Tempsford

[airfields man]

Great photograph of this Control Tower NJR. What a shame that it is no-longer there !! I drive past Tempsford most thursdays and often stop to look across the airfield, I can't explain what it is, but I always get that maudlin feeling. there never seems to be any noise at all just a quiet/still sensation. It was the same on our first visit in 1987/8. The memorial board was stolen during the 90s but of-course replaced. This week I'll photograph the pub that was a regular by the airfields residents, also some of the agents, but sadly only for some on the one occasion.

This is the pub, it's right alongside the A1 opposite the airfield. Found-out today that this pub was also a favorite and has wartime photographs etc inside. Sadly it was closed at the time of my visit. It's opposite the church.

[Revodes21]

Hi Guys,
I was attending a meeting at the Shuttleworth Collection recently and afterwards I was lucky enough to be in on a guided tour of the hangars by one of the resident pilots who had flown most of the exhibits. He was able to describe in frightening detail the many and varied demands of these aircraft particularly during the take off and landing phase. Given that the aircraft there span virtually the whole history of mans powered flight perhaps it is not surprising that they all require very different skills and some demand pilots with four arms too. Anyway, one of their prized aircraft is the Westland Lysander and this aircraft is dear to the hearts of any Tempsford afficionado (if that is the right word). If anybody is interested I can post my recollections of his talk on the "Lizzie", it is nothing you can't find out for yourself or read somewhere I suppose but to think what the pilots had to cope with during such a downright frightening mission really made me stop and think about the cost of the freedom we enjoy today.
Cheers,
John

[captainflynn23]

I took this while enroute from Duxford back home to Cranfield on September 28th 2011..

RAF Tempesford

[Friend]

Does anybody know anything about the ammunition dump that was located abou 3km southeast of RAF Tempsford at TL 206197?
A 1944 aerial photograph of the dump is attached. There are clearly roadways and storage buildings. There is anecdotal evidence that the dump had a narrow gauge railway and that PoWs may have assisted in moving ammunition.
It appears that this is one of two in the area as part of the grounds of the RSPB's 'The Lodge' were also utilised.
At this time the land was part of the Deepdale Estate and was presumably requisitioned.

[Carnaby]

... 3km southeast of RAF Tempsford at TL 206197?

Something wrong with that NGR, Friend. It's about 20km away.

[Jenna]

Friend that's the ww2 Sandy Heath 'Training Area' (photograph needs rotating 90' right for north up). TL206497 is the Northern Camp.

I don't have much information on the site as its been largely removed by the sand extraction of the heath over the last 15 years. There was land survey carried out by Lafarge in 2000(ish) when they wished to extend but they were more interested in Anglo Saxon than WWII and largely dismissed the use from this period. The modern 'Sandy Heath' transmitter was put up in 1966 and that too wiped out the eastern camp remains, AFAIK there is still some of the northern camp in the woods (access from Deepdale B1042) and possibly a little off the long ride which you can get too from the footpath in the lay-by on Everton Road opposite Everton Park.

There was a Allan Williams turret recorded at TL20554930 some years ago but I haven't personally seen it.

If you have any documentation in relation to the site please PM me as I would be nice to add that to the local archive.

[Friend]

Sorry for the delay in replying, I have been away.
Yes, that is correct - I must have put in a 1 instead of a 4. I had intended TL206497. See also the post below with the oriented superimposed phot from Jenna.
In comparison with other camps, the dispersal here with staggered huts looks interesting and does not appear to be typical of accommodation areas. The way things are partly hidden amongst the trees suggest that something else was going on there as well.

[Jenna]

Ok I think I can add a little info on the Sandy Heath site now....

In Des Turner's excellent book 'SOE's Secret Weapons Centre' (I think Des is a member of the forum by the way!) he states there was a site... 84 Command AD,Sandy,Beds. and one of its key roles was to act as an explosive/arms/equipment store for SOE Station12 (Aston House, cover ID E.S.6,(WD)) just down the A1 on the southern tip of the modern town of Stevenage.