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‘World War 2 Treasure Hunters’ TV Series Duxford Airfield Duxford, Cambridgeshire Client: Date: July 2018 Series 1, Episode 4 Metal Detector Survey & Test Pit Report SACIC Report No. 2017/117 Authors: Timothy Schofield, Mark Sommers & Stephen Taylor © SACIC Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambridgeshire World War 2 Treasure Hunters Series 1, Episode 4 Metal Detector Survey & Test Pit Report Authors: Timothy Schofield, Mark Sommers, Stephen Taylor Illustrators: Timothy Schofield, Mark Sommers, Rui Santo Editor: Stuart Boulter Report Date: July 2018 HER Information Site Name: Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambridgeshire Date of Fieldwork: 18th – 19th June 2017 Grid Reference: Dump Site 1: TL 4830 4710 Dump Site 2: TL 4470 4510 Oasis Reference: suffolka1-323354 Project Officers: Timothy Schofield, Mark Sommers WWII Finds Expert: Stephen Taylor Client: Emporium Productions Ltd Digital report submitted to Archaeological Data Service: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit Prepared By: Timothy Schofield, Mark Sommers & Stephen Taylor Date: July 2018 Approved By: Stuart Boulter Position: Senior Project officer Date: July 2018 Signed: Contents Summary 1. Introduction 1 2. Geology and topography 3 3. Archaeological background 4 4. Methodology 6 5. Results and discussion 7 6. Conclusion 10 7. Archive deposition 10 8. Acknowledgements 10 9. Bibliography 11 List of Figures Figure 1. Site location 2 Figure 2. Duxford, Dump Site 1 – Test Pit 1 12 Figure 3. Duxford, Dump Site 2 – Test Pit 2 and metal detector findspots 14 Figure 4. Plans and Sections, Dump Sites 1 & 2 16 List of Appendices Appendix 1. Finds from Duxford Appendix 2. OASIS form Summary On the 18th and 19th June 2017, Suffolk Archaeology Community Interest Company (SACIC) undertook a metal detector survey and a test pitting exercise on two suspected rubbish dump sites near Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. The aim of the project was to prospect, record and recover finds relating to the WW2 airfield, that was used by both the RAF and USAAF during the war. Dump Site 1 was located to the east of the airfield, Dump Site 2 was situated on private land at the end of the runway to the west. The metal detector survey was undertaken over the entire extent of the two areas and returned some WW2 finds relating to the RAF, further finds were recovered during the test pitting exercise which determined the depth of deposits. 1. Introduction On the 18th and 19th June 2017 a metal detector survey and a test pitting exercise were undertaken at two suspected rubbish dump sites to the east and west of Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambridgeshire (Fig. 1). The surveys were overseen by Suffolk Archaeology Community Interest Company (SACIC) and commissioned by Emporium Productions Ltd, as part of a television series investigating the history of WW2 sites, with this episode set at Duxford Airfield. The specific research aims of the metal detector survey and test pitting exercise were: • To confirm the presence of the two dump sites to the east and west of Duxford Airfield; • To define the extent of the dump sites; • To recover artefacts relating to the WW2 airfield; • To recover artefacts that could reveal activities relating to the WW2 airfield and its personnel. 1 Figure 1. Site location 2 2. Geology and topography Two separate areas were surveyed at Duxford. Dump Site 1 was located to the east of the airfield and to the south of the A505 in Cambridgeshire (TL 4830 4710), within a wooded copse and immediately west of the railway line. It is situated on the side of a slope that rises from 29m AOD on its southern border up to a height of 32m AOD, as it nears the A505 on its northern boundary. Dump Site 2 (TL 4470 4510) was situated on private property at a height of 36m AOD, bounded to the north by the A505, to the west by a field reclaimed back from a former landfill site used from 1957 to 1987. It is approximately 850m from the end of the current Duxford runway. The bedrock geology at both sites is described as Holywell Nodular Chalk Formation, a sedimentary deposit formed 90 to 101 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period, when the environment was dominated by warm shallow chalk seas (BGS 2018). Superficial deposits at Dump Site 1 are defined as Lowestoft Formation sand and gravel, deposited up to 2 million years ago in the Quaternary Period during glacial and interglacial periods (BGS 2018). The superficial deposits at Dump Site 2 are alluvial fan deposits of clay, silt, sand and gravel, formed up to 3 million years ago in the Quaternary Period when the local environment was dominated by rivers depositing detrital fluvia from channels, floodplains and levees (BGS 2018). 3 3. Archaeological background Duxford Aerodrome is located 15km south of the City of Cambridge, within the Parish of Duxford, Cambridgeshire and lies 1.6km west of the village of Duxford. Many of the buildings began to be constructed in 1918 by German prisoners of war. It housed 8 Squadron in 1919–1920 who were equipped with Bristol Fighters, followed by No. 2 Flying Training School RAF until April 1923, when 19 Squadron was formed in Duxford, who flew the Sopwith Snipes. By 1925, Duxford's three fighter squadrons had expanded to include the Gloster Grebes and Armstrong Whitworth Siskins. No.19 Squadron was re-equipped with Bristol Bulldogs in 1931 and in 1935 it was the first squadron to fly the Gloster Gauntlet, the RAF's fastest new fighter capable of 230 mph (375 km/h). The station was enlarged between 1928 and 1932. In 1935, Duxford was the venue for the Silver Jubilee Review before King George V and Queen Mary, the resident squadron still being No. 19 who gave a special demonstration for the King over Duxford. In 1936, Flight Lieutenant Frank Whittle, who was studying at Cambridge University, flew regularly from Duxford as a member of the Cambridge University Air Squadron. Whittle went on to develop the jet turbine to power aircraft, enabling Britain to produce the Gloster Meteor, which was the Allies' first operational jet fighter in 1943. In 1938, No. 19 Squadron were the first to receive the Supermarine Spitfire, K9789, the third production Spitfire was presented on the 4th August 1938, by the chief test pilot Jeffrey Quill. On the 3rd September 1939 Britain declared war on Germany and Duxford was readied to play a vital role. By June 1940, Belgium, the Netherlands and France were under German control with Britain as their next objective (Operation Sea Lion), Duxford was placed on a high state of readiness. To create space for additional units, 19 Squadron moved to nearby Fowlmere. Hurricanes first arrived at Duxford in July 1940, with the formation of 310 Squadron, consisting of Czechoslovakian pilots who had escaped from France. At the end of August, Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, the commander of No. 12 Group, ordered the Hurricanes of 242 Squadron commanded by Douglas Bader to fly from RAF Coltishall joining No. 19 and 310 Squadrons on standby at 4 Duxford. These units, led by Bader, became known as the "Duxford Wing", the first of 12 Group's "Big Wing" formations. On the 9th September 1940, the Duxford squadrons successfully intercepted and turned back a large force of German bombers before they reached their target, proving Duxford's importance. Two more squadrons were then added, No. 302 (Polish) Squadron RAF with Hurricanes, and the Spitfires of No. 611 Auxiliary Squadron who had mobilised at Duxford the year before. Duxford became the home of several specialist units, including the Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU), who moved to the station at the end of 1940. The AFDU's equipment included captured German aircraft, restored to flying condition for evaluation. Duxford was important in developing the Hawker Typhoon, a formidable low-level ground attack fighter. They also suggested replacing the engine of a Mk1 North American P-51 Mustang, with the famous Merlin. The Typhoon Wing was formed in 1942 with their first operation taking place on the 20th June 1942. The USAAF 350th Fighter Group (Eighth Air Force) was activated by special authority at Duxford on the 1st October 1942, with a nucleus of Bell P-39 Airacobra pilots providing ground attack options for the Twelfth Air Force in the forthcoming Operation Torch (the invasion of North Africa). Initially, the group received export versions of the Airacobra known as the P-400, and a few Spitfires. The air echelon moved to Oujda, French Morocco from January to February 1943. In April 1943, the 78th Fighter Group arrived from RAF Goxhill who gave up their Lockheed P-38 Lightnings to units fighting in North Africa, most of the pilots were also transferred to the Twelfth Air Force as replacements. The group was re-equipped with Republic P-47C Thunderbolts and remained at Duxford, their aircraft were marked with a black/white chequerboard pattern. After this the last RAF units moved out on the 15th June 1943; Duxford was officially handed over to the Eighth Air Force as "Station 357 (DX)" until the end of the war. A few weeks after the departure of the 78th Fighter Group on the 1st December 1945, Duxford was returned to the RAF. For the next sixteen years, it remained an RAF Fighter Command station, although it was closed for two years from October 1949 to have a single concrete runway laid. This, together with a new perimeter track and 5 apron allowed for the better handling of jet aircraft, with which Fighter Command was re-equipping. Duxford reopened in August 1951 and in 1957, 64 Squadron operated Gloster Javelins and 65 Squadron flew Hawker Hunters.

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