Bottisham Airfield/Museum

Realising that the Bottisham Airfield Museum was only a small detour on my way home yesterday was an opportunity too good to miss especially as it only opens on Sundays!

Bottisham Airfield was opened in 1940 and after some initial use by Tiger Moths it was home to Army Co-opeartion Command Lysanders, Tomahawks and MkI Mustangs until 1942. A number of RAF squadrons then used the field until it was handed to the USAAF in November 1943 under the auspices of the 8th Air Force 361st Fighter Group.

Initially equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt the group converted to the P-51 Mustang in May 1944 but only had a short service life. The first combat mission was flown in January 1944 and at the end of September the 361st moved to Little Walden, mainly as there were better facilities and concrete runways - Bottisham only ever being grass with PSP.

Back in RAF hands the airfield had little further use and closed for good in January 1946.

A line of trees today marks the PSP runway and the last surviving original buildings have been turned in to a small museum dedicated to the history of Bottisham Airfield and the Home Front as it affected the local area. Parked outside of the museum is a replica P-51 Mustang which was put on display this summer. I understand that it came from Duxford and I assume therefore that this is the former Big Beautiful Doll that used to hang in the American Air Museum there.

The museum is still being developed with some further areas that could come in to use but it is still worthy of an hour to look around.

Duxford Amble

Passing up the M11 today with a little free time was a good excuse to pop in to Duxford for a little wander around.

Montrose Airfield

Montrose Airfield is the oldest military airfield in the UK. It came into existence in 1913 and at the end of that year three hangars, known as Major Burkes sheds were erected. They still survive to this day and whilst two have been reclad one remains in its original form and is occupied as part of the Air Station Heritage Centre.

Several squadrons were based at Montrose through WWI but the station closed in 1920. However, RAF expansion in the mid 1930s saw the station re-open in 1936 as a Flying Training School. Through the war many squadrons and the Fleet Air Arm were based at Montrose and duties included the air defence of Edinburgh.

Post war the station served as a maintenance unit but duties were limited by the fact that there were no hard runways and it closed for good in June 1952.

Today part of the old station serves as the heritage museum, several old buildings survive and it is easy to walk much of the perimeter track which is still extant. Here are a few images from our visit.

Robinson R22

Over the garden a couple of times was this 1988 vintage R22

Duxford Battle of Britain show pt 2

The flying display at Duxford actually started with two minutes silence for the late Queen. The well known NHS Spitfire had taken off a few minutes before and the silence was called for and superbly adhered to. All we could here was the merlin of the Spitfire rumbling behind the crowd line as the Spitfire orbited in the distance. As the silenced ended the Spitfire dived down over the super hangar, pulled up in to a victory roll and departed over the American hangar. A very poignant moment I thought. The Spit then came back and displayed, starting off the show proper which, apart from the cloud burst disrupted finale was very slick. Here are a few shots of the day.