 | Battle Of Britain Airfields 60 Years Later...| Aviation Discuss Battle Of Britain Airfields 60 Years Later... in the World War II - Aviation forums; I just fell on that web site. It's interresting how places may have changed. May be some of you ... |
|
07-14-2005, 09:32 PM
|
#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,000
Country:  | Battle Of Britain Airfields 60 Years Later...
I just fell on that web site. It's interresting how places may have changed. May be some of you may even live in an old RAF airbase without knowing it...   http://www.danhamblin.btinternet.co.uk/pages/bob.htm | 
|  | |
07-14-2005, 11:09 PM
|
#2 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,531
Country:  | It was always interesting to visit the old bases when I was there. Some were active cold war bases and to see the old buildings with guys still working in them gave me a sense of the history that must reside in the buildings.
To step onto a base like Molesworth, that originally housed the 303rd BG "Hells Angels" is like a step into the past. Gave me chills.
__________________  http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
| | |
07-15-2005, 04:20 AM
|
#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK
Posts: 11,218
Country:  | Really interesting to see how things have changed in the landscape and the sense of history in the surving bases must be special
__________________  "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts"
Sir Winston Churchill
"To him the people of the world largely owe the Freedom and liberties they enjoy today"
Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London
Moderator WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum | |
| | |
07-15-2005, 12:18 PM
|
#4 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | i wonder if there's any memorials or museums at any of them, i'd have thought there would be.........
__________________ 
"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
| | |
07-15-2005, 01:58 PM
|
#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,000
Country: | Well, I know that there is a museum in Hawkinge (the most important collection of Battle of Britain artefacts on show in the UK). http://www.kbobm.org/
... And an other one in Tangmere. http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/
But I don't know about the other airfields. | |
| | |
07-15-2005, 02:44 PM
|
#6 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,531
Country: | How about Duxford? 
__________________ http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
| | |
07-15-2005, 02:46 PM
|
#7 | | He who does not skim
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,957
Country: | Of course!  | |
| | |
07-15-2005, 08:25 PM
|
#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,000
Country: | Quote: |
Originally Posted by evangilder How about Duxford? | Yeah, I forgot about that one. http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/ | |
| | |
07-16-2005, 01:01 AM
|
#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: UK
Posts: 3,502
Country:  | Heres my local airfields war time history. http://www.southendairport.net/2nd_ww.htm
__________________
"Only thoses who lose freedom know it's true worth"
Unknown French woman interviewed June 1944 | |
| | |
07-16-2005, 06:22 AM
|
#10 | | He who does not skim
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,957
Country: | Ah, interesting. | |
| | |
07-16-2005, 08:14 AM
|
#11 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,531
Country: | There is some interesting aviation history there! We used to have 2 airports in Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park. Sadly, they are both closed now and there is no trace of either. But the movie "It's a mad mad mad mad world" was filmed at one of them, although there were some modifications made to it for the filming.
__________________ http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
| | |
07-16-2005, 10:39 AM
|
#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: UK
Posts: 3,502
Country: | Commercial progress sometimes destroys what will be important historic sites with out realizing it Evan its a shame but inevitable. Next time I'm at the trip wire on the end of the run way I'll get a shot of the wartime pill box that's still there lads.
__________________
"Only thoses who lose freedom know it's true worth"
Unknown French woman interviewed June 1944 | |
| | |
07-16-2005, 12:12 PM
|
#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,057
Country: | There's loads of airfields around here that were in service during World War 2 - there's two in Doncaster, there's RAF Finningley and Sandtoft. The two in Doncaster have been built over and there's nothing left - I walk over one of the airstrips when going to the Cinema!
RAF Finningley closed down in 1994 - and is now an airport, quickly becoming an international one.
Sandtoft is an airstrip - they use the taxi way as a runway these days for C-150s and C-170s - a potato factory is on the end of the old runway.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004  To those in that club. | |
| | |
07-16-2005, 12:20 PM
|
#14 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | we have barely any airfields down here........
__________________
"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
| | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:39 PM. | | |
