# RAF Warboys, Cambridgeshire: DF Station and battle HQ



## HypoBoy (May 9, 2009)

Located seven miles-south west of Chatteris and south of Warboys village, RAF Warboys airfield was constructed to the west of the A141 Huntingdon to Chatteris road in 1941-42. In 1942, Wellingtons from Alconbury were moved in, leaving Alconbury free for the USAAF. Warboys was one of the original squadrons of the new Pathfinder Force. No. 156 and converted to Lancasters in January 1943. The Lancs remained until March 1944 when the pathfinder group was moved to Upwood. After the war, the site became home to Bloodhound missiles from 1960-64 and then the base was sold off into private ownership.

I visited the site mainly to look at the old DF station and mushroom shaped pillbox, but had a load of other points of interest marked on a map to look at. I half expected it to turn out to be a bit of a disappointment, but actually found a whole wealth of interesting old bits still standing. I ended up with about 180 photos, including some really interesting undocumented WW2 stuff and a huge shed full of early 20th century horse drawn carts, which I'll post separately.

*Distance Finding Station*

1.Exterior






2.Blast doors





3.Massive walls a good foot thick protect the main building.





4. Less defended building inside the main walls





5. Inside is pretty well trashed, but the actual building is not badly preserved given its age.





6.Water tank for generator?





7.Old boiler





*Battle HQ and Pillbox*

8.Mushroom shaped pillbox





9.Roof sits on a central brick pillar





10.Design gives great visibility, but I wouldn't want to come under attack whilst inside!





11.Battle HQ bunkers are accessible.





12.But interior is flooded.





13.Another (extremely stingy!) bunker.





14.Looks to be a den for local kids. Exploring solo, I didn't fancy using the frail looking rope to descend in case I managed to get myself stuck.





15. So I hung the camera down for a quick shot.





In addition to the above, I also found a number of old airfield buildings, packed with old Ferguson tractors and 1930s horse drawn farm carts, plus another very covert looking remote site. As this is my first full report, I'll save the rest of the pics for another thread


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## UrbanX (May 9, 2009)

nice one! Great report and photos. Ooh we never found the pillbox, nice find!


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## Black Shuck (May 10, 2009)

Great first report mate well done. That mushroom shaped Pillbox I have never seen the like of before.


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## HypoBoy (May 10, 2009)

Black Shuck said:


> That mushroom shaped Pillbox I have never seen the like of before.



They're fairly rare, only at about 20 sites and a lot have been destroyed or are falling into dereliction as I understand it. I find it a bit frustrating that we're not doing more to preserve WW2 history like this. There are two at Warboys - this one and another in ruins. This one's in pretty good nick and still has the inner machine gun mounting rail intact. At the moment, it's surviving well but, judging by the amount of demolition rubble from other buildings around the site, it probably won't last a huge amount longer unless someone does something to ensure it's preserved.


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## MaBs (May 10, 2009)

Good pictures & report 

It looks very similar to RAF Stenigot inside!


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## Black Shuck (May 10, 2009)

HypoBoy said:


> They're fairly rare, only at about 20 sites and a lot have been destroyed or are falling into dereliction as I understand it. I find it a bit frustrating that we're not doing more to preserve WW2 history like this. There are two at Warboys - this one and another in ruins. This one's in pretty good nick and still has the inner machine gun mounting rail intact. At the moment, it's surviving well but, judging by the amount of demolition rubble from other buildings around the site, it probably won't last a huge amount longer unless someone does something to ensure it's preserved.



We certainly have nothing like that over here in Carrot Land!


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## Black Shuck (May 10, 2009)

MaBs said:


> Good pictures & report
> 
> It looks very similar to RAF Stenigot inside!



Yes it does look like deadringer for Stenigot. I was up there with Badoosh the other week.


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## Foxylady (May 12, 2009)

Great first posting and photos, Hypo. Love the mushroom pillbox (also called a Cantilevered Type, just out of interest...and there's another name for it which I can never remember apart from the initials F.C.  ). Good to see the gun rail still intact. Sadly, we don't have any in this area. 
Good stuff!


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## HypoBoy (May 12, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> Love the mushroom pillbox (also called a Cantilevered Type, just out of interest...and there's another name for it which I can never remember apart from the initials F.C.  ).



They're sometimes called Oakington type after another one of our local airfields which has 5 of them, or Fairlop after an Essex site.


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## Foxylady (May 12, 2009)

HypoBoy said:


> They're sometimes called Oakington type after another one of our local airfields which has 5 of them, or Fairlop after an Essex site.



Ah, cheers for that, Hypo. I'd heard the name Oakington before but not Fairlop. Good info.


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## klempner69 (May 12, 2009)

Very good report Hypo


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## tommy (May 25, 2009)

dear sir very very good web site,it means so much more to me as my uncle bobby flight sargent r.w moss flew from raf warboys on the night of 11th/12th august 1942 . he was shot down over holland at a place called leirop. i once visited raf warboys only seeing the old guard house and the officers mess [which were being used as part of the industrial park] i didnt know of the rest of the builings. glad i found your site i will have to go back some day. look forward to the rest of your pics. thankyou tommy


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## HypoBoy (May 25, 2009)

Hi Tommy,

It's a pleasure to be able to share pictures with someone connected to the place. Just a shame there's not more left to show you.

You can find all my pictures of the place here, including the memorials on the nearby farm gates.

Your uncle's ill-fated mission must have been one of the very first No.3 group missions - they only took over flying there on 9/10 August. We owe him and others like him an immense debt of gratitude.


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## Bob.J (May 25, 2009)

*RAF Warboys D/F Station*

At the risk of upsetting everyone, may I point out that the D/F (Direction Finding) station at Warboys is in fact Bomber Commands '8 Group, Wyton' group W/T (Wireless Telegraphy) transmitting station This has been misidentified and copied in numerous publications.

Sorry

Bob,J


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## HypoBoy (May 25, 2009)

From what I understand of things (from several people who worked there) it was originally Warboys Transmitter Station, serving Upwood and various other group USAAF bases during WW2, then later became a transmitter site for Wyton and Mildenhall during the 60s. I'm far from an expert on the subject though


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## Pugstar (Dec 16, 2009)

You mentioned the what looks like a secured area (where the buildings with the farm machinery are), locally this was always thought of as a missile base of some sort, I'm going back for a family do very soon so I'll ask. 

I grew up playing in these shelters, shame they pulled down the control tower for what looks like no reason as where it stood is still open ground. 

The firing range wall is quite a local feature.


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