Airfields of the Eighth; then and now. Text by Roger A. Freeman. Photographs by After the Battle magazine.

by Roger A. (After the Battle magazine photographs) Freeman

This work is a nostalgic look at the airfields used by the Eighth in the United Kingdom during the World War II. Conceived in war, the airfields experienced their moments of glory and, when the war ended, were left empty and derelict to die. The few which remain virtually intact have only survived because some private or public concern has formed a practical use for them, although not always as airfields. Some of the more remote airfields still dot the countryside the same as when the last plane left their runways and the last truck departed through the main gate. They are bleak, windswept and mouldering but they retain the atmosphere of the fine, high endeavours of the people who inhabited them and the aura of ineffable sadness that hangs over memorials to fighting men.

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1978

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before the Allies could invade Europe in WWII, they needed to soften up the "Thousand Year Reich". When the US joined the war in late 1941, British Bomber command, with British and Commonwealth crews, was already bombing Germany by night. The Americans intended to do it by Day- with their "Precision Bombing" and their B-17 Fortresses and B-24 Liberators. They soon learned they would need fighters- and a lot of other supports to be effective. That required hundred of thousands of US Army Air Corps (Part of the Army - it would become the USAF after the War) crewmen, Officers , Mechanics and a myriad of other specialists to be based in the UK- over and above the Million Soldiers we intended to throw ashore at D-day. They were "overpaid, oversexed, and over here" as the British like to quip. After The Battle Magazine, a pioneer in 20th Century Archeology and Preservation, took an inventory of all the bases the "Mighty 8th" used in the UK- and present them to us one by one- from Alconbury to Wormingford, some 220 in all. There's an introduction, some discussion of the small range of basic designs used for Runways, aprons and hard points, Maps to show you just how crowded Eastern England was with bases, and an outline of the ATB team's methods. Then its off on an alphabetical tour of pretty much all the bases you've read or heard about , like Debden and Steeple Morden, to ones you've probably not heard about because they were depots or repair bases. Most of the time there is a Aerial pic of the base in the '40s, a pic of it now- and a couple of "then and Now" b/w pics. I have since heard that this list might not be as complete as they said in 1978, when it was produced- but it was more than exhaustive enough for me.

My own explorations of WWII remnants in England has been limited to Kent(Home of some Classic BoB RAF Stations), Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and Sussex, more Naval and Imperial places, so this was a fun new area to explore. I hope to take a tour of the area sometime in the future to see it for myself- but you get a real feel for the region and the history from this book. Obviously most of these bases are cut from the same cloth, but the local terrain and Village layouts meant that each is also unique in that sort of classic English way. Sometime the proper place to put the bomb dump- happened to be right next to the Local Church or Pub- so the layout would need radical change. You can also see why England's rainy weather could wear on Yankees living in Quonset Huts- with a long way to walk for Chow and Briefings. I found the book took me back doubly- to the 1940s it portrays, my mother's England- and to the late 1970s when my interest in this broader topic was generated- the England of my youth. Most of the bases were in the process of being broken up for ballast/fill- and I am sure that process has continued- but the few that have been kept for various business/government uses- really show off the enormous engineering achievements of the war. And to think most of the actual construction took place within two years!

There are no adult themes, and no graphic passages at all, and this book is really a big picture book, so this is fine read for a 10/11 year old junior Reader - with an interest in Aviation History. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast this is of varied use. For the Gamer, it's limited, since in Games like Blood Red Skies/WWII Aerial Miniatures/Board Games don't usually require proper bases- but it can add reality to a campaign at a local club- each Squadron/Group getting it's actual home. The Modeler can really benefit by seeing the proper background/Building to place in a diorama. I know I was really happy to see that the Classic Airfix "Control Tower" kit is pretty accurate and was the style built at about half of the places. The Military History Buff is the strongest winner from this book though- as they have a good guide to try and find any relics left today. The weakness of the book is the total lack of colour, but that is sort of what you got in 1978. I give it a strong recommendation - both for its content- and its role as a historical document from when people first began to value WWII relics and not try to scrap them- as had been the vogue in the 1950s and 60s. We know what the 8th Air Force did- learning about their domestic and work arrangements can only fill out the richness of their story.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic "bible" of all the airfields that littered the landscape during World War II. Most of these are unrecognisable today, (except from the air in most cases), so this preserves their place in history for us all.