'Morning chaps, Those nice people at Historic England offer this new title free to download from thier website: http://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/nine-thousand-miles-of-concrete/ 'This report looks at the intricate subject of Second World War temporary airfields; it briefly examines the planning, design and construction of airfield landscapes, the numbers and types built, and the reasons for their post-war demise. Temporary airfields in England have been fading from the landscape at an alarming rate, so much so, that only a fragment of the infrastructure and pavements survive today and much of this has disappeared without proper recording.' CS
I recognise two of the authors who are members of the ARG (Airfield Research Group) management team.....as said the ARG were given the task of researchcreating the document. ARG...... if you are interested in military airfield history,membership of the ARG fulfils the requirement. Temporary airfield construction,bomber airfields were said to have construction costs of £1 million.Also the philosophy of layout changed in light of the experience of war...gone were the tight clusters of hangars and dispersals of the prewar/1935 RAFexpansion airfields which were vulnerable to air attack.... T2.hangars (intended as temporary) and dispersals scattered around the airfield site. Thanks for posting.
Went through the Airfield list and could not see any mention of Clifton Moor North of York. Would it have had another name? Also as part of the infrastructure I have not seen any mention of the isolated brick buildings that were used for approach control equipment. One of which I know still survives on one of the approaches to Clifton Moor.
I think the answer is that Clifton Moor,known as York was not a temporary airfield constructed during the wartime airfield building programme. The airfield,as York aerodrome was opened in July 1936 as a civilian field by Yorkshire Aviation Services Ltd acting for the York City Corporation.It was requisitioned in September 1939 by the RAF as a RLG and dispersal site for RAF Linton on Ouse....this appeared to be the normal practice during the early days of the war for bomber squadrons to be dispersed on stand down at locations where it was thought the aircraft might be safe from the Luftwaffe at these little known airfields.
Can anyone expand on the actual cost of the USAAF airfields? the figure I have seen in an HMSO publication "The RAF Builds For War" is at odds with several other publications? And to what extent was the work subsidised by the American government? Any help (or figures) would be appreciated. Regs, BC
