Raf oakington an operational history book

Raf regiment books raf regiment association official. Raf oakington, in 1942 written by emden operation dad wrote a book of stirlings and stalags. Raf oakington oakington will always be the spiritual home of 7 squadron yet the squadron was based there only from october 1940 to july 1945 but being unique in bomber command having been based at the same station throughout its world war ii operational career. First flew on operations with 90 squadron before being selected for pathfinder training on the stirling bomber with 7 squadron. No 7 was the first squadron to received the first of the rafs fourengined heavy bombers, the stirling in 1940, but serious problems meant that operational sorties could not be carried out until february 1941 when the squadron attacked oil storage tanks at rotterdam. A 52 page document detailing the history of john blairs raf service from 1942 to 1963, and his childhood in jamaica. What follows is only a representative selection of the available reading on the subject of cambridgeshire and its aviation heritage. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the first or second world war, please do not destroy them. He reported to 101 squadron at raf oakington near cambridge. Raf waddington provided the vulcans for the black buck raids that bombed port stanley.

After the war, the base became home to a variety of training and transport facilities before becoming an army barracks for the royal anglia regiment. Eight cantilevered pillboxes at the former raf oakington. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Royal air force oakington or more simply raf oakington is a royal air force station located north of. Taking off from raf oakington in cambridgeshire at about 10. This page was last edited on february 2019, at 07. No 62 operational training unit 15 jul 1943 6 jun 1945 durham university air sqn 25 mar 31 dec 1944, sep 1946 2 feb 1949, 15 oct 1957 1 aug 1963 no 1508 gee training flt 24 jun 8 aug 1944 no 80 french operational training unit jul 1945 8 mar 1946 no 22 service flying training school 31 may 1946 feb 1948. Jul 08, 2014 raf oakington, cambridge, cambridgeshire.

Texel 626 raf bomber squadron at raf wickenby during world. Dring book entitled a history of raf mildenhall in this account. I am looking for information on the mission which 7 squadron would have participated in on 26 may 1943. As joe patient dfc quotes in his most excellent book pilot. There were one passenger and five crew members on board. Aug 23, 2006 raf oakington closed many years ago in 1999 to be precise. Introductory note says it was based on a taped interview with john blair by his nephew in 1997. Word processed history by barry blunt 321pp, privately published of no 571 squadron, no 8 group bomber command april 1944 september 1945 while they were based at raf oakington, cambridgeshire flying mosquito mk xvi bomber aircraft, including monthly details of the squadrons activities, anecdotes about the air crews and ground crew, a list of squadron commanders, descriptions of the minelayi. Raf mildenhall was established in 1934, however people living in the area had long been accustomed to the sight of aircraft in the skies overhead. H dring for allowing me to use material from his fathers mr. The crew with johnny boden, the pilot, in the centre, at 7 squadron, flying for the pathfinders. You are reading an archived forum thread from the old dcboard software titled. The crew had recently returned from a 3 week leave having completed 35 operations.

Members of no 7 squadron at oakington during the second world war. A vital part was played by the royal air force and their other support establishments during the second world war, especially those fighter and bomber bases located throughout norfolk. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. June 23 1942 saw them posted to 7 sqn, at raf oakington. A brief history of raf mildenhall i am indebted to mr. This is a book that must be read by anybody seriously interested in our aviation history he really does spill the beans and then some. Oakington immigration reception centre was a uk home office immigration detention centre located in cambridgeshire, england. The base contracted after the war, and much evidence of its former presence is visible in farmland surrounding the current. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks. Oakington airfields of britain conservation trust uk. Pilots flying log book for a e edmunds, covering the period from 18 august 1941 to 4 october 1945. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our po box as packages are not accepted. This article has been rated as startclass on the quality assessment scale. Each book includes an accurate record of operations carried out by the unit.

A year later the domestic areas were turned into a high security immigration reception centre. Originally a world war ii airfield, raf oakington, during the war it was used for short stirling bomber forces, as well as other assorted units. He was stationed at raf penhold, raf hatfield, raf prestwick, raf dishforth, raf. X9752 214sqn crashed 1m sw of oakington, engine cut on ferry flight and crashed in forced landing. The avro york was a british transport aircraft developed by avro during the second world war. Back to albums list raf oakington 1967 show more 2 photos 49 views. Operational history 1916 to 2019 published by the marham aviation heritage centre with all profits going to support the work of the ahc. Royal air force operations record books 19111963 the. This article is within the scope of the military history wikiproject.

An updated short history of the raf regiment from 1942 to 1982 with a brief account of the approach to the problems of airfield defence in the royal air force from 1918 until the formation of its own defence corps in 1942. Just 38 minutes later the lancaster appeared through cloud and entered a high speed dive crashing into the ground at 11. The crew had formed whilst training with 12 otu operational training unit based at chipping norden, england. The good news is that technical buildings such as boilerrooms and hangars arent on the irc site.

From 1950 it was part of training command before being transferred to the army in 1975 and then used as an immigration reception centre between 1999 and 2010. Most of them date from the second world war but there are some from the 1920s and 1930s and a few from the first world war. New book captures history of royal air force daily mail. Raf oakington in the second world war 19391945 the. The stirling taxiing in the background has a 7 squadron identification code of mg. To use this banner, please see the full instructions. On arrival they were al billeted in rooms big enough for three crews. Although we have not yet confirmed that 7 squadron was in. The wartime memories project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. I had been with the flight only fortysix days but already three out of the other seven crews had perished. The first raf aircraft, xx475, a rebuilt radlett built civil example, flew april 1973, with the type entering service initially with the central flying school at raf little rissington on 12 september 1973 for handling and operational trials, and with 5fts at raf oakington in december 1973, though as defence cuts reduced the need for such.

Many people new to the subject have become interested because of a family connection they are researching. This grainy image from wartime footage shows churchill at oakington in 1942. Ap2782d raf radio vehicles in use from 1956 approx ap2782e book 1 raf mt prime movers in use post 1973 approx ap2782e book 2 raf mt trailers in use post 1973 approx marine craft. Churchill at oakington, 1942 raf pathfinders archive. In september 1940 oakington became part of 3 group when it was chosen as the base for the first stirling squadron 7 squadron. Raf oakington in the second world war 19391945 the wartime. Record details for robert george thorne raf oakington. Raf oakington project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. After reforming in september, the squadron moved to france in april 1915 immediately joining the second battle of ypres.

Ap3036 raf plant equipment used by the raf airfield construction service and for airfield maintenance. Oakington mt 1960 barry lafberry royal land rover 55 aa 89 1960 barry lafberry sick quarters 1960 barry lafberry. The following comes from the air britain series of books. May 10, 2005 raf commands the place for raf researchers. The orbs, in series air 27, were created to provide a complete record of a unit from the time of its formation. Today, waddington is one of the rafs busiest operational airfields and its squadrons and personnel are involved in supporting operations all around the world. He was shipped to england and joined 7 squadron pathfinders raf bomber command based at oakington, 4 miles north of cambridge, england. Raf marham the operational history by delve ken abebooks. On his third mission on the evening of 20th january 1942, the wellington in which he was the second pilot was shot down. There is also a book containing the war stories behind the tombstones of many of the graves. At oakington 7 squadron, which was being reequipped with lancasters to replace the stirling, was joined by 627 squadron formed with the mosquito.

Having miraculously survived their first tour of duty, during which dad and charlie sergeant were awarded the dfm, most of the crew volunteered to go directly on to a second tour, this time in the elite pathfinder force. Explore this photo album by chris england on flickr. Raf oakington was an expansion period aerodrome constructed in 1939 and placed under bomber command during world war ii. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. Welcome to forces reunited the place where you can find information and friends from raf oakington we are the largest and fastest growing community of uk forces veterans on the web with over 500,000 members. Raf marham the operational history of britains frontline base from 1916 to the presnt day by delve, ken and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The vulcans were hastily modified for airtoair refuelling duties for these raids. No sooner had no 7 squadron formed at farnborough on 1 may 1914, when it was disbanded to bring other squadrons up to strength. Raf oakington cambridge, cambridgeshire military base. In 1943 archies plane, an avro lancaster serial no jb 303, nickname freddie, was on a bombing raid targeting berlin, germany. During the 1950s raf oakington was an advanced flying training school, no. Cambridgeshire aviation heritage trail further reading. Courtesy of new zealand bomber command associationcraw the newly installed jet clock in the control tower at oakington, 1957. Operational use started in july 1940 when it was used for 218 squadron 2 group, which had recently returned from france, with the first offensive operation in august 1940.

Courtesy of new zealand bomber command associationcraw the newly installed jet clock in the control tower at oakington. The design was derived from the avro lancaster heavy bomber, several sections of the york and lancaster being identical. Raf oakington was a bomber command base during ww2, sited 5 miles nw of cambridge and housing blenheims, stirlings and lancasters, plus a few spitfires. Former fighter pilot michael napiers the royal air force, a centenary of operations shows how aircraft became a formidable part of uk defences. Raf airfields in norfolk during the second world war.