RAF Castle Camps

RAF Castle Camps was listed as being in Cambridgeshire as it is close to its namesake Cambridgeshire village. It is very near the Suffolk border and the airfield straddled the Essex and Cambridgeshire county border. Construction of the station was started in September 1939. It opened as a satellite of RAF Debden in June 1940 and became a satellite of RAF North Weald in July 1943.

RAF Castle Camps

Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorRoyal Air Force
LocationCastle Camps, Cambridgeshire
Elevation AMSL420 ft / 128 m
Coordinates52°03′05″N 000°22′43″E
Map
RAF Castle Camps
Location in Cambridgeshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
00/00 0 0 Concrete
00/00 0 0 Concrete
00/00 0 0 Concrete

During the Battle of Britain, one of the units operating from Castle Camps was 85 Squadron, whose Hawker Hurricanes were commanded by Peter Townsend.

The airfield was used by numerous squadrons throughout the Second World War. In 1945, it was commanded by Battle of Britain ace Tim Vigors.[2] It closed in January 1946.

Operational Units and Aircraft
UnitFromToAircraftVersionNotes
No. 85 Squadron RAF23 May 1940
3 September 1940		19 August 1940
5 September 1940		Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane		I
I		As a detachment.[3]
Full strength.[3]
No. 73 Squadron RAF5 September 19406 November 1940Hawker HurricaneI[4]
No. 157 Squadron RAF18 December 194115 March 1943de Havilland MosquitoII[5]
No. 605 Squadron RAF15 March 19436 October 1943de Havilland MosquitoII/VI[6]
No. 456 Squadron RAF29 March 1943June 1943Bristol Beaufighter
de Havilland Mosquito		IIF
II/VI		[7]
No. 527 Squadron RAF15 June 194328 February 1944Bristol Blenheim
Hawker Hurricane
de Havilland Hornet Moth		IV
I
Formed here.[8]
No. 91 Squadron RAF29 February 194417 March 1944Supermarine SpitfireXII/XIV[9]
No. 486 Squadron RAF6 March 1944
29 March 1944		21 March 1944
29 April 1944		Hawker TyphoonIB[10]
No. 410 Squadron RAF30 December 194329 April 1944de Havilland MosquitoXIII[11]
No. 68 Squadron RAF23 June 194428 December 1944de Havilland MosquitoXVII/XIX[12]
No. 151 Squadron RAF8 October 194419 November 1944de Havilland MosquitoXXX[13]
No. 25 Squadron RAF27 October 194414 July 1945de Havilland MosquitoXXX/VI[14]
No. 307 Squadron RAF27 January 194531 May 1945de Havilland MosquitoXXX[15]

Current use

The site has reverted to agricultural use. However the outlines of portions of the runways in the fields (when viewed on Google Earth), can still be seen and some of the perimeter roads are even now in use as farm tracks.

Some of the airfield buildings are still present and being used by local farms and industry.

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References

Citations
  1. Bones Aviation Page: A Catalogue of UK Airfields
  2. Tim Vigors, "Life's Too Short to Cry", p. 235
  3. Jefford 1988, p. 50.
  4. Jefford 1988, p. 47.
  5. Jefford 1988, p. 63.
  6. Jefford 1988, p. 99.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 93.
  8. Jefford 1988, p. 96.
  9. Jefford 1988, p. 52.
  10. Jefford 1988, p. 94.
  11. Jefford 1988, p. 90.
  12. Jefford 1988, p. 46.
  13. Jefford 1988, p. 62.
  14. Jefford 1988, p. 33.
  15. Jefford 1988, p. 85.

Bibliography
  • Brazier, Roy (2011) History of RAF Castle Camps: a Unique Airfield, 1940-47. ISBN 0-95365-182-7
  • 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.
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