Airfields Index

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RAF Tempsford    RAF Tempsford was used during the war by the SOE (Special Operations Executive). It was from here that underground agents and their supplies were flown, and dropped into enemy occupied Europe. The station was home to "Special Duties" 138 and 161 Squadrons flying Whitley, Hudson, Halifax and Stirling bombers and also Lysanders. The airfield was brought into use as a bomber base in January 1942, but it became the centre for SOE activities in March 1942 and strict security and secrecy was imposed on operations. These operations were centred on three sites, at Tempsford, RAF Harrington and Bletchley Park. Over 80 aircraft were lost from Tempsford during the war, with many of their crews being killed. Gibraltar Farm Barn was built deliberately to look like a normal farm barn,and cattle grazed on the airfield whenever it was not in use to fool German air-reconnaisance. The barn was where agents were supplied with their equipment and their poison pills, in case of capture. Today there are moving memorials to individual R.A.F. aircrews and S.O.E. agents inside the barn. Arround the barn memorial trees have been planted by the Czech, Norwegian and Polish underground resistance and others planted in memory of individual aircrews who never came back. Tempsford Airfield is now a private airfield and as such not open to the public. Where possible small groups of visitors may be allowed access but only by prior arrangement. Anyone wishing to visit the airfield must telephone 01767 650251 beforehand.   19th January 1942 Squadron relocated 11th March 1942 SOE move to new airbase 28th March 1942 German trap catches Dutch Agent 29th March 1942 Test flight missing 6th April 1942 Squadron on the move 8th Apr 1942 Move 21st April 1942 Crashed in fog 21st April 1942 Austrian Agents killed in crash 24th Apr 1942 Poor Visibility 24th Apr 1942 Operations 26th Apr 1942 Operations 30th Apr 1942 Postings to 161 Squadron 30th Apr 1942 Operations 30th Apr 1942 Operations 30th Apr 1942 Operations 30th Apr 1942 Operations 5th May 1942 Operations 5th May 1942 Operations 24th May 1942 Operations 24th May 1942 Operations 28th May 1942 Operations 28th May 1942 Operations 28th May 1942 Operations 29th May 1942 Operations 29th May 1942 Special ops pilot captured, but escaped 30th May 1942 Raid 31st May 1942 Raid 31st May 1942 Postings and Awards 2nd Jun 1942 Operations 23rd June 1942 Crashed on take-off July 1942 Radio relay role 26th July 1942 138 Squadron Whitley lost 29th July 1942 Trainees shot down over Germany 30th July 1942 SOE mission lured into a trap 25th August 1942 Aircrew evaded capture 28th August 1942 Crash landing after operation 1st September 1942 Evaded capture 20th September 1942 Failed to return 25th Sep 1942 161 Squadron Whitley lost 27th September 1942 Secret mission crashed in France October 1942 Role assignment 2nd October 1942 Four Agents dropped in poland 2nd October 1942 Ditched off the Dutch Coast 8th October 1942 Supplies to N Africa October 1942 Commander promoted 22nd October 1942 Pilot killed in crash landing 23rd October 1942 Ditched off Eastbourne 30th October 1942 Two Halifaxes lost on SOE mission 1st November 1942 Crashed in severe weather 23rd November 1942 Lost at sea 25th November 1942 Training on the Halifax 27th November 1942 C/O flies abortive SOE Mission 6th December 1942 New aircraft into service 23rd December 1942 Shot down over Holland 15th January 1943 Halifax shot down on SOE operation 19th Jan 1943 Aircraft Lost 14th February 1943 Hudsons used for SOE ops 20th February 1943 Crash Landing in France 5th March 1943 Detachment to Russia 14th March 1943 Two aircraft shot down 15th March 1943 Two Halifaxes lost on Special Ops 20th March 1943 Failed to return from Norway 25th March 1943 Successfully ditched 1st April 1943 New Special Duties Flight 13th April 1943 Crash Landing 14th April 1943 Crashed into the Channel 18th April 1943 Crashed near Caen 12th May 1943 Crashed at sea 12/13th May 1943 138 Squadron crash landed at Troyes 14th May 1943 SOE Operation crashed 16th May 1943 Crashed on training flight 19th May 1943 C/O flies sorties to France 22nd May 1943 Crashed in Noord Holland 10th June 1943 Hudson crashed in Scotland 12th June 1943 Shot down on SOE Mission 23rd June 1943 Halifax lost in the IJsselmeer 24th June 1943 Polish crew shot down in Holland 24th June 1943 Special Agent brought back from France 13th July 1943 Polish crew lost in France 17th July 1943 Collision on the ground at Blida 22nd Jul 1943 SOE Aircraft Lost: 5 crew evaded 13th August 1943 138 Squadron Halifax lost 17th August 1943 Supply drop airmen evade capture 17th August 1943 Halifax Shot down September 1943 Long-range SOE duties 14th September 1943 Two SOE Halifaxes lost 15th September 1943  Shot down into the Baltic 15th September 1943 Detachment to North Africa 17th September 1943 Two SOE Halifaxes lost 20th September 1943 Aircraft Ditched 22nd September 1943 Agents delivered to SE France 9th October 1943 Interned in Sweden 16th October 1943 Agents collected from France 19th October 1943  Aircrew and agents evaded capture 19th October 1943 Big push to support the Maquis in SE France 21st October 1943 Shot down at Valenciennes 25th October 1943 Training for Special Duties. 3rd November 1943 Crash in fog 4th November 1943 Polish Special Duties Flight 7th November 1943 Aircraft Shot down 9th November 1943 Royal Visit 11th November 1943 One survivor from Halifax crash in France Pilot evaded Bogged down 25th November 1943 SOE Operation 11th Dec 1943 138 Squadron Halifax lost 17th December 1943 8 Special Duty aircraft lost in fog 20th December 1943 Radio relay work 8th January 1944 SOE Mission aborted 23rd January 1944 14 airmen lost on air-sea search 8th February 1944 Halifax lost over France 8th February 1944 Lost in a storm over France 11th February 1944 Crashed on landing 12th February 1944 Detachment on Special Duties Training 4th March 1944 Shot down by a train 28th March 1944 Crashed on training flight 30th March 1944 Crashed in River Westerscheldt 1st Apr 1944 138 Squadron Halifax lost 10th April 1944 SOE Mission crashed in France 11th April 1944 Operations 19th April 1944 Very very lost! 27th April 1944 Lost in the North Sea 30th April 1944 Agents retrieved from France 3rd May 1944 SOE agents and pilot killed 8th May 1944 Two Special Duties flights lost 10th May 1944 Aircrew join the Maquis! 1st June 1944 Two Halifaxes lost over Holland 1st June 1944 SOE Hudson shot down over Holland 2nd June 1944 Shot down over France 2nd June 1944  Crash due to engine failure 3rd June 1944 Drowned in Zeeland 5th June 1944 First Jedburgh Team dropped into France 6th Jun 1944 Messages 6th June 1944 Dummy paratroops dropped 7th June 1944 Agents dropped in France 8th June 1944 Special Duties 9th June 1944  Hidden by the resistance 6th July 1944 Eight killed on SOE flight 19th July 1944 Special Duties aircraft lost 19th Jul 1944 Aircraft Lost 9th August 1944  Funeral in France 14th August 1944 New aircraft allocated August 1944 SOE squadrons re-equipped 29th August 1944 161 Squadron Halifax lost 1st September 1944 Two Stirlings lost 9th September 1944 Aircraft hit balloon cable 24th September 1944 Special Duties Squadron disbanded 25th September 1944 Crash Landing 29th September 1944 Lysander missing on staff flight 7th October 1944 SOE op crashed in Denmark 19th October 1944 Broke up during air test 9th November 1944 Three Stirlings, 23 airmen and 2 agents lost 27th November 1944 Hudson shot down over Belgium 3rd December 1944 Stirling reported lost at sea December 1944 New Commanding Officer 31st December 1944 Shot down on flight to Norway 10th February 1945 Stirling lost in a storm 14th February 1945 Mid-air collision 21st Feb 1945 Hudson lost 23rd February 1945 Stirling lost at sea 27th February 1945 Shot down off Norway 3rd March 1945 German intruder 5th March 1945 Mid-air explosion 5th March 1945 Shot down over Denmark 9th March 1945 End of Special Duties role 21st March 1945 Three SOE Hudson's Lost to Friendly Fire over Belgium 23rd March 1945  Rear gunner survived 31st March 1945 Stirling shot down over Norway If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Those known to have served at RAF Tempsford during the Second World War 1939-1945. Bicknell George Harold Allan. Sgt. Bloomer J. H.. Sgt. Breeze J. T.. Sgt. Burke DFM.. Hugh. Sgt. (d.20th Sep 1943) Carnegie Thomas Edward. F/O. (d.1st June 1944) Clark Laurie. Sgt Dean Arnold Keith Michael . F/O. (d.28th August 1944) Findley George Fenwick. Green Frederick George. Flt.Sgt. (d.27th Sep 1942) Humphriess Raymond Arthur. Johns DFC.. Stephen Joshua. F/Lt. Johnson Altie Winifred. ACW2 Kelly Patrick. AC2. (d.23rd Mar 1945) Kempton Henry John. Sgt. Kyle J. F.. F/O Maude G. M.. F/S Morgan Ken. (d.5th Aug 1944) Peck James. Russell DFC.. Michael. F/Lt. Stiles . (d.27th Jun 1944) Stroud Bernard. Flt.Sgt. (d.19th July 1944) Tilly N. E.. F/O Walker DSO, DFC, NFC.. Harold Allen. F/Lt. 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There are:168 items tagged RAF Tempsford 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. F/O J. F. Kyle 138 Sqd. Add to this record. F/O N. E. Tilly 138 Sqd. Add to this record. Sgt. J. T. Breeze 138 Sqd. Stirling LJ999 NF-Q crashed on Operation Tablejam on the 5th of March 1945. Add to this record. Sgt Laurie Clark 138 Sqd. My father died in 1960, 3 weeks after my birth and would never talk about his wartime experiences to my mother. However, this is what I have gleaned over the years: Towards the end of the war his Stirling was shot down over the Danish coast. There was an emergency landing and repairs were made but while they were taking off, and 50ft in the air, a bomb on the aircraft went off. A saboteur has planted it while the repairs were being done. My father was hurled through the perspex nose but landed in a mixture of sea and marsh, went through minefields, but survived. (At this time he may have been helping an injured American airforce person, perhaps of African descent. He may have killed an enemy soldier at this time, too, as my Mum said he had nightmares about this) Through friendly contacts he made it to Copenhagen and was in sight of Sweden when he fell into the hands of the Gestapo. He received the "full treatment" and was sent to Stalag 7a at Moonsburg. My mum would say that towards the end of the war he was part of a crew whose mission was to drop spies behind enemy lines and he talked about the Caterpillar Club. My mother died 12 years ago and I now have children of my own and I am aware that there is so much about my father that I do not know. Update: The Stirling was LJ999, NF-Q they took of at 23:48 on the 4th of March 1945 from Tempsford on Operation TABLEJAM 241 and headed for Denmark. On the return journey at 150 feet, over Ringkobing Fjord an explosion sent the aircraft out of control to crash in shallow water. The crew were: F/O L.G.Steven Sgt J.T.Breeze F/O N.E.Tilly F/S J.F.Kyle F/S G.M.Maude RAAF Sgt W.L.Clark Sgt J.H.Bloomer The crew all survived and were taken POW, 5 of then were confined in Hospital due injuries until the Liberation. Laurel Clark Add to this record. Sgt. J. H. Bloomer 138 Sqd. Add to this record. Raymond Arthur Humphriess SOE I believe that my uncle, Raymond Arthur Humphries, flew with SOE out of Tempsford; he was a bomb aimer. Unfortunately he has recently passed away. I cannot find any record of his name but will keep trying. Thank you for a wonderful website. Lynne Fraser Add to this record. James Peck I am trying to find a James Peck that flew in the secret missions out of Tempsford in 1943/44. He would be my Grandfather but we know nothing about him other than his name and that he flew out of Tempsford and would have died in 1943 or 1944. I can only find one James Peck listed in the Commonwealth War records that flew in the RAF, he was a sergeant from Nova Scotia and was killed on the 20th March 1944 and is buried at Brookwood in Surrey. Can anyone confirm if James Peck did indeed fly out of Tempsford on any secret missions? Sarah Jackon Add to this record. Sgt. Hugh Burke DFM. 218 Squadon (d.20th Sep 1943) My father Hugh Burke was a wireless operator with 218 Sqd, flying from Gibraltar Farm, Tempsford and S.O.E, S/Ldr Dick Wilkin was the pilot. Dick Wilkin Air crew group after "ops" with Hugh Burke, Dick Wilkin & crew members Valerie Hutchinson Add to this record. George Fenwick Findley 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron. My uncle George Fenwick Findley was the last of his crew members of 218 Gold Coast Squadron. They were: Bill Streeter RAF Tom Mankelow RAF Robert Daniel Stirling DFC, pilot RAAF Paul Chase Miller RAAF Lancelot Keith Gregory RAAF George Seymour RNZAF Uncle George was an air gunner. He enlisted at No2 ITS Bradfield park and trained at No2 WAGS parkes, Port Pirie, Bradfield Park, Melbourne. He travelled to England and continued his training at 11OTU, 1657CU RAF Stradishall, 1483 RAF Newmarket and joined 218 Squadron. He flew from Downham Market, Tempsford, Woolfox Lodge, and Methwold. Operations he flew were: 3/10/1943 ops mining 24/10/1943 ops mining Frisian islands 7/11/1943 ops mining Bordeaux 18/11/1943 ops Mannheim 19/11/1943 ops Leverkusen 22/11/1943 ops Berlin 1/12/1943 Skaggerack 28/1/1944 ops mining Denmark 4/3/1944 special target 7/3/1944 special target 18/4/1944 ops mining Keil Bay 20/4/1944 ops bombing Chambley 22/4/1944 bombing Laon 23/4/1944 ops bombing Brussels 25/4/1944 ops bombing Chambley 1/5/1944 ops bombing Chambley 7/5/1944 ops mining La Rochelle 13/5/1944 ops mining Cherbourg 5/6/1944 ops special duties for D-Day 17/6/1944 ops bombing Montider 21/6/1944 ops mining Guernsey 24/6/1944 ops bombing Rimeux 23/7/1944 ops mining Brest 25/8/1944 ops bombing Russelsheim 29/8/1944 ops bombing Stettin 31/8/1944 ops bombing 10/9/1944 ops bombing le Harve 14/10/1944 ops bombing Duisburg 14/10/1944 ops Duisburg 18/10/1944 ops bombing Bonn 22/10/1944 ops bombing Neuss 23/10/1944 ops bombing Essen 26/10/1944 ops Leverkusen 30/10/1944 ops bombing Wesseling 31/10/1944 ops bombing Bottrop The aircraft he flew in are: Wackett, Fairy Battle, Wellington, Stirling 111, Lancaster 1. He was a member of 218 squadron from 29/9/1943 to 21/10/1944 in the crew of Lancaster HA-E. Evelyn E Hill Add to this record. F/Lt. Stephen Joshua "Johnnie" Johns DFC. 115 Squadron My father, Flight Lieutenant Johns DFC, flew 30 sorties with 115 Squadron in 1941/1942 as an air gunner including first 1000 bomber raid on Cologne. He transferred to Honeybourne as a gunnery instructor then in 1943 to SOE and 161 squadron based in Tempsford, flying 22 secret missions into France, Norway, Denmark etc. Stephen David johns Add to this record. ACW2 Altie Winifred "Johnny" Johnson My mother, Altie Johnson was a WAAF at RAF Tempsford. She was employed as a driver taking crew out to their aircraft. She told me nothing of what went on there, although I am now discovering all about SOE operations there and have visited Gibraltar Farm Barn at Tempsford and stood on the runway there. She did tell me once that on a windy night, she saw the canvas fly up at the back of a truck and she saw persons in unusual uniforms and costume. Towards the end of 1945, she was a WAAF shorthand typist, as I believe she was by then pregnant and therefore not driving. My mother died on 11/11/1995 at 11 am which I thought was rather fitting. Jean Carlyle-Lyon Add to this record. Sgt. George Harold Allan Bicknell 161 Squadron George Bicknell served with 161 Squadon flying from RAF Tempsford. He flew with: WM Bennett Tommy Pocock Paddy O'Connor Redge W.H. Wilson George Norris He never talked about the War. We found out later from his keepsakes in trunk after he passed away. Never told his mother or wife either. We visited Tempsford. Very moving to be there and know how these men were so brave and dedicated. Brenda Armstrong Add to this record. Ken Morgan 161 Sqdn. (d.5th Aug 1944) Pilot Officer Ken Morgan (wireless operator) from New Zealand was assigned to 161 Squadron at Tempsford near Waterbeach. He was shot down and killed on 5th August 1944, age 21. My understanding is that they were to pick up some French resistance members but the French were late at the pickup point and their plane had to circle for a while, giving the German plane time to find them and shoot them down. Ken is buried in Huiron Churchyard, Marne, France. David Ballantyne Add to this record. Flt.Sgt. Frederick George Green 138 Squadron (d.27th Sep 1942) Fred Green joined the R.A.F in August 1938. After training as a Wireless Operator he joined 38 Squadron at RAF Marham, he completed two operational tours before being posted to No 11 O.T.U at RAF Bassingbourne. On the 21st April 1942 he started his third tour with No 138 (Special Duty) Squadron based at RAF Tempsford. On the 27th September 1942 while carrying out an S.O.E mission (code named Incomparable 1) to Belgium his aircraft which had been damaged by FLAK, crashed in a field in Northern France, sadly Fred and two other crew members, David Harrison Freeland the pilot, and Edmond George Hayhoe C/O pilot were killed in the crash. Peter Green Add to this record. F/Lt. Michael Russell DFC. 161 Squadron Whilst reseaching Roxton Soldiers & Airmen, I found a local newspaper article, in which Michael Russell was awarded the D.F.C.. He is also mentioned in the London Gazette,Supplement: 35837, page 5638 on 29.12.1942. He was in the 161 Squadron, operating from Tempsford airfield. (Tempsford village is next to Roxton, Beds) Newspaper Article in The Biggleswade Chronicle, 9 April 1943, page 7. Roxton Award: Among those who received awards for gallant conduct at the hands of the King at Buckingham Palace last week was F/Lt. M. Russell, R.A.F.V.R. stationed at an aerodrome in Eastern Counties. His award was the D.F.C. He is well known in Roxton, where his wife & baby daughter reside. F/Lt. Russell is a native of Scarborough, Yorks. His wife, and younger brother, also in the R.A.F., were present at the investiture. Maria Screen Add to this record. AC2. Patrick Kelly 161 Squadron (d.23rd Mar 1945) Aircraftman 2nd Class Kelly was 25 when he died and is buried in Dromahaire (Carrickatemple) Catholic Old Graveyard, Co. Leitrim, Ireland. S Flynn Add to this record. F/O. Arnold Keith Michael Dean 161 Squadron (d.28th August 1944) Flying Officer (Air Bomber) Keith Dean was the son of Ernest F. and Helen Agnes (nee Arnold) Dean. He was 21 when he died and is buried in the Engelen General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. S Flynn Add to this record. F/O. Thomas Edward Carnegie 138 Squadron (d.1st June 1944) My Uncle Tom Carnegie was a navigator on board Halifax LL419, one of two SOE Osric missions flying out of Tempsford to be lost in the night on 1st of June, 1944. It is assumed that they were shot down by a night-fighter somewhere over the North Sea west of Schouwen, The Netherlands. All eight crew are listed as Missing. John Carnegie Add to this record. Flt.Sgt. Bernard Stroud 138 Squadron (d.19th July 1944) Bernard Stroud was a Flight Sergeantin the RAF in 138 Squadron based at Tempsford. He was tragically killed aged just 20 on a World War 2 night SOE mission when his Halifax Mk.V plane LL364 NF-B was in collision with an American Liberator B24H aircraft of the 801st Bomber crew over a drop zone at Mazignien, Nievre, France at 01.00hrs on 19th July 1944. A tragic twist of fate was that Bernard had in fact finished his tour of duty prior to this mission and was on leave at home when the MP`s turned up to call him back to RAF Tempsford to replace a crew member who had broken his leg in a motor cycle accident!! All 15 persons on board both planes were killed. There were 8 American crew. The British crew of 7 are buried together at the Communal Cemetery Graveyard at Marigny L`Eglise, Nievre, France and are always remembered there by villagers each year and many official ceremonies have been held in remembrance of them. There is a plaque with Bernard`s name on in the Lady Chapel of Hereford Cathedral where he had been a chorister. Paul Stroud Add to this record. F/Lt. Harold Allen "Hy" Walker DSO, DFC, NFC. 138 Squadron Hy Walker crash landed on his 70th operational mission, in the Mediterranean after turning back with engine failure after leaving Belida Algeria on a return trip to Tempsford. Sadly one person was lost. He did two tours, the bulk of it with 138 Squadron at RAF Tempsford. Peter Walker Add to this record. Sgt. Henry John Kempton 161 Squadron My uncle, Henry Kempton, was a gunner in a Halifax, flying out of RAF Tempsford. On his last mission, Operation Iridium, which was to drop some Czechoslovakian operatives, the aircraft was shot down and crashed with the loss of all crew. They were buried in Durnbach Cemetery in Bavaria. Michael Wallace Add to this record. Stiles (d.27th Jun 1944) I am looking for any information about a parachute Joe possibly named Stiles, in Larra, France, landed 20th of September 1943 in Operation Horde conducted by No. 138 Squadron, RAF. We believe that this agent was arrested by the Gestapo of Toulouse and shot in the wood of Reulle (Castelmaurou) on 27th of June 1944. Patrice Castel, Professor of History and Geography. Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices. Runways to Freedom Robert Body The Nazi occupation of much of Western Europe in early 1940 posed many challenges for the British Secret Services. A high priority was to find an effective means of infiltrating and exfiltrating agents and, later, reliable methods for supplying the growing resistance movements with arms and ammunition. The work fell outside the normal duties of Raf squadrons so, in March 1940, RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire became the base for No.138 (Sd) Squadron and No. 161 (Sd) Squadrons. Flying mainly by the light of the full moon, these two squadrons operated throughout the length and breadth of Western Europe, delivering agents and supplies. Without the agents the secret services would have been hamstrung, and without the supplies the resistance movements would have been unable to participate in the armed struggle. By the end of the war, the Squadrons had, between them, lost in excess of 600 men. This Is Their Story. More information on: Runways to Freedom Links Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons

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