Premises, Sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum used for Military Purposes in the 20th Century The following listing attempts to identify those premises and sites that were used for military purposes during the 20th Century. The listing is very much a works in progress document so if you are aware of any other sites or premises within 30 miles of Harrington, Northamptonshire, then we would very much appreciate receiving details of them. Similarly if you spot any errors, or have further information on those premises/sites that are listed then we would be pleased to hear from you. Please use the reporting sheets at the end of this document and send or email to the Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Sunnyvale Farm, Harrington, Northampton, NN6 9PF, [email protected] We hope that you find this document of interest. Village/ Town Name of Location / Address Distance to Period used Use Premises Museum Abthorpe SP 646 464 34.8 km World War 2 ANTI AIRCRAFT SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY Northamptonshire The site of a World War II searchlight battery. The site is known to have had a generator and Nissen huts. It was probably constructed between 1939 and 1945 but the site had been destroyed by the time of the Defence of Britain survey. Ailsworth Manor House Cambridgeshire World War 2 HOME GUARD STORE A Company of the 2nd (Peterborough) Battalion Northamptonshire Home Guard used two rooms and a cellar for a company store at the Manor House at Ailsworth Alconbury RAF Alconbury TL 211 767 44.3 km 1938 - 1995 AIRFIELD Huntingdonshire It was previously named 'RAF Abbots Ripton' from 1938 to 9 September 1942 while under RAF Bomber Command control. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) called the facility Alconbury Airdrome, USAAF Station No. 102 from 9 September 1942 – July 1945, then simply USAAF Station No. 102, until 26 November 1945. In addition to being an operational bomber base, RAF Alconbury served as the flying field for the 2d Strategic Air Depot at RAF Abbots Ripton (station 547), which served the B-17 groups of the 1st Air Division as a major maintenance base. USAAF Station No. 547 Abbots Ripton, home of 2nd Strategic Air Depot is now the current-day active portion of RAF Alconbury, the former airfield part of Alconbury being the Second World War Alconbury Airdrome. Resident flying units As RAF Wyton satellite 139 Sqdn with Battles 15 Sqdn with Bristol Blenheims (14.4.40 - ?) 40 Sqdn with Wellingtons (Feb 41 – 14.2.42) 156 Sqdn with Wellingtons (14.2.42 – Aug 42) 357th Air Services Sqdn (Aug 42 – Version 10.12..2016 Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Harrington, NN6 9PF, UK email: [email protected] 1 Premises, Sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum used for Military Purposes in the 20th Century Village/ Town Name of Location / Address Distance to Period used Use Premises Museum 93rd Bombardment Group with B-24 Liberators, tail code “Circle B” 92nd Bombardment Group with B-17 Flying Fortresses, tail code “Triangle B” 95th Bombardment Group with B-17 Flying Fortresses, tail bode “Square B” 482nd Bombardment Group with B-17s and B-24s 801st Bombardment Group with specially modified B24 Liberators on Operation Carpetbagger 36th Bomb Squadron with specially equipped B-24 Liberators and P-38 Lightnings which were used for electronic warfare 857th Bomb Sqdn with B-24s transferred from Harrington, (11.6.45 – 6.8.45) 652nd Bomb Sqdn with specially equipped B-17s used for weather reconnaissance (11.6.45 – 25.10.45) 86th Bombardment Sqdn with B-45A Tornado and B-66 Destroyer aircraft 42nd Troop Carrier Squadron with a mixed fleet of C-119 Flying Boxcar, Grumman SA-16A Amphibians, C-54s and C-47 Dakotas. 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Sqdn with WB-50D Superfortresses 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing with RF-80A Shooting Stars and RB-26C Invader reconnaissance aircraft followed by RB-66 and RF-4C Phantom aircraft 527th Aggressor Sqdn with F-5E aircraft specially painted to resemble Soviet Block aircraft 17th Reconnaisance Wing with the TR-1A and U2 aircraft 10th Tactical Fighter Wing with A-10 Tankbusters 352nd Special Operations Group with both rotary and fixed wing aircraft. These transferred to RAF Mildenhall on 17th February 1995 and marked the end of flying from RAF Alconbury Alderton SP 729 477 31.5 km World War 2 BOMBING RANGE Northamptonshire Althorpe Althorpe Park SP 68 65 16.5 km DRILL HALL Northamptonshire Home of 1st Volunteer Bn Northamptonshire Regt. Location of actual drill hall unknown Althorpe SP 693 650 15.8 km World War 2 ANTI AIRCRAFT SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY Northamptonshire A searchlight battery from World War II. On the list from Northamptonshire SMR where it is known only from documentary sources. It was probably constructed between 1939 and 1945 but its condition is uncertain at the time of the Defence of Britain survey. The site was operated by the 467 S/L Version 10.12..2016 Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Harrington, NN6 9PF, UK email: [email protected] 2 Premises, Sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum used for Military Purposes in the 20th Century Village/ Town Name of Location / Address Distance to Period used Use Premises Museum Battery 73 S/L Regiment. Anstey Leicestershire World War 2 HOME GUARD HEADQUARTERS Anstey was the Platoon HQ of No 15 Platoon, D (Anstey, Newtown, Groby & Markfieldt) Company, 3rd (West Leicester) Battalion, Leicestershire Home Guard Sept/Oct 1940 Anstey Anstey Camp SK 545 085 36.7 km 1940 ARMY CAMP SK 552 086 Nissen huts and wooden buildings used as Store for REME and RAMC Leicestershire records Ansty RAF Ansty SP 402 814 36.6 km AIRFIELD Ansty, Coventry, The airfield opened in 1936 and was mainly used for Training Schools that Warwickshire taught navigation and flying to new recruits using a varied range of aircraft including Tiger Moths and Avro Ansons. After training a large number of pupils it closed in 1953. The first bombs of the war, dropped in the vicinity of Coventry, were 5 bombs dropped on RAF Ansty on 25th June 1940, there were no casualties. Rolls Royce now occupy the majority of the site as an engine overhaul and repair facility Resident Flying Units No 9 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School (1936 – 1939) with Ansons, Hawker Harts, Hawker Hinds, Tiger Moths & Cloud aircraft. It was renamed No 9 Elementary Flying Training School in Sept 1939 mainly using Tiger Moths No 4 Civilian Air Navigation School with Ansons between 1938 & 1939 when it was renamed as No 4 Air Observer Navigation School using Blackburn Bothas as an additional aircraft type. This moved to another airfield in July 1940 After World War 2 the airfield hosted No 2 Basic Flying Training School RAF from March 1951 – March 1953 Arthingworth Manor House SP 755 816 2.9 km World War 2 TROOP BILLET Homefarm Grove, 9 Support Group were at the Manor House during World War 2 Arthingworth Northamptonshire Arthingworth Kelmarsh SP 745 807 2.8 km 1937 - AVIATION FUEL STORAGE DEPOT Version 10.12..2016 Carpetbagger Aviation Museum, Harrington, NN6 9PF, UK email: [email protected] 3 Premises, Sites etc within 30 miles of Harrington Museum used for Military Purposes in the 20th Century Village/ Town Name of Location / Address Distance to Period used Use Premises Museum parish Aviation Fuel Northamptonshire By 1942 the expanding RAF needed tremendous backup with stores, spares Depot and equipment of all kinds. Maintenance Units were established as more airfields opened. Maintenance Units supplied almost everything to the RAF. Supply of aviation fuel and oil was undertaken by the Petroleum Board (a consortium of the major oil companies) and one of the key depots in the North Midland Region was at Kelmarsh, which had a capacity of 15,000 tons of fuel, supplied entirely by rail. Distribution was by road tanker, and 142,201 tons of aviation fuel passed through the depot during 1944. A smaller depot was located at Peterborough. Later the depot was linked to other fuel storage depots and airfields by underground fuel pipelines 2085 Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation), a black soldier unit believed to operate from here during WW2 Built in 1937 and extended in 1942 with 7 tanks holding 15,200 tons of fuel. Site was mothballed in the early 1990’s Arthingworth Arthingworth SP 752 813 2.8 km World War 2 MILITARY TRAINING CENTRE (TROOPS/TANKS) & FIRING RANGE Troop parish Hall Northamptonshire retraining in the early years of the war with up to 1,000 men stationed in the village. Arrived via Kelmarsh station. "Much of the training was concerned with the testing and use of tanks and there was a firing range westwards from Hall Field across the river". Also reference to racial discrimination re US black troops at Arthingworth pub. Various regiments including a Ghurkha one which kept its own sheep at Hall Farm. Arthingworth Kelmarsh SP 746 804 2.6 km World War 2 ROAD BLOCK Parish Railway Station Northamptonshire One of the road blocks constructed by Northamptonshire County Council by mid-July 1940, on behalf of the Central Midland Command. It was constructed on a site approved by the CRE Warwickshire District. The carriageway was not permanently blocked but steel stanchions and/or sand bags and lump stone were provided in order to close the road quickly in the event of an emergency. On Kelmarsh - Arthingworth road, at E end of railway bridge nr. Kelmarsh station Asfordby SK 718 196 40.9 km 1918 - 1971 GOVERNMENT GUN PROOFING RANGE Leicestershire In July 1918 the Midland Railway were asked to modify the "North Sidings" near Asfordby to accommodate a Government Gun Proof Range as requested by the Ministry of Munitions.