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Bomber Command     8 Group by Kim Chetwyn 101 Sqn 15 Sqn 97 Sqn 105 Sqn 162 Sqn

 

Bourn Airfield 'the aerodrome', as it was then, was constructed for Bomber Command in 1940 as a satellite airfield for nearby Oakington. From 23rd July 1941 it was used by 101 Sqn Wellingtons for training purposes and in October of that year both 101 Sqn and 7 Sqn used the airfield when Oakington became unavailable. On April 9th 1941, the airfield was subjected to its first of four intruder raids when a Junkers Ju88C strafed the airfield buildings and placed its bomb-load accurately on the runway before streaking away east. However, little damage was caused and there were no reported injuries. On 3rd October 1942 Stirling I N6085 of 7 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter as it joined the landing circuit with the loss of four of the crew . Two further intruder raids on the 8th and 23rd May 1944 were made, the latter damaging two parked Mosquitoes. In February 1942, the airfield, now fully operational, became the home station for 101 Sqn flying Wellingtons. Between then and the end of the war, five squadrons flew from the airfield. In addition, there was an Operational Training Unit detachment (23 OTU) brought in from Pershore for the 1,000 bomber raids, one attached Heavy Conversion Flight and a Bomber Defence Training Flight (BDTF), equipped with Spitfires and Hurricanes. Regular visitors included a three-day stopover of 609 Sqn Typhoons in August 1942 and the frequent Mosquitoes of 1409 Flt, normally based at Wyton for the purpose of meteorological and photographic reconnaisance. Bostons, P-51 Mustangs and USAAF B-17s and B-24s also landed at the field, often in distress. As the strategic bombing offensive intensified the losses mounted. By by 4 April 1945, the last operational sortie, 164 aircraft had been lost, either from the squadrons based at Bourn or from others trying, and failing, to get in on the field. The average age of aircrew was 23 but over a third of these were under 20 years of age. Of the 886 listed names, 648, (72.%), were killed. In addition, many of the 35 injured subsequently died of their wounds. The number killed is probably greater than that for the entire population of the village at the time. It is not known whether or not aircrew Returned to Unit (RTU), following crashes were able to continue their duties. On 15th April 1944 Bourn became one of the Pathfinder (PFF) airfields within the newly formed 8 Group. This followed a prolonged and heated series of arguments between the Air Ministry and C-in-C Bomber Command, Sir Arthur Harris, who was, at first strongly opposed to the idea. The background to this initiative was to improve navigational and bombing results which had, up to then, been at best inconsistent. It was proposed that other bomber squadrons transfer their best crews to the Pathfinder Force (PFF) who would identify the target in advance of the Main Force and mark the aiming points with target indicators (TI) as well as conventional bombs. Other navigational and bombing aids such as Oboe, Gee, H2S, H2X and GH were also incorporated as development in radio direction finding (later to be termed radar), became more sophisticated. However, Main Force groups were, for the most part, reluctant to release their most experienced crews and, coupled with equipment difficulties, it was a number of months before the PFF force could live up to its expectations. Whereas a normal tour of operations for Bomber Command aircrew was 30, followed, in most cases, by a second tour of 20 operations, PFF crews were required to complete a single tour of 45 operations. Statistically not a good prospect. 97 Sqn suffered the worst night in their history on the night of 16th-17th December 1943 when 21 Lancasters set out for Berlin. Only one, (JA963) was hit over the target with the loss of all seven crew. The remaining twenty, turned thankfully for home. Britain, however, was cloaked in thick fog and clear airfields were few and far between. The Lancasters, many damaged and now very low on fuel, circled the village vainly waiting as some companions tried to get in to Bourn using SBA (Side Beam Approach), but time ran out. Very few airfields at this time were equipped with FIDO, the fog dispersal system. Eight of Bourn's 97 Sqn Lancasters came down on fields and woods in the surrounding area. 36 aircrew were killed and a further six seriously injured. It is believed that the poor visibility that night was a major factor in the fate of at least 40 of the 62 aircraft Bomber Command lost that night. 97 Squadron's Lancasters were replaced by the Mosquito IXs of 105 Sqn in March 1944. These Oboe equipped aircraft were able to identify targets with great precision and then mark them accurately. The bomb-load of this remarkable aircraft was the same as that of an American B-17 four-engined bomber. It was also over 80mph faster. In December 1944, 162 sqn was formed at Bourn with Canadian-built Mosquito XXs and XXVs these were equipped with H2S and flew almost nightly to Berlin target marking for the Light Night Striking Force. For much of the rest of the war the two squadrons operated together from Bourn. From 1941 to the end of the war damaged Stirlings were repaired, re-constructed and test-flown from Bourn. These were transported to the airfield from the Sebro factory near Madingley which later continued its work with RAF and USAAF, B-24 Liberators. The Bourn and Madingley units together employed up to 4500 personnel. The airfield remained in RAF hands being passed on to Maintenance Command in 1947. By 1948 the station was closed. The last sections were sold off for agricultural use in 1961. Now the Rural Flying Corps (RFC) uses part of the runway for light aircraft while small industrial developments occupy other areas of the original site. On Bank Holidays Bourn Market uses much of the old runways for stalls. Our village sign features the Avro Lancaster JB659 OF-J of 97 (Straits Settlement) Squadron. The remarkable story on the loss and rediscovery of this aircraft is told in a recent article by Murial Harris. Perhaps the greatest irony of all is that Bomber Command's persistent and intensive efforts to penetrate the industrial haze and formidible defences of the Ruhr, and in particular to destroy the Krupps Steel works, was never fully realised. Now, a branch of Krupps Steel is based at the eastern end of the airfield. Ces't la guerre.

Bourn-based squadrons and loss information.