Former RAF Little Staughton

 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, Army Air Field US, former air force base

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Four miles west of the centre of St Neots, Little Staughton airfield lies just inside the Huntingdonshire border with Bedfordshire. Built 1941-42 to Class A standard, it was necessary to close a minor road across the north of the site. The concrete runways were main 07-25 at 1,616 yards, 13-31 at 1,156 yards and 01-19 at 1,020 yards. Before completion, runways 07-25 and 13-31 were extended to 1,920 yards and 1,340 yards, respectively.

Originally 37 pan hardstandings were put down but when the airfield was allocated to the USAAF in May 1942 another 17 of the loop type were added. One cluster of loops lay across the road to Little Staughton village near Berrywood Farm. A T2 hangar was positioned on the technical site between runway heads 25 and 31 near Moor Farm; a second T2 between runway heads 01 and 07, and a third between 19 and 25. Bomb stores were to the south between runway heads O1 and 31. The dispersed camp lay to the east of the airfield comprising of six domestic, two WAAF, two communal and a sick quarters site. Maximum accommodation was given as 2,496 males and 126 female.

In September 1942, the station was temporarily allocated to the USAAF as an advanced air depot and as such was first occupied by the Eighth Air Force in January 1943. Officially transferred to the USAAF on May 1, 1943, the station was in use from April that year as the 2nd Advanced Air Depot for repair of B-17s of the 1st Bomb Wing. Additional work on the eastern side of the airfield was put in hand to develop an independent depot but evidently the Americans felt the road communications to Little Staughton were poor and it was decided instead to build at Alconbury. As RAF No 8 Group required more airfields in the area, an exchange was arranged whereby Little Staughton would be returned to RAF control and the new airfield at Harrington allocated for USAAF use.

The RAF officially took over Little Staughton on March 1, 1944. On April l, the `C' Flights of No. 7 Squadron at Oakington and No. 156 Squadron at Upwood were transferred with their Lancasters to Little Staughton to form No. 582 Squadron. Next day, No. 109 Squadron with its Mosquitos came in from Marham. These two squadrons were to be the only occupants of the station for the remainder of hostilities. No. 582 flew its first raid on the night of April 9/10, 1944 and its last on April 25, 1945, a total of 165 raids during which it lost 28 Lancasters.

Two Victoria Crosses were awarded posthumously to Little Staughton airmen. On December 23, 1944, Squadron Leader Robert Palmer, a No. 109 Squadron pilot flying a No. 582 Lancaster, perished after determinedly attacking the target despite crippling damage to his aircraft. Then on the night of February 23/24, 1945, Captain Edwin Swales of No. 582 Squadron lost his life in a gallant effort to save both his crew and aircraft.

No. 109 Squadron flew its last sorties on the night of May 2/3, 1945 and was disbanded at Little Staughton at the end of September, No. 582 Squadron having been disbanded earlier that month. A total of 57 Bomber Command aircraft were lost in offensive operations from this station; 34 Lancasters and 23 Mosquitos. A state of care and maintenance then descended on the station and agricultural use was made of the land not covered with concrete.

In the `fifties the airfield was one of a number turned over to the USAF for upgrading and the main runway was increased to 3,000 yards and other work carried out to enable jet aircraft to use the base in an emergency. Although the USAF departed in the late fifties, the runway was maintained in good condition for several years and for a period the airfield was used by Brooklands Aviation as a repair depot.

www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s101.html