Monument record 0620102000 - WING AIRFIELD

Most of the instructional buildings, the Link Trainer and personnel accomodation were built at dispersed sites some distance from the airfield (B1).
1945 plan of airfield showing domestic sites to south (B2).
Visible on aerial photographs from 1948 as dispersed clusters of nissen huts along field edges away from main airfield

A Second World War RAF Instructional Site for RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located between Acorn Farm and Bramwells Farm and centred at SP 85744 22477, the site comprised an instructional block, a W/T operational instructional block, gunnery and crew procedure centre, flight offices and crew rooms, pilots rest rooms, technical latrines, 2 link trainers, turret instructional building, bomb teaching (AML) building, latrines for instructors, 7 open-top brick-built and earth-protected blast shelters, a static water tank, a sentry box (picket post), auxiliary fire equipment building, 3 celestial navigation training (CNT) buildings and a M&E plinth, all accessed by a system of roads and pathways. The site has been constructed by February 1942, except for the CNT buildings which were absent at that time and one of the crew rooms which was yet to have a roof added. Mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1947, the site was still entirely extant in 1948, but by 1961 the northern part of the site had been mostly cleared of buildings and blast shelters, with the CNT trainers and link trainers having been demolished. In the south-west of the site, the pilots rests room buildings, flight offices, crew rooms have also been demolished by 1961, though the concrete building platforms remain visible. Blast shelters and pathways are also demolished. In the south-east of the site, the main instructional buildings remain extant in 1976, though by 2003 only the instructional block and W/T operational instruction block remaining standing. All other buildings and pathways have been demolished or newly built upon. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, these two wartime buildings remain standing as part of Acorn Farm Business Centre. Part of the road system also survives. On recent remote sensing data, other building platforms remain visible under the canopy of new woodland (3-11).

A Second World War Womens Auxiliary Air Force camp for RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located at Glebe Close Farm and centred at SP 87354 22840, the camp comprises an officers’ mess and officers’ quarters, sergeants mess and barracks, airwomens’ barracks, shift workers quarters, sick quarters, decontamination centre, bath houses, toilets, ablution blocks, laundry blocks, garage, fuel compound, 3 earth-covered air raid shelters, brick-built, 6 open-topped and earth-bermed blast shelters and a sentry post, all accessed by a road and pathway system. A smaller accommodation camp lies some 200 metres to the west, linked by a trackway through the field that separates them. Between 1947 and 1949 the 6 shifter workers quarters buildings were demolished. By 1976, the officers’ quarters and mess building, the sick quarters, a bath house, sentry box, and 7 airwomens and sergeants barrack buildings have been demolished, along with a cluster of blast shelters. By 1991, the garage building and two small buildings (probable latrines) have been demolished. On aerial photographs taken in 2022 and recent remote sensing data, the airwomens and sergeants dining room, an ablutions/toilet/laundry block, the decontamination building, fuel compound and the roadway remains intact, forming part of the farm (12-21).

A Second World War Womens Auxiliary Air Force camp for RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located opposite Old Park Farm and centred at SP 87185 22740, the site comprises 9 shift workers quarters buildings, a sergeants and ACW quarters and an ablutions/toilet block, 2 earth covered air raid shelters and a sentry post, accessed by a road and pathway system. larger accommodation camp lies some 200 metres to the east, linked by a linear path through the field that separates them. The site does not exist in February 1942 but is fully constructed by January 1944 and still complete in 1949. By 1961, all of the buildings except the ablutions/toilet block have been demolished, as well as the pathway system, with the road and two air raid shelters also surviving. These features remain visible in 1976, 1991 and 2003, though covered by secondary woodland at the two latter dates. Heavy woodland canopy obscures the site in subsequent years and the condition of the structures is uncertain. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, the site remains obscured by heavy woodland canopy, but recent remote sensing data indicates that ablutions/toilet block probably remains standing and that many of the other barrack buildings’ concrete platforms/footprints are probably also extant within the enclosure, as is at least one of the air raid shelters (12-23).

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 5 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 440 metres SW of Acorn Farm and centred at SP 85363 22226, the camp comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, ablution blocks and latrines, four earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system and reached by an access road. Under construction about 1942, the camp remained entirely intact in 1949, but almost all buildings and structures have been demolished and levelled by 1961, except for 2 latrines. These remain extant on aerial photographs taken in 1976 but have been demolished by 2003. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen (21,25-27,29-32).

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 6 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 477 metres ESE of Lane End Farm and centred at SP 85108 21856, the site is split into two areas, separated by 125 metres and joined by a pathway. The camp comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, ablution blocks and latrines, two earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system and reached by an access road from Wing Road. The camp remained entirely intact in 1949, but almost all buildings and structures have been demolished and levelled by 1961, except the sergeants’ and airmens’ ablutions block. This building remains extant on aerial photographs taken in 1976 but has been demolished by 2003. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen (21,25,27,30-31,33-34).

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 8 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 515 metres ENE of Acorn Farm and centred at SP 85363 22226, the camp comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, ablution blocks and latrines, four earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system and reached by an access road. Under construction about 1942, the camp remained entirely intact in 1949, but almost all buildings and structures have been demolished and levelled by 1961, except for 2 latrines. These remain extant on aerial photographs taken in 1976 but have been demolished by 2003. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen (7, 21,22,35-38).

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 9 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field south of Wing Road between Acorn Farm and Old Park and centred at SP 86526 22509, the camp comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, separate ablution blocks and latrines for officers, sergeants and airmen, three earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system. Still under construction about 1942, the camp remained entirely intact in 1949, but all buildings and structures have been demolished and levelled by 1961, although the concrete building platform/footprints for the two officers quarters buildings remain visible. These remain extant on aerial photographs taken in 1976 but have been demolished by 2003. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen (7,21,22,35-38).

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 10 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 570 metres ESE of Acorn Farm and centred at SP 86299 22198, the camp comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, ablution blocks and latrines, three earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system and reached by an access road. Already constructed in 1942, the camp remained entirely intact in 1949, but all buildings and structures except the access road have been demolished and levelled by 1961. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen apart from the remains of the access road (21,22,26,27,35,39).


A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 11 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 730 metres SE of Acorn Farm and centred at SP 86295 21912, the camp is split into two areas linked by a pathway and comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, ablution blocks and latrines, three earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system and reached by a road, which it shares with adjoining RAF camp Site No 13. Constructed by February 1942, the camp remained intact in 1949, but all features have been entirely demolished and levelled by 1961. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen (21,24-28).

A Second World War Royal Air Force camp Site No. 13 accommodating personnel from nearby RAF Wing is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 725 metres SSE of Acorn Farm and centred at SP 86136 21768, the camp comprises officers’ quarters, sergeants’ quarters, airmens’ quarters, ablution blocks and latrines, three earth buried air raid shelters and a picket post (sentry box), all linked by a pathway system and reached by a road, which it shares with adjoining RAF camp Site No 11. Constructed about 1942, the camp remained entirely intact in 1949, but all features have been entirely demolished and levelled by 1961. On aerial photographs taken in 2022, no evidence of the camp can be seen (21,24-28).