RAF Witchford

Royal Air Force Witchford or RAF Witchford is a former Royal Air Force station about 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England and 13 miles (21 km) north of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.

RAF Witchford
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Witchford, Cambridgeshire
Built	1942
In use	1943–46
Elevation AMSL	46 ft / 14 m
Coordinates	52°22′52″N 000°13′51″E
Map
RAF Witchford Location in Cambridgeshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 04/22 0 0 Asphalt 10/28 0 0 Asphalt 16/34 0 0 Asphalt

History

• No. 115 Squadron RAF first started using RAF Witchford from 26 November 1943 with the Avro Lancaster II before changing to the Mk I and III Lancasters in March 1944 before moving to RAF Graveley on 10 September 1945.[1]
• No. 195 Squadron RAF reformed at the airfield on 1 October 1944 with the Lancaster I and III before moving to RAF Wratting Common on 13 November 1944 where the squadron disbanded on 14 August 1945.[2]
• No. 196 Squadron RAF started using the airfield on 19 Jul 1943 with the Vickers Wellington X until these were replaced with the Short Stirling III during their stay. The squadron left on 18 November 1943 moving to RAF Leicester East.[2]
• No. 513 Squadron RAF formed at Witchford on 15 September 1943 with the Stirling III before disbanding on 21 November 1943 at the airfield.[3]
• No. 29 Aircrew Holding Unit.[4]

A total of 99 bombers despatched on operations from Witchford were lost, 8 being Stirlings and 91 Lancasters.[5]

RAF Witchford was initially included among the initial sites for the Project Emily deployment of PGM-17 Thor intermediate range ballistic missiles, at the instigation of the Americans in 1958, but the land was owned by the Church Commissioners, and nearby RAF Mepal was substituted. The main selection criterion was the condition of the road network connecting the bases; a grade of more than one in seventeen was considered an unacceptable risk of grounding the missile transport.[6]

An extensive history of the station, with some coverage of RAF Mepal, is contained in 'Memories of RAF Witchford' by Barry and Sue Aldridge.

Current use

The site is now used for farming.[5]

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

1. Jefford 1988, p. 57.
2. Jefford 1988, p. 67.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 95.
4. "Witchford". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
5. "Bomber Command - Witchford". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
6. Boyes 2015, p. 57. sfn error: no target: CITEREFBoyes2015 (help)

Bibliography

• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Aldridge, Barry; Aldridge, Sue. Memories of RAF Witchford, A collection of personal stories, memories and photographs from 1943 onwards. Cambridge: Milton Contact Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9571959-6-7.

External links

• Cameron, Donald. "C-Cameron: Memoirs of World War II in Bomber Command". – by a former RAF Squadron 115 pilot
• Loss of Lancaster HK559 - an account of just one crew lost from Witchford and of subsequent commemoration ceremonies
• The RAF Witchford & Mepal Display – collection of memorabilia