Part 6 - 'American Ghosts'

The American Air force played a major part in our aviation heritage. During the war many thousands, took off from airfields around the Eastern Region. Many never came home. These places have left an indomitable mark on not only our landscape, but the hearts of those they touched whilst here.

During this trail, I visited 5 airfields, there is a further sixth that I have also been to (Glatton now known as Conington) but that will be added later after a more detailed visit. Most of what was, is gone, and in terms of seeing things, there is really very little. However, the most determined of ‘expeditionists’, armed with thick gloves and big boots, will be able to find some evidence at some locations. It may be advisable to go in winter / autumn when there is less vegetation, rather than the summer as I did! The one thing on this trip that really struck me, was the close proximity of each one, literally only a handful of miles between them in some cases. The sight as they all took off and linked must have been incredible!

Kimbolton.

Kimbolton looking onto the airfield.

We start not far from the busy A14 to the south west of Graffham Water. Perched on top of the hill, as many of these are, is Station 117 - Kimbolton.

Kimbolton's Perimeter Track

Having a short life, it was home to the 379^th Bombardment group of the Mighty 8^th. Flying some 330 mission in B-17s. The site is split in two by the main road which uses part of the original perimeter track for it’s base. To one side is where the runways and dispersal pens would have been, to the other side the main hangers, admin blocks, fuel storage and squadron quarters. The former is now open fields used for agriculture and the later a well kept and busy industrial site. What was the main runway is crossed by this road where there is a kart track.

Memorial book listing those that never came home.

At the main entrance to the industrial site, is a well kept memorial. Two flags representing the two nations, stand aside a plaque showing the layout of the field as was, with airfield detail added.  Behind this, and almost un-noticeable, is a neat wooden box with a visitors book and a file documenting all those who left from here never to return. There are a considerable number of pages full of names and personal detail – a moving document. One of the B17 pilots, Lt. Kermit D. Wooldridge, of the 525th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force kept a diary of his raids, and many of the crew members mentioned in the memorial book appear in his diaries. These are currently being published by his daughter, and can be seen at https://sites.google.com/site/ww2pilotsdiary/  They tell of the raids, the crews and detailed events that took place over the skies of occupied Europe from June 29th 1943.

This is a lovely place to sit (benches are there) and contemplate what must have been a magnificent sight all those years ago. It made me think of the part in the film ‘Memphis Belle’, where the crew were sitting listening to the poetry just prior to departure, how many young men also stood here ‘listening to poetry’. The control tower would have stood almost opposite where you are now, with views across an enormous expanse. Here they would have stood 'counting them back'. Like everything else, it has gone and the site is now ‘peaceful’.

Grafton Underwood.

Dedication window

Leaving Kimbolton, crossing the A14 toward Corby is Station 106 – Grafton Underwood. This site is remarkable not only for the location, but it is the first and last airfield to see bombing action over Europe by the USAAF. Before you get to the airfield, you must visit the local church. Passing through the village you’ll see a signpost for the church, park here and walk up. Approaching the church, roughly from the East, you see a dark window which is difficult to make out. However, enter the church and look back, you will see the most amazing stained glass window ever. The vibrant colours strike quite hard. This commemorates the 384^th Bombardment group of the 8^th Air force. Next to it, someone has placed a handwritten note with the picture of a very young man Thomas K Kohlhaas and

Dedication to the crew of "sons o'fun"

the crew of B-17 ‘43-37713’ “sons o’fun”. It states that he, along with 3 others were murdered by German civilians presumably after bailing out of their stricken aircraft. This is a very moving and personal place to be.

When you leave the church, look on the wall of the porch and you will see two dedications. These list the location and names of trees, dedicated to the personnel of the mighty 8^th , that have replaced the runways on the airfield. Unfortunately these are on private land and are not accessible.

The memorial is bottom left by the road

Leave the church, turn left into the village, following the stream and then turn left up the hill. The memorial is on your right. Like most American memorials of the USAAF, it has the two flags aside the memorial which is well kept. When I visited, the keeper, a very interesting man, was there and we chatted for ages. The memorial stands on what was the 6000ft main runway and when you look behind you, you see what is left of it. Otherwise, like the others visited here, the remains have gone and it is open agriculture once more.

Grafton memorial

Grafton, like Kimbolton, is split by the road. Leaving the memorial drive back to the village, turn left and follow the road. Along on the right is the admin, crew, storage etc and the left the main airfield with its runways and dispersal pens. What is left of the main entrance, a large blue gate can be seen as you pass. Odd patches of concrete can also be seen through the thick trees but little else.

The remains of the runway

There a little further along, passed the equine sign, is another blue gate. Park here. This is the entrance to Grafton Park, a public space, and what was the main thoroughfare to the mess, barracks and squadron quarters. Grafton housed some 3000+ personnel of which some 1600 never returned. It is immense! Walking along the path, you can just see the Battle Headquarters, poking out of the trees. This site is very overgrown. The roads remain and are clearly laid out, some having been recovered with tarmac, but careful observations will see the concrete beneath. Keep on the ‘Broadway’ and you will pass a number of side roads until you come to the hub. This forms a central star, off from which were the aptly named: ‘Foxy’ cinema, mess clubs and hospitals. Careful observations and exploring - there are many hidden ditches and pits - will show foundations and the odd brick wall from the various buildings that remain. A nice touch to the hub, is that it is now a grassed area with picnic tables.

The Hub, now a picnic area.

You do lose a sense of this being an airfield; the trees and vegetation have taken over quite virulently and hidden what little evidence remains. Exploring the area, you will find some evidence, but you have to look hard. Walk back along the Broadway, and take the first turn left. Keep an open to the right, and you will see other small buildings, the officers’ quarters and shelters. Again, very careful footing will allow some exploration, but there is little to gain.

Considering the size of Grafton Underwood, and then fact that 3000 men and women lived here, there is little to see for the casual eye. A beautiful place to walk, Grafton’s secrets are well hidden; perhaps too well hidden, but maybe the fact that it is so peaceful is as a result and great service to those that fought in that terrible battle above the skies of Europe directly from here.

Deenthorpe.

Leaving Grafton behind, turn right and proceed in a northerly direction.

Deenthorpe memorial.

If you pass through Weldon, I believe there is another stained glass window in the church. But unlike Grafton’s, the church is sadly locked and the window therefore more difficult to see. Deenthorpe saw action by 4 squadrons from the 401^st Bombardment group, reputedly the ‘The best damned outfit in the USAAF’ They flew 254 combat missions and received two Distinguished unit Citations, had the best bombing accuracy of the mighty 8^th and the lowest loss ratio.

Whilst the village of Deenthorpe is off the A43, take the smaller A427 Corby to Oundle road toward Oundle. On A few miles along on your left is the airfield. Unlike most of the others, this is still activity here in the form of micro lights, using part of the original runway. Until recently, 1996, the original control tower stood proud, visible from the main road, directly behind the memorial. Now gone, there is little else to see bar a few stretches of tarmac and the odd brick constructions. Access to this is restricted, prior permission being needed before entering the site, so other than what you can see from the road there is little left here.

Modern activity on Deenthorpe.

The memorial is again flanked by two flags, is neat and well cared for. The runway layout is depicted on the memorial stone as it proudly states it achievements. I am led to believe the ‘Wheatsheaf’ pub further along was the haunt of many an American airman and has a 401 bar with photos and memorabilia. I was not able to visit unfortunately and cannot therefore verify this. Another day perhaps!

Next we retrace our steps back, turn north along the A43 toward Stamford. A short distance you will pass a golf club and then see tourist signs to ‘Deene Park’. Follow this, all the way to the end. A long windy road, narrow in places, it takes you through small picturesque hamlets to a T junction. Directly opposite you, is the entrance and memorial to Spanhoe Lodge.

Spanhoe Lodge

Spanhoe Lodge - Guard room?

Spanhoe information board.

Station 493, Spanhoe Lodge, lived a short active life and was home to 4 squadrons of the 315^th  troop carrier group flying C47s. It took the American 82^nd airborne, 1^st Polish and British 6^th Airborne into Normandy for the D-Day landings, Arnhem’s ‘Market Garden’ and the Rhineland. An active airfield for small light aircraft works here are involved in aircraft maintenance and preservation work. The entrance to the site does not reflect the history. Again because it is active, your are clearly warned not to enter without permission! From here you can see small ‘recently’ erected buildings and hidden behind the thicket, what was presumably the gatehouse. The modern users inhabit a very small portion of the original airfield, using part of the perimeter track as a runway. Much of the remainder has been dug up in quarrying exercises. There are, I believe, numerous footpaths that surround the site, but like many, these are difficult to pass and don’t offer any major advantage to what is left.

Spanhoe Lodge Memorial

The memorial itself, consists of a modern board detailing the group and squadron codes, and a stone obelisk listing the names of those crew members who failed to come home. It is placed outside the entrance and is well cared for if not a little weathered.

Leaving Spanhoe behind, return to the main road, keeping the airfield to your left, and then once at the A43, turn right and then immediately left. Follow signs to Oundle and Kingscliffe.

Kingscliffe.

Kingscliffe memorial

Unlike the other airfields in the tour, Kingscliffe was a fighter airfield. Pass through the village out the other side, under the odd twin-arched bridge and then right. A few hundred yards along and the airfield is now on your right hand side. The memorial is here, flanked by the two flags. It is a more elaborate memorial, being made with the wing of a Spitfire on one side and the wing of a Mustang on the other. Various squadron badges are etched into the stone and as the weather takes it’s toll, these are gradually disappearing.

Kingscliffe buildings

Kingscliffe saw both the Spitfire and Mustangs fly from this site. The P-51s replacing the P-38 Lightnings used originally. Looking behind the memorial you can see a number of brick defence buildings enshrouded in trees and bushes. Move along the road to your right and there is the main gate. Stating that it is an airfield, it doesn’t encourage entrance. However, walk or drive a little further and there is a bridal way that allows access to the site. Walking along around the edge of the airfield, you can see hidden amongst the thorn bushes round pill boxes, dispersal pens and air raid shelters. These can be accessed with careful treading. A considerable number of these exist close to the road and so extensive travelling is not required for the more ‘informal’ investigation.

Inside the shelter

Like many sites of it’s age, Kingscliffe buildings are overgrown, indeed entering them you can see how the roofs have become detached in many cases, and mature trees now the only inhabitants where personnel once stood. The control tower is still visible, but again it would be better to do this in the ‘lower growth’ seasons as it was very difficult to locate at this time.

The main part of the airfield is agriculture, and it can be seen from further back, why this site was chosen as the views across the landscape toward Peterborough and the south are stunning.

Overgrown buildings

There are a number of Internet sites, with more/better photographs than mine and they offer a much greater quantity of detail. However, not being fond of arrest, I tend to refrain from trespassing very far.

Kingscliffe concludes the tour, however, if you return back along the road, turn right away from the village, you will eventually find yourself sitting opposite one of the crash exits of RAF Wittering, the main station to which Kingscliffe was built as a satellite. Also along here, is a remnant of RAF Collyweston, an airfield absorbed into Wittering at the end of the war when it expanded ready for the V – force bomber aircraft and later the Harriers. Now closed to flying due to government cutbacks, it houses an army detachment and a small RAF detachment for maintenance duties only.

Much of the evidence from the American participation in the Air War of the Second World War has now disappeared, being swallowed up by natures determination to regain what was originally hers. Agriculture and small businesses have clung on to the remainder, leaving little to see. In some ways, and I touched on this earlier, the fact that peace has now taken over what were bustling camps of 3000+ personnel, the roar of four engined bombers laden with high explosives or troop carriers taking scared young men to the killing fields of Europe, is a reflection on their bravery and dedication. These areas are simply peaceful now because of the men that served, lived and died here and whilst they are now gone, maybe their ghosts remain.