Monument record 0620100000 - WING AIRFIELD

Robin Brooks book 'Thames Airfields in the Second World War' gives a history of Wing Airfield noting that it was first surveyed in 1940 by the Air Ministry and construction started soon after. The airfield was given two hard runways, one running N-S and the other E-W. Plus four large T type hangars and a B1 hangar with small brick buildings to serve as workshops and offices. A decoy airfield was built at Wingrove and, as an extra level of protection, most of the instructional buildings were dispersed. The site also had air raid shelters, a gas chamber, bomb dump and incendiary store sunk underground. The first commanding officer, Group Captain J N D Anderson arrived on 2 December 1941. In 1942, the airfield was the base for trial of the MB3 single seater fighter. With Little Horwood acting as its satelite, the planes using the two bases included Wellingtons, Ansons, Lysanders, Tiger Moths, Defiants and a Proctor. In January 1943 two fighter squadrons (268 and 613) of Mustangs arrived to be followed by a bomber squadron (1684) of Tomahawks. On 7 August 1942, a Wellington III (X3790) on exercise from Wing crashed into the High Street of Winslow and the four crew and 13 civilians were killed. Other Wellington operations include Forest d'Eperlecques, France, destroying fuel bunkers for Germany's V1s and V2 flying bombs, and propoganda drops (operation Nickel). In April 1945, Wing became a POW repatriation centres. The Operational Training Unit closed on the 4th May 1946. Robin Brooks notes that the airfield was finally sold on 22nd April 1960 (B1).
Detailed history of Wing airfield with information about layout and ancillary components (B2).

A Second World War military airfield, Royal Air Force Wing, is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located about 2kms west of Wing and centred at SP 85837 23499, the airfield is split into various areas: Airfield Site, Technical Site, Defence Site, Bomb Stores, Instructional Site and a large sports ground. Dispersed around the area are 12 accommodation camps for RAF and (separately) WAAF personnel, in addition to a Communal Site, Sick Quarters Site, sewage works and W/T Site.

Although records suggest that the airfield was opened in 1941, aerial photographs taken in February 1942 show that many of the airfield’s building and structures mapped in 1946 and 1947 dated aerial photographs were, at that time, either still under construction, or awaiting construction at that time. Only 2 of the 5 hangars are constructed, with 2 under construction and the location of the fifth (the type B1) still open fields. The west end of the runway and perimeter track were not constructed, still being ridge and furrow cultivation filled fields, as are many of the dispersals. The runways are clearly covered in large mounds of material, presumably for their ongoing construction. No evidence of any aircraft is visible on the airfield and it seems likely that although opened in 1941, it was nowhere near operational in early 1942. Parts of the Instructional Site (the Celestial Navigation Trainers) have yet to be constructed. Most of the accommodation and satellite camps are completed, though the WAAF camp is only partly constructed.

As a ‘Class A’ airfield, RAF Wing’s Airfield Site comprises three intersecting concrete runways, linked by a perimeter track, off which are 30 frying pan type dispersals. At the south side of the airfield site between the perimeter track and the centre point of the runways is a watch office with met section, next to which is a blast shelter, signal square and airfield code letters ‘UX’. Nissen huts and earth-buried air raid shelters are scattered around various dispersals, as well as some M&E plinths. On the south boundary of the airfield is a 6 point machine gun range and air raid shelter. The runways remain extant in 1961, but by 1976 parts of each of the three have been demolished, leaving only the northeast parts of the airfield runways intact. Poultry farm sheds now occupy part of these remaining runway fragments. The perimeter track similarly remains intact in 1961, but by 1976 the west and the south-eastern ends had been demolished. The remaining parts are intact, though narrowed on the south side. Of the original 30 frying pan shaped dispersals, only 5 survive by 2022 (Nos. 1,2,11,17 and 30), eleven of those demolished being by 1961 and the remainder by 1976.The watch office, the signal square and code letters are still standing in 1961, though by 1976 these have all been demolished. The same applies to the machine gun range. The various Nissen huts, M&E plinths and air raid shelter were demolished and levelled after 1961, some surviving until 2003 and one air raid shelter until 2018. Two M&E plinth ‘brick kiosks’ survive intact.

The Technical Site comprises four T2 hangars and one B1 hangar, squadron offices, stores of various types, fire tender shelter, tractor shed, armoury, photographic block, maintenance blocks, technical latrines, workshops, MT sheds and office, MT fuel store, fuel compound, a gas chamber, gas clothing store, gas defence centre, bulk fuel installations, machine gun range, water tanks, fire equipment houses, station headquarters (offices) and operations block, guardhouse and sentry box, fire tender house, electricity sub-station, M&E plinth brick kiosks, numerous open-topped brick-built and earth-bermed blast shelters, separate latrines for officers, SNCOs, other ranks as well as WAAFs, various offices and huts for contractors’ accommodation and canteen. Still standing in 1949, all hangars have been demolished by 1961, along with the armoury, some airmens’ quarters, stores buildings, guardhouse, workshop, maintenance blocks, squadron office and other offices. By 1976, most of the blast shelters have been demolished and levelled, bulk fuel installations demolished and many of the roadways and paths have been cleared away. Also demolished are stores buildings, latrines and the station headquarters and operations block. However, many of the blast shelters remain, though these have been demolished and levelled by 2003, except perhaps one that may survive within new woodland. On aerial photographs taken in 2015-2019 and recent remote sensing data, many of the concrete building platforms/footprints remain visible, such as the hangars and the station headquarters/operations block. Some of the road system and aircraft aprons remain intact. Two large wartime buildings remain extant: the main stores and a workshop, both adjacent South Tinkers Hole Farm.

The Instructional Site is mapped and recorded separately under Bucks HER UID MBC23213 / 0620102000.

The Defence Site is located to the west of the airfield’s Technical Site and comprises other ranks/airmens’ barrack buildings, sergeants’ quarters, officers’ quarters and separate latrines for each. The accommodation buildings are all demolished between 1950 and 1961, and the remaining latrine buildings and pathway system is demolished between 1982 and 1976 (3-18).

A Second World war bomb store, part of a Royal Air Force airfield is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in the NW corner of the former wartime airfield at Wing and centred at SP 84950 23401, the bomb stores comprise a sentry box or picket post (nomenclature used by RAF) that leads to a network of roads linking and bisecting a series of square earthwork berms, contained within which are variously six bomb dumps, pyrotechnics and incendiary bomb stores, components stores, fuzed and spare bomb area, fuzed point buildings, small arms ammunition stores and bomb stores, some protected by blast walls. The bomb stores survive intact in 1961, but by 1976 many of the earthworks have been levelled, parts of the roadway and some of the buildings have been demolished. By 2003, even more of the earthworks, buildings and structures are no longer visible. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, five buildings survive, along with some blast walls and part of the original road (8,9, 13-16, 18).