Chelveston
CHELVESTON: Military aerodrome
Military user: WW2: 8th USAAF 40th Bombardment Wing
305th Bomb Group
352, 364, 365, 366 & 422 Sqdns (Boeing B.17 Flying Fortresses)
Post 1945: USAF & USAFE 42nd TRS
Location: 6nm S of Thrapston, 2nm SSE of Caldecott village
Period of operation: 1941 to late 1980s?
Runways: WW2 06/24 1828x46 hard 18/36 1270x46 hard
12/30 1097x46 hard
From 1952: 05/23 (?) 3048 hard
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for providing the following maps and pictures etc. I think this should be divided into two seperate sections - WW2 and post WW2. I think it must be fairly unusual that during the extensive reconstruction of the airfield, in 1952, it looks as if virtually all traces of the WW2 runways layout have been removed.
The first and third pictures are from the Mighty Eighth War Manual by Roger A Freeman.
Note: The Google Earth © view has the 1952 runway superimposed.
FROM 1952 ONWARDS
Note: Items from 'Glory Days' by Col. Wolfgang W E Samuel are simply named 'Glory Days'.
All these from 'Glory Days'.
The RB-66C photo is from 'Glory Days', and the local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: As a young lad living next to London Airport during the 'Cold War' I had almost no idea about what was going on in 'the bigger picture'. Wasn't taking too much interest in military aircraft, but we (the spotters) liked to think we were up to speed on those types. Have no recollection of the RB-66 type. Boeing B-47 Stratojets and B-52s Superfortresses, plus the fighter/fighter bombers we knew well. Could spot them a mile off.
It is difficult if not impossible to remember in detail what we lads, grouped around the southern approach to London Airport near Hatton Cross, thought about - if it ever entered our minds (?), regarding the 'Cold War'. We were watching Aeroflot TU-104s coming in every day, and I had an uncle flying the Comet 4B for BEA regularly going to Moscow.
These days, being much older, (but not perhaps wiser?), I struggle to understand what was really going on. It doesn't make much if any sense. The 'gung ho' USA were, without any doubt, the instigators and aggressors in the 'Cold War', spending zillions of their dollars on their military might. Getting their sums seriously wrong about Soviet capabilities. And of course, by that time, both sides knowing that neither side could win in a nuclear war.
So what was it all about. going on for so long, when those resources could have been spent in greatly improving the living standards for all of us, especially those in the 'Third World'.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2017-12-25 20:16:09A main runway some 10,000ft (3048m) long was built in the '50s to accomodate SAC rotations of B47 bombers. When I visited in 1970 it was still there but has since been dug up.
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