# RAF Kings Cliffe, Cambridgeshire



## HypoBoy (Sep 2, 2009)

RAF Kings Cliffe is a former World War II airfield located 12 miles W of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Originally the airfield was grass-surfaced but hard-surfaced runways and a perimeter track were laid down early in 1943. Kings Cliffe was assigned USAAF designation Station 367 and was home to an assortment of USAAF Eighth Air Force fighter aircraft, some of which provided fighter support for the 1944 Normandy invasions. The station returned to agricultural use in 1959, but the odd few buildings still survive.

I'd had a sensible Bank Holiday Monday, doing some much needed DIY at home as the weather was pretty poor but, by late afternoon, was starting to get cabin fever and the sun had come out, so I just had to head out for an explore before having to go back to work the next day. I set out with the intention of investigating a building on one corner of the airfield which I'd spotted on Flashearth, but this turned out to be a pretty dull and unidentifiable brick block, with a completely bare interior. 





As I grabbed a few pics, I noticed something more substantial and interesting nearby. Initially, I thought it was a gun position similar to the one I'd visited at Ongar Hill in Norfolk, but on closer inspection, the loopholed wall wasn't covered behind. Venturing further back, I found a complex of shelters in a horseshoe shape and realised it was a defended fighter pen, with bunkers in the defensive wall. I've seen these on an episode of Time Team once, but hadn't realised they still existed in my area.





























I did try and hike across to the tower, but decided before I was half way there that it was too far as the sun was getting quite low in the sky, so that'll have to wait for another day!




Just as I was about to get in my car and leave, I noticed what I thought was a standard pillbox in the opposite field. Checking the satnav, this isn't on the DoB database, so I took a closer look. Inside the blast wall was a concrete hexagon on the floor. I couldn't quite make my mind up whether it was a small AA gun position or the base for something like a radio transmitter mast. Anyone else able to shed any further light? There was a bracket on one wall, another similar one lying loose on the floor, and a big chunk of molten lead - waste solder from a monster cable maybe??





















Quick stop off on the way out to remember those who never came home. Lest we forget.


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## MaBs (Sep 2, 2009)

Interesting report there mate, some good pictures!


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## jonney (Sep 4, 2009)

Great photo's Hypo, looks like there are still a few bits and pieces still left there, are you going to go back and have a look at the control tower


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## Black Shuck (Sep 4, 2009)

jonney said:


> Great photo's Hypo, looks like there are still a few bits and pieces still left there, are you going to go back and have a look at the control tower



Nice stuff Hypo. The Air Raid Shelter reminds me of the one I saw at Bodney. Nice report mate.


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## HypoBoy (Sep 5, 2009)

Black Shuck said:


> The Air Raid Shelter reminds me of the one I saw at Bodney.



I visited Bodney a couple of days before and saw the regular stanton one near the road. I couldn't work out what the other small remains were near the tower though (between the tower and battle HQ). Almost looked like some sort of small single man gun positions, but there wasn't enough left of any of them to know for sure! 

These are way bigger and built into a big U shaped blast wall. Doing a bit of digging, it's clear they would originally have looked something like this one at RAF Kenley.

I'll definitely go and have a look at the tower at some point. There's also the remains of a WW2 telephone exchange behind the tower, a battle HQ and a few pillboxes as well. Just a bit further from the road than I'd realised, so it'll have to be another day when I can allow more time to find them all!


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## Black Shuck (Sep 5, 2009)

HypoBoy said:


> I visited Bodney a couple of days before and saw the regular stanton one near the road. I couldn't work out what the other small remains were near the tower though (between the tower and battle HQ). Almost looked like some sort of small single man gun positions, but there wasn't enough left of any of them to know for sure!
> 
> These are way bigger and built into a big U shaped blast wall. Doing a bit of digging, it's clear they would originally have looked something like this one at RAF Kenley.
> 
> I'll definitely go and have a look at the tower at some point. There's also the remains of a WW2 telephone exchange behind the tower, a battle HQ and a few pillboxes as well. Just a bit further from the road than I'd realised, so it'll have to be another day when I can allow more time to find them all!



Thats the Crux of it all sometimes isnt it? If you are short on time then you can only cover a small bit!


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## racknruin (Sep 17, 2009)

I'm pretty sure the small structure with the hexagonal base would have been a searchlight emplacement - there's an identical one overlooking the Emergency Battery at Cliff End near Hastings


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## HypoBoy (Sep 17, 2009)

racknruin said:


> I'm pretty sure the small structure with the hexagonal base would have been a searchlight emplacement - there's an identical one overlooking the Emergency Battery at Cliff End near Hastings



Cheers mate, that does look to be pretty much identical, so another mystery solved. I had begun to wonder if anyone would ever be able to shed any light on the subject - no pun intended


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