The Wartime Memories Project

- RAF Bourn. during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

RAF Bourn.



   RAF Bourn near Bourn in Cambridgeshire was built in 1940. It closed in 1948 and today is used for agriculture with light aircraft using the remaining runway and a Market takes place on Bank Holidays.

 

20th Feb 1940 Inspection

19th Nov 1941 Aircraft Lost

11th February 1942 Relocated

31st May 1942 Aircraft Lost

28th Jul 1942 Aircraft Lost

August 1942 On the move

11th August 1942 Conversion to Lancasters

6th Dec 1942 First Operation completed

April 1943 On the Move

17th April 1943 Squadron reassigned

4th May 1943  Crash landing

23rd May 1943 Pathfinders

12th June 1943 Lancaster missing

20th June 1943 Attack on radio factory

22nd June 1943 Lancaster missing

24th June 1943 Lancaster lost

28th June 1943 Lancaster lost

3rd July 1943  Attack on Cologne

8th July 1943 Lancasters damaged and lost

24th July 1943 Trial of 'window'

28th July 1943 Two Lancasters missing

10th August 1943 Two Lancasters missing

17th August 1943 Peenemunde Raid

23rd August 1943 Raid on Berlin

27th August 1943 Two Lancasters missing

31st August 1943 Lancaster lost

3rd September 1943 Rear gunner killed

18th September 1943 97 Squadron Lancaster lost

24th Sep 1943 97 Squadron Lancasters lost

4th October 1943  Lancaster lost

8th October 1943 Lancaster missing

20th October 1943 Lancaster lost

18th November 1943  97 Squadron Lancaster lost

23rd Nov 1943 97 Squadron Lancaster lost

24th November 1943 97 Squadron Lancaster lost

25th November 1943 Lancaster lost

4th December 1943 97 Squadron Lancaster lost

17th December 1943 Black Thursday

1st January 1944 97 Squadron Lancaster missing

2nd January 1944 FW190 fighter shot down

5th January 1944 Two 97 Squadron Lancasters lost

15th January 1944 Two Lancasters lost

20th January 1944 20th January 1944

21st January 1944  97 Squadron aircrew news

30th January 1944  Two Lancasters of 97 Squadron lost

15th February 1944 97 Squadron Lancaster lost

21st February 1944  Crashed at RAF Bourn

24th February 1944 97 Squadron Lancaster missing

18th March 1944 97 Squadron Lancaster missing

20th March 1944 Flight transferred to new squadron

22nd March 1944 Two Lancasters of 97 Squadron lost

23rd March 1944 New base

25th March 1944  Two 97 Squadrons aircraft lost

30th March 1944 Two Lancasters lost

18th April 1944 Relocated

18th December 1944 New Pathfinder Squadron formed

22nd December 1944 New Squadron into action

7th January 1945 Aircraft abandoned over the Netherlands

March 1945 Mosquitos fitted for Pathfinder role

3rd May 1945 Last mission

June 1945 Air Mail Service


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Those known to have served at

RAF Bourn.

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List



The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.




Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home.

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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.



Want to know more about RAF Bourn.?


There are:62 items tagged RAF Bourn. available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


Sgt. Percy Lutwyche 15 Squadron (d.8th April 1943)

Percy Lutwyche was the youngest of 6 brothers. His mother died when he was 4 years old. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in March 1941 and trained in Canada. He flew with 15 Squadron RAF and was killed in action 8th of April 1943 age 20 years and is buried Rhineburg War Cemetery in Germany.

Gwenda Done



Des Evans 97 Sqdn.

I served in 97 Squadron from April 1943 until February 1945, and then went overseas to Luqa in Malta, until demob in February 1947. All my memories are with 97 at Bourn, Cambridgeshire until April 1944 when we moved to Coningsby.

I was a fitter 2E on Lancasters and had the privilege of servicing a Lancaster for one of the RAFs great bomber pilots with a smashing crew - Wing Commander `Ted' Porter who, returning from leave two days early on 16/17th August 1944, took a scratch crew on a minelaying raid on Stettin. Tragically, all were killed.

Des Evans



F/Lt. Harry Francis Brooker DFC. 97 Squadron

On researching my family tree I came across details of Harry Brooker who had served with 97 Squadon, Path Finder Force at Bourn Airfield from April 1943 to April 1944. Other than this, I can find no further details on any other site pertaining to him. It is almost a case that he did not exist. I cannot find him on any RAF website to date. Harry was born in 1921 at West Derby, Lancs and died in 1999.

David Keefe







Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.



Bomber Bases of World War 2, Airfields of 1st Air Division (USAAF) Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire

Martin Bowman


Covers the units who flew the legendary B-17 Flying Fortress. This book looks at the history and personalities associated with each base, what remains and explores the favourite local wartime haunts where aircrew and ground crew would have gone. It covers museums and places that are relevant.







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    The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.

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