# RAF Upwood, Cambridgeshire, December 2016



## HughieD (Dec 12, 2016)

"Oh no!" I hear you all cry.."not _another_ report from Upwood".

*1. The History:*

RAF Upwood is a former RAF base located next to the village of Upwood, Cambridgeshire. It was one of three bases used by United States Air Force and was a “non-flying station” from 1981. 

Its origins date back to World War One when the Royal Flying Corps requisitioned farmland near the village of Upwood in 1917. Opening in September of that year it was originally named RAF Ramsey after the larger nearby market town of the same name. It was used by No. 75 Squadron as a night-landing ground and satellite field, who flew BE.2 biplanes out of nearby Elmswell, Suffolk. Later Squadrons No.191 and 192 were also allocated to the base, flying BE.2s and DH.6s. By the summer of 1918, although boasting no permanent structures, it had a number of huts and five hangars. Around this time it was also renamed RAF Upwood. At the end of the war in November the squadrons were disbanded the following year in 1919 and the site cleared and the land returned to the local community 

In 1934 a major expansion of the RAF led to the reactivating of RAF Upwood on the former First World War airfield site. It was designed to accommodate two medium bomber squadrons with capacity for a third if required. The first flying unit arrived at Upwood three years later in the shape of two training squadrons (No.52 and No.63) and their Hawker Hinds and Hawker Audaxes. Two years later No. 90 Squadron flying Bristol Blenheims was added to the base’s roster. After the Second World War started the Blenheims spent most of their time in air-to-air firing and bombing practice. They were joined in February 1940 by No. 35 Squadron, flying both Blenheims and Ansons. Although the squadrons at Upwood did not directly take part in the war the airfield was attacked by the Luftwaffe, twice in 1940 and once in 1942, killing just one person.

Since opening in 1937, Upwood saw periods where flying operations were either curtailed or halted altogether due to the grass airfield being unserviceable caused by the levels of rain and general dampness of the area. In April 1943, all its squadrons relocated leaving Upwood with no aircraft. The RAF took this opportunity to begin construction of three concrete runways which were completed later that year in October. It was without aircraft for about nine months until No 139 Squadron arrived in January 1944 with their De Havilland Mosquitoes with No.156 Squadron and their Avro Lancasters following two months later. Both flew bombing operations over Germany and one of No.156 Squadron’s Mosquitoes famed to have dropped the last ever bomb on war-time Germany. In its wartime heyday Upwood had over 2,500 people stationed on the base. Casualties were high with over 200 aircrew from the two squadrons losing their lives during operations.


After the war had ended No 156 Squadron left to be replaced by No 105 Squadron who also flew Mosquitos. Both 105 and 139 Squadrons continued flying from RAF Upwood until February 1946. Upwood remained active with two squadrons of Lancasters arriving as Upwood made the transition from a training to an attack mission. Four squadrons were flying Lancs out of the base until 1949 when they were moved over to Avro Lincolns. During 1954 each of the four squadrons were deployed to either RAF Tengah in Singapore in support of anti-communist operations in Malaysia or to Kenya in support of operations against the Mau Mau. Having lost one of its squadrons of Lancasters the year before, in 1955, No. 18 Squadron arrived with their English Electric Canberra jet bombers. Over the next few years all of the Lancaster squadrons were disbanded and replaced by more units of Canberras.

The base flew operations over Cyprus in October 1956 in support of ‘Operation Alacrity’ and in early November Upwood’s Canberra’s took part in raids on various targets in Egypt - the first combat operations by Upwood-aircraft since the Second World War. Over the next two years there was a slow winding-down of flying operations at Upwood. The base was transferred to RAF Strike Command who quickly set about transforming the airfield into a hub of various support activities including a Radio Technical Publications Squadron, the Aeromedical Training Centre, the Joint School of Photographic Interpretation and three squadrons of HQ No 33 Field Wing. These all then departed in 1963 and 1964 leaving Upwood with only a token care-taker staff. This lull in the base was short-lived as in March 1964 various training groups arrived including the School of Management and Work Study, the School of Education and the RAF Central Library. These various training activities remained until the late 1970s and by 1981, the station was again effectively dormant.

RAF usage ended in 1981 and Upwood was handed over to United States Air Force (USAF). However, the base was given yet another lease of life when the USAF’s 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing took up residence in December 1981 as Upwood became a satellite station of RAF Alconbury, providing housing and support services for personnel stationed there. In 1986, a multimillion-dollar medical facility was opened to provide out-patient services to American military members and dependents in the area. With the end of the Cold War in 1991, RAF Alconbury went into phase-down and Upwood returned to British government control in September 1995. In 2005 the last of the USAF families had vacated Upwood’s housing facilities although the medical facilities remained until January 2007 courtesy of the 423rd Medical Squadron. In October 2012 the medical facilities closed their doors to patients for the last time. The site was cleared in October 2015 to make way for private housing. The remaining buildings have been extensively vandalised with many having been set on fire. Omni Security patrol the site and put a new set of gates in just before the Guard room and Head quarters buildings. The gates are open during the day for access to Turbine Motor works and shut and locked at evenings and weekends.

*2. The Explore:*

So, yes the world and his wife have been round Upwood. I must be the last person to go round here as this was my first time. It’s been stripped, trashed and graffed and reported on more times you can shake a stick at. Despite all that it’s a fascinating place partially down to its sheer size. Was passing nearby with work with a narrow window of opportunity so I thought why not! It was a walk in so no issues there. With the place being so vast and far gone it’s difficult to make it look interesting but I’ve tried my hardest. At least the weather was on my side!

*3. The Pictures:*


img9216 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9221 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9273 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9217 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The firebugs have been in pretty regularly by the look of it:


img9218 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Peeling paint-porn!


img9219 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9222 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9225 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9234 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9227 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9230 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A jigglypuff!


img9228 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9229 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a pikachou!


img9231 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Staircase porn!


img9233 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9235 by HughieDW, on Flickr

More quality graff:


img9236 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9238 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9274 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And it’s also about those corridors:


img9243 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Sooo many parquet floors too!


img9244 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9246 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9247 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Truly trashed…


img9248 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Let’s not forget those tanks!


img9253 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9257 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9259 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9260 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9264 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9265 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9267 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9268 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Tank no.2:


img9269 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9272 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


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## mockingbird (Dec 12, 2016)

Graffiti has become better than the usual stuff, you have got some fantastic shots probably best I've seen from here, good stuff


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## jsp77 (Dec 12, 2016)

You have taken some cracking photos Hughie, its always nice to see this one popping up and how things change over time.


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## HughieD (Dec 13, 2016)

mockingbird said:


> Graffiti has become better than the usual stuff, you have got some fantastic shots probably best I've seen from here, good stuff



Cheers mate...much appreciated. Only had half an hour so had to peg it round!


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## Conrad (Dec 13, 2016)

Aye, sweet report would defiantly like to get down here one day. Love the graffiti +10 points for identifying the Pokemon.


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## HughieD (Dec 13, 2016)

Konrad said:


> Aye, sweet report would defiantly like to get down here one day. Love the graffiti +10 points for identifying the Pokemon.



Ha ha..is that +10 XP or CP?


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## UrbanX (Dec 13, 2016)

Lovely set of photos! Thanks for sharing


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## smiler (Dec 13, 2016)

Loved your take on it Hughie, I feckin despise firebugs. Proper Job


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## HughieD (Dec 13, 2016)

UrbanX said:


> Lovely set of photos! Thanks for sharing





smiler said:


> Loved your take on it Hughie, I feckin despise firebugs. Proper Job



Cheers both!


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## Rubex (Dec 14, 2016)

Some of the graffiti here is really well done. I'll have to pop up there and take a look in person! I really enjoyed your take on this place HughieD, you got some lovely photos as always


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## 5t3tcv743 (Dec 14, 2016)

Amazing location but sadly bare! I went there in march and there was very little graffiti! Looks like things have changed! Epic report BTW!


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## HughieD (Dec 14, 2016)

Rubex said:


> Some of the graffiti here is really well done. I'll have to pop up there and take a look in person! I really enjoyed your take on this place HughieD, you got some lovely photos as always



You're very kind Rubex


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## flyboys90 (Dec 15, 2016)

Nice one,It looks different everytime and some some these shots are really good,even the graffiti is looking better.Thanks for sharing.


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## HughieD (Dec 16, 2016)

flyboys90 said:


> Nice one,It looks different everytime and some some these shots are really good,even the graffiti is looking better.Thanks for sharing.



Cheers Mr Flyboys!


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