Bicester

[canberra]

Someone mentioned Bicester being a grass airfield so it wouldnt have done much on the 1000 bomber raids, well Scampton was grass when 617 were based there in 1943!

As for Woodhall Spa, wasnt it a Bloodhound base?

[PNK]

Isn't there footage of three Lanc's taking off side by side from a grass airfield? It's often forgotten that some of the key bomber bases didn't get runways until mid war, whereas new builds got them form the start by then.

[WJT]

Wasn't the three-Lanc takeoff shown in the Dams film - that part filmed at Kirton-in-Lindsey?

[canberra]

It certainly was.

[Balders]

Managed to persuade the missus to let me take a detour yesterday after she had subjected me to three hours of shopping at Bicester Village.I was surprised at how small the technical site is and how little has changed.Hope the pics come out ok.The first two pics are taken from the main gate.The first pic was taken in 1996.

and now

control tower

Guard House

Hangers




SHQ

Does anyone have any closeups of the control tower and aerial views.What is going to happen to the site?

[PNK]

Three hours shopping for half an hour airfield viewing. Is that the current exchange rate? I got the impression it was being put forward for preservation, whatever that means. It certainly has a lot worth preserving. Did you make sure you had no serving personnel in the photo's

[Balders]

The technical site is fenced off and empty.The area by the hangers and control tower is now owned by the windrush gliding club which at least means that bit should be safe.I have just read on the internet that there is a possibility that the technical site will be turned into a museum.The site is also a conservation area.The admin bit on the other side of the rd is still mod owned and used.

[canberra]

RAF Bicester re-opened in the late nineties for a couple of years, but it was called Caversfield or some such name.

[WJT]

The bit of Bicester which became known as MOD Caversfield is the former domestic site, across the road from the bits shown in the pictures. The barrack blocks etc were converted into office accommodation etc to house the Defence Clothing and Textile Agency - DCTA. If I remember correctly it was still there a year or two ago when I was last past Bicester.

[norwichpaul]

Balders if I may correct you slightly, the gliding club leases the land from Defence Estates. Currently there are no plans to turn the tech site into a museum. The site is under consideration to be offered back to the original land owners under crichel down rules, failing that it will be sold on the open market and any potential museum will have to place their tender in for for it along with any other developer. The airfield and tech site is indeed a conservation area.