operations over Europe and the Battle of the Atlantic. Post-1945, the site transitioned through RAF commands influenced by the Air Ministry, NATO restructuring, and the Cold War, including hosting signals and support units aligned with MOD requirements. The base was decommissioned for flying in the late 20th century and stood down entirely before sale and civilian redevelopment.

Station facilities and layout

The airfield occupied farmland near Great Raveley and featured runways, perimeter tracks, hangars, technical sites, and married quarters similar to other WWII and Cold War-era RAF stations like RAF Wyton and RAF Alconbury. Buildings included Type C hangars, Bessonneau-style temporary sheds retained from the First World War era, and later blast pens and hardened maintenance bays reflecting lessons from the Battle of Britain and strategic dispersal doctrine. The technical site housed workshops for maintenance units, a control tower, fuel storage connected to regional pipelines, and bomb stores subject to ordnance regulations. Married quarters and NAAFI facilities served personnel and families from units such as RAF Regiment squadrons and RAF station commands.

Units and operations

Throughout its life Upwood hosted a succession of squadrons and support units drawn from commands including No. 1 Group RAF, No. 3 Group RAF, and Bomber Command. Notable postings included conversion and operational training units associated with types flown by No. 51 Squadron RAF and No. 57 Squadron RAF, alongside maintenance detachments from No. 1 Maintenance Unit RAF. During the Cold War the station accommodated signals and intelligence elements linked to RAF Signals Command and hosted RAF Regiment field squadrons charged with airfield defence familiar from operations in BAOR and NATO exercises. Training linkages drew personnel from establishments like RAF College Cranwell and Central Flying School for specialist courses.

Aircraft types and notable incidents

Aircraft commonly operated or serviced at the station included the Handley Page Heyford in early years, the Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster during the Second World War, and the English Electric Canberra in the postwar era. Transport and liaison types such as the Avro Anson and Vickers Varsity also visited for training and personnel movements. Notable incidents recorded at the airfield included emergency landings and crashes during night operations over Europe and training accidents during conversion to jet types, with inquiries influenced by protocols from the Air Ministry and accident boards similar to those convened after Duxford and other regional events.

Cold War and nuclear role

During the Cold War Upwood figured in NATO-era basing patterns and strategic dispersal plans, with infrastructure adapted to heightened readiness like hardened shelters and dispersed technical sites reflecting lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis and Berlin Crisis of 1961. While not a primary base for United Kingdom nuclear strike aircraft such as the Avro Vulcan or Handley Page Victor, the station supported units and logistics elements contributing to the wider UK nuclear deterrent posture through maintenance, storage, and transit roles paralleling activities at bases like RAF Waddington and RAF Marham. Security arrangements involved coordination with Royal Military Police and RAF Regiment squadrons, and liaison with MOD policy units overseeing nuclear safety and storage compliance.

Post-military use and redevelopment

Following drawdown and closure the airfield and its outbuildings were transferred from MOD disposal to local authorities and private developers, echoing redevelopment patterns seen at RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Bentwaters. Parts of the technical site and married quarters were converted to civilian housing, light industrial estates, and agricultural use, with planning overseen by Huntingdonshire District Council and regional agencies. Remaining hangars and technical buildings attracted adaptive reuse proposals including storage, film production support, and small business units, while environmental remediation addressed asbestos and fuel-contaminated soils under UK environmental law and MOD remediation programmes.

Memorials and heritage preservation

Heritage groups including local history societies, the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust, and veterans' associations documented the station's history through archives, oral histories, and commemorative events connected to anniversaries of the Second World War and Cold War milestones. Memorial plaques and a small interpretation area preserve the names of personnel from squadrons such as No. 57 Squadron RAF and maintenance units who served at the station, and liaison with institutions like the Imperial War Museum and local museums supports artifact curation. Preservation efforts mirror campaigns at former RAF sites like RAF Cosford and RAF Museum London to retain buildings and records for public education.

Category:Royal Air Force stations in Cambridgeshire