Historic WW2 aerodromes in UK/Europe/World

When travelling around eastern England I have seen the remains of lots of WW2 bases, some still in use, some with hangars and a few buildings remaining. If the best examplers of WW2 air bases were to be designated as historic sites to be preserved for future generations which should be selected?

 

Fat chance. With the pressure on living space in South East England, the battle to prevent mass housing being built all over North Weald Airfield, for example, already seems to be a lost cause.

Kenley has just been built over, and many such as Thorpe Abbotts, Bungay, etc have vanished in very recent years to provide building hardcore.

Fact is, the Labour Governmnt has designated all derelict airfields as 'brownfield sites', or prime land for redevelopment....

Virtually the last 'unspoilt' WW2 operational airfield left in Eastern England is Little Staughton ; Scampton's future remains in the balance....

 

Hi,
Crail airfield in Fife,is one of the best preserved in the country......and it's just sitting there doing nothing. The runway is used by a go-kart club for racing, but the northern part of the site is still used by the local farmer.
It has one of the few remaining training domes in existence. High time something more inventive was one with the place.
At least East Fortune airfield in East Lothian is preserved partially as the Museum of Flight, with the other half being used as a government depot of some kind. Again the runway is used as a racetrack.
Regards,
Gordon

 

The Army Air Field in Millville, NJ. USA has been under a restoration project, mainly the original buildings. There's a nice museum on the base that houses many artifacts from when this was a training facility for P-47 pilot training. The buildings and museum are located in the rear corner of the Millville Municipal Airport. This was their actual location. Anyone visiting southern NJ should make this a stop on their agenda, well worth it.

Richard

 

On a more positive note than my previous posting ( must have been particularly grumpy that day... ) and as it's Christmas, no excuse for giving EAST KIRKBY AIRFIELD another plug.

Situated in a remote corner of Lincolnshire, and oozing with period atmosphere, it boasts one sight that no other disused airfield in the world can match ; -

http://www.controltowers.co.uk/E/East_Kirkby_PHOTO.htm

 

Took a days' holiday last Wednesday and set off at 05:30 ( ) up the A1 road ( again ! ) for Lincolnshire.

Bliss ! The sun shone ( it does make a difference ). Visited Wickenby ( where the remains of Lancaster JB-659 may yet be put on public display ), Dunholme Lodge ( home of 44 Squadron and from where 120 aircraft were lost ), then to East Kirkby in time to see Lancaster NX611 taxy out.

What a sound !

It's an amazing experience to be able to stand that close as the Merlins are fired up....

Met up with three other members of the BAAC and had a viewing of some of the treasures of the Lincolnshir Aviation Recovery Group, spent over £30 on self-published books in the E Kirkby museum shop, and even had time to visit Metheringham Airfield and its tiny museum in the afternoon ( where the curator showed me a wheel recovered from Guy Gibson's Mosquito in Holland ). Oh, and the BBMF Dakota flew directly over me on a country road....

Then back home - all in a day !

When the weather's good - Lincolnshire is unbeatable for WWII aviation heritage. Don't miss it !

 

Speaking of historic aerodromes, Concorde's due to arrive at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune airfield in East Lothian any day now.
This started off as an airship base in WW1, and between the wars the R34 (I think) flew from here.
It was a fighter field in WW2, and most of the ww2 era buildings still survive, but not as part of the airfield. They're actually in the compound of the adjacent government test centre.
Part of the old runway is used by a local go-kart club for weekly races.
To give you a fix, East Fortune's sort of half-way between Drem and Macmerry airfields.
Regards,

Gordon

[ 18. April 2004, 10:44 AM: Message edited by: The_Historian ]

 

Sounds like these places are definitely North of Watford....

Must admit that East Fortune is on my list of places I'd like to visit - may get up there when the snows melt....

 

Well,
The pass at Soutra in the borders is usually open by now.......

Regards,

Gordon