Bassingbourn Barracks (former RAF Bassingbourn)

United Kingdom / England / Bassingbourn /
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, RAF - Royal Air Force, training center, former air force base
ATR Bassingbourn, near Cambridge, is one of five sites providing Soldier Initial Training for recruits joining the British Army.The course completed here is called the Army Development Course 17 (because it is 17 weeks long) and it is specifically designed for recruits that are 16 years old. The course includes basic training in drill, first aid, map reading, field craft, skill-at-arms and nuclear, biological and chemical defence.

There is also a two-week period of adventure training when recruits undertake activities such as canoeing and rock climbing and also visit a World War One battlefield in Northern France. The course culminates with a formal Passing out Parade to which family and friends may be invited. After the Parade recruits will move on to Special-to-Arm training at the appropriate Phase 2 training establishment.

History of formerRAF Bassingbourn
The base was established as RAF Bassingbourn between 1937 and 1939. During the Second World War it was taken over by the United States Army Air Forces and became known as USAAF Station 121.

The runways were originally grass. The Blenheim light bombers that first used the field were able to operate under the existing conditions, although landings often produced pronounced water splashes, but the weight of heavier bombers tore ruts in the grass surface and limited takeoff speeds.

Three concrete runways surfaced with asphalt where construced during the winter of 1941-1942: a 3,600 feet (1,097 m) runway aligned south west to north east, a 2,800 feet (853 m) runway crossing it north-south, and a 3,300 feet (1,006 m) runway connecting the north east ends of the first two.

During 1943 RAF Bassingbourn was featured in the documentary film 'Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress'. The base and group were also the subject of a series of newspaper articles written by John Steinbeck during the spring and summer of 1943. Captain Clark Gable had temporary duty at Bassingbourn while producing a gunnery film for the USAAF.

The RAF resumed occupation of Bassingbourn on 26 June 1945, and the base was officially returned on July 10. The station became one of the main bases for long-range transport aircraft. In 1948 and 1949 York, Lancaster and Dakota aircraft from the base took part in the Berlin Airlift, a massive operation transporting essential commodities to the beleaguered city. During the Korean War, USAF bombers returned to Britain as part of the NATO deterrent force and for two years from September 1950, B-29s and B-50s were based at Bassingbourn.

In February 1952, RAF Bassingbourn received its first allocation of Canberra bombers and became the first jet bomber operational conversion unit (OCU) in the world. Canberras operated from Bassingbourn for 17 years and one of the aircraft is on static display in the Barracks. From 1963 to 1969 the Joint School of Photographic Interpretation was also based here.

On 29 August 1969, the last RAF Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr A.M. McGregor MBE, turned over the station to the Royal Anglian Regiment, the Queen's Division. Depot The Queens Division began training recruits at Bassingbourn Barracks in January 1970 with permanent staff drawn from the Regiment’s former Depots in Kent, Warwickshire and Suffolk.

The depot was responsible for training recruits undergoing their 19 week basic training before joining a regular battalion of the Queen's Regiment, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Royal Anglian Regiment. The depot also trained Junior Bandsmen, Junior Drummers and Junior Infantrymen on 18-month and two-year courses. From 1970 to 1985 recruits of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) and from 1985, those of the Royal Pioneer Corps, were also trained at Bassingbourn.

In 1993 the Barracks became the home of the Army Training Regiment Bassingbourn.It is also home to 2484 (Bassingbourn) Squadron Air Training Corps.

Bassingbourn Barracks was used for location filming of the film 'Full Metal Jacket', standing in place of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. Some of the Vietnam scenes were filmed at Bassingbourn, Palm trees imported for the film were left onsite and could be seen for a period of time after filming. British Army recruits based at Bassingbourn during the filming were used as extras.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.army.mod.uk/atr/bassingbourn/index.htm
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassingbourn_Barracks
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°5'41"N   -0°3'25"E

Comments

  • Wartime base of the Memphis Belle.
  • This is NOT a disappeared object, it is an active Army Base used for basic training.
  • I TRAINED THERE MY SELF LONG TIME AGO MINDYOU
  • I did my training there in 1996
  • I'm D Roake I trained there to but got really sick Rpc 1991
  • I remember it well did my basic training there 1970
  • Done my basic training here. Passed out July 1991. Time of my life
  • Show all comments
This article was last modified 12 years ago