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Carpetbagger
Aviation Museum
Harrington,
Northamptonshire
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A History of RAF Tempsford
Image produced from
the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission
of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. 1936 Everton Heath area is surveyed as a
possible site for a new airfield. The landowner objects initially but agrees
when hostilities break out July 1940 Contractors John Laing and Balfour Beatty
commence construction of an airfield to RAF Class A standard on land known as
Tempsford Flats, acquired from Leslie Pym. October 1941 Airfield nearing completion, handed over
to No 3 Group RAF, responsible for Special Duty Operations
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December 1941
Wellington 1Cs of 110 Operational Training
Unit move in to the airfield on a temporary basis, until their home at
Bassingbourne is completed
January 9th 1942
HQ and Wireless Development Flights of 109
Squadron move in with Wellington IIIs to begin trials with OBOE radio direction
finding equipment and other secret radio equipment
March 11th 1942
Number 138 Special Duty Squadron (SD) moved
into Tempsford together with their Whitley and Lysander aircraft to carry out covert
supply and agent delivery operations. Stores and administration follow from
Stradishall
Whitley of 138 Squadron
Mid March 1942
Secure communications established with SOE
(Special Operations Executive) and SIS (Secret Intelligence Service)
intelligence sections in Baker Street, London. Container packing facilities and
agent holding centre set up at Gaynes Hall near St Neots. Hazells Hall, near
the airfield on the road to Sandy, requisitioned for staff and agent
accommodation.
March 18th 1942
First covert supply mission carried out in
the March moon period to drop zone in Northern France
Late April 1942
SOE supply and pick-up operations of 138 and
161 Squadrons build up to major supply operation during this moon period
138 & 161 Squadron Crests
June 20th 1942
Squadron Leader Murphy hands over the
Lysander flight to Squadron Leader Lockheart
April 8-10th 1942
No 161 Squadron (SD) move into the airfield
from Graveley, commanded by Wing Commander E.H. Fielden, taking over dispersal
areas on the western side of the airfield.
April 18th 1942
Handley Page Halifax IIs, specially modified
for SOE operations, are delivered to 138 Squadron. These aircraft are able to
carry 15 containers and begin to replace the ageing Whitley aircraft.
138 Squadron Halifax
April 20th 1942
The buildings of Gibraltar Farm, on the
eastern perimeter of the airfield are converted into high security SOE stores.
The farmhouse is developed into an agent reception and pre-flight preparation
centre
Gibraltar Farm, Tempsford prior to its demolition
July 1942
Operation Ascension - Douglas Havocs
commence flying radio intelligence patrols at high level along the Channel
coast to relay messages from agents using UHF (ultra high frequency)
transmitters
September 1942
Three US B-24 Liberator bombers attached to 138
Squadron to be flown by Polish crews for supply missions to Polish resistance
groups. This unit operated until 1943 when it became 1586 (SD) Flight and was
transferred to Brindisi in Italy to continue these operations.
October 1942
Wing Commander E.H. Fielden newly promoted
to Group Captain takes command of RAF Tempsford with his offices at the nearby
Hazells Hall. Wing Commander P.C. Pickard takes command of 161 Squadron
Sir Edward Fielden GCVO, CB, DFC, AFC, RAF
November 1942
Agent holding facilities are set up at
Hazells Hall, Gaynes Hall and Tempsford Hall. Wing Commander Pickard and Flight
Lieutenant Bridger fly two agents into a field near Chateauroux and return with
three agents in the first double Lysander operation flown by A Flight of 161
Squadron
December 1942
Squadron Leader Verity takes over command of
the Lysanders of A Flight, 161 Squadron
Lysander Mk 3 with underbelly fuel tank
Wing Commander P.C. Pickard
February 1943
The first Lockheed Hudsons are taken on
charge for pick-up operations, giving an increased capacity over the Lysanders.
First operation by Wing Commander Pickard to Charolles on the 14th
February
Feb 20th 1943
Squadron Leader Ken Batchelor takes over
command of 138 Squadron
Spring 1943
Covert supply operations during the moon
periods build up to a peak as expertise develops. 138 Squadron aircraft used
for air-sea rescue operations during dark periods of the moon.
March 1943
Four Halifax aircraft sent to Russia for short
period of supply dropping.
May 1943
Squadron Leader Hodges takes over 161
Squadron from Wing Commander Pickard.
RAF Tempsford in 1943
August 1943
This month 66 agents and 194 supply
containers were dropped in 18 operations
October 1943
First double Hudson pick up. Wing Commander
Hodges brings back 10 personnel, including Monsieur Vincent Auriol, later to
become President of France.
Wing Commander 'Bob' Hodges
October 25th 1943
US fledgling Special Duty Unit, the USAAF
801st (Provisional) Bomb Group, aircrews move in to the base for
training and fly "buddy missions" in Halifax aircraft prior to
eventually moving into Harrington, where they become known as the
"Carpetbaggers" flying four squadrons of B24 Liberator aircraft on
covert supply missions
November 9tth 1943
His Majesty King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
visit Tempsford
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth visit Carpetbagger crews at Tempsford.
Major Fish to left of Queen Elizabeth, Col Heflin with back to camera next to King George
December 16th 1943
Two Lysander aircraft crash trying to land
in fog at Ford airfield after picking up agents in France.
December 20th 1943
Four 138 Squadron Halifaxes lost due to exceptionally
bad weather. Havoc aircraft are withdrawn from Ascension operations and
replaced by Hudsons
January 1944
Bad weather prevents any pick-ups. Squadron
Leader Hooper takes over the Lysander flight
Squadron Leader Robin Hooper
February 8th 1944
Flying Officer Affleck bogged down in French
field for two hours before managing to take off with passengers
February 12th 1944
Detachment of 149 Squadron arrive with Short
Stirling aircraft for supply dropping training
Grave of Gp Capt P.C. Pickard at Amiens Cemetery. He died during the Mosquito raid to release resistance fighters from Amiens Prison on 18th February 1944
March 1944
Wing Commander Boxer takes over 161 Squadron
from Wing Commander Hodges. Squadron Leader Sells succeeds Squadron Leader
Hooper as Commanding Officer of A (Lysander) Flight, 161 Squadron. Squadron
Leader Ratcliff takes over the B (Hudson) Flight, 161 Squadron.
Operations increase in preparation for the
coming invasion of Europe.
May 1944
Wing Commander Burnett takes command of 138
Squadron
May 31st 1944
First Hudson to be lost on operations, shot
down over Tilburg in Holland.
May - June 1944
Pick-up operations increased.
D-Day period
Three pick-ups during 2 - 7th June, no
others until 3/4th July. 138 Squadron supply missions suspended over
the D-Day period. All aircraft are used for extensive radar deception and other
invasion related operations
June 7/8th 1944
Violet Szabo with 3 other agents are flown
from Tempsford in a US "Carpetbagger" B24 Liberator.
Violette Szabo
July 1944
138 & 161 Squadrons resume operations
after Allies establish a bridgehead in Normandy
July 27/28th 1944
Wing Commander Boxer carries out the only Hudson
pick-up during dark period of the moon to Chateauroux.
August 1944
148 and 624 Squadrons of No 3 Group RAF at
Fairford and other bases commence Special Duty operations to augment Tempsford
squadrons
August 10/11th 1944
Last Lysander pick up flown by Flight
Lieutenant Vaughan-Fowler to Pont de Vaux
August 14th 1944
138 Squadron converts to Short Stirling Mk
IV aircraft giving more capacity for stores. These aircraft are able to carry
20 containers compared with the Halifax's 15. A Flight of 161 Squadron also use
these aircraft to augment supply drops
Stirling Mk IV
Sept - October 1944
138 Squadron operations to supply Norwegian resistance
increases. These missions prove hazardous owing to difficult terrain and bad
weather. As Allies advance the distance to drop zones increases. Operations to
the low countries and South West France become main destinations.
December 20th 1944
Wing Commander Murray takes over 138
Squadron
March 10th 1945
RAF Tempsford comes under control of No. 38
Group
March 20th 1945
Three Hudsons lost on missions to
Germany
April 1945
138 Squadron leaves Tempsford for RAF
Tuddenham to convert to Lancaster bombers. Allied High Command sent
appreciation of it's tremendous achievements during operations from Tempsford.
29,000 containers, 10,000 packages and 995 agents were flown in and as many
personnel flown out. Seventy aircraft were lost, most crews being killed.
June 1945
161 Squadron continues operations until
hostilities ceased on 7th May when the Squadron was disbanded on the
2nd June.
June 20th 1945
Tempsford taken over by 426 Squadron who
used B-24 Liberators to bring back servicemen from Europe and India
December 1945
Their trooping work completed, 426 Squadron
is disbanded and the B24s flown to Gransen Lodge.
1946 - 47
After a period of little activity RAF
Maintenance took over the airfield on 7th August 1946. Various small
detachments came and went. In the Spring of 1947 Harvards and Mosquitos were
briefly based here
Sept 1947
Tempsford is transferred to a care and
maintenance state.
February 1963
Many of the buildings ere sold and the site reverted
to the original owners, Mr Pym of Estele Estates. Grants were provided by the
Air Ministry to convert the base to agricultural use.
Half a dozen pick up pilots 30 years later
(Seated: Sir Robin Hooper, Sir Lewis Hodges, Per Hysing-Dahl and Peter Vaughn-Fowler;
Standing: Hugh Verity and Sir Alan Boxer)
The following text is taken from the 14th
July 1945 edition of the newspaper The Evening Standard:
EVENING STANDARD. July 14th, 1945.
TEMPSFORD. (BEDS.) KEPT ONE OF THE WAR'S BIGGEST SECRETS.
FLY BY NIGHTS BEAT THE GESTAPO.
From JAMES STUART, Tempsford.
Tempsford is just a
hamlet in rural Bedfordshire. Its inhabitants mostly work on the land, and none
of them knew it but Tempsford held one of the big secrets of the war.
They knew that down a little side road marked 'This road is closed
to the Public' there was an R.A.F. Station. In the Anchor and the Wheatsheaf
they saw the R.A.F. men but that was all. They had no idea of the job that they
were engaged on.
Names of the pilots and crews that did that job cannot yet be
revealed except for one, the late Group-Captain Pickard, D.S.O. and two bars,
D.F.C., the famous 'Target for tonight' pilot.
When he left Bomber Command, Pickard commanded one of the two
'Special Mission' Squadrons which the R.A.F. created as a link with the
under-ground movement in all occupied countries. He was an expert flyer.
The R.A.F. began this branch of its work immediately after the
collapse of France with one flight of a Bomber Squadron of No. 3 Group. By
March 1942 Tempsford was in operation, and finally two special squadrons were
being employed.
From Tempsford they delivered arms, ammunition, radio sets, food
and other supplies to all underground fighters from the Arctic Circle of
Northern Norway to the Mediterranean shores of Southern France.
From big bombers, Whitleys first, and then Stirlings and Halifaxes, they
dropped their parachute containers. Every kind of supply went down from skis
and sleighs for the Norwegians to the bicycles and bicycle tyres made in
England, but carefully camouflaged with French names, to the resisters of
Western Europe.
For three years the airfield, built over what had been a large area
of marsh, was the air centre of the resistance movement of all Europe. Night
after night the villagers saw airplanes go off and probably heard them
returning in the small hours. But they never saw the people, men and women in
civilian clothes, who were driven down the prohibited road from the airfield,
the men and women who had been brought to England from Occupied France under
the very noses of the Wehrmacht and the Gestapo.
NO SECRET DEVICES.
There were no secret devices to help this passenger service to operate.
The R.A.F. airplanes simply landed in France, picked up their passengers and
flew off again to Tempsford.
On other trips they dropped Czech, Polish and Dutch agents in their
own countries.
About 700 resistance leaders made the trip. Sometimes the R.A.F.
brought back documents, maps and messages.
Not all the story can be told even now. There is still need for
secrecy about how the great organisation was built up.
The romantic and hazardous side of the job was flying the old
unarmed Lysanders and bigger Hudsons to the secret landing grounds in France.
One of the airmen that took part in the adventure said today:- "We
had to have decent fields, so we brought back men of the resistance movement to
teach them the sort of places to select and what to do to help us to land, then
we took them back again.
Others we brought back were trained in England as saboteurs and
dropped in France again.
One French agent was caught by the Gestapo, who broke his feet in
torturing him. He managed to escape from them and we picked him up and brought
him back to England. He could not of course make a parachute landing again ,
but he insisted on returning to carry on with his work in France. So we took
him over. He was a brave man.
Usually when a Lysander - only a three-seater airplane, at one time
used for Army Co-operation work - went out to pick up passengers, the pilot
flew unaided, with a map on his knees, doing his own nagivation, looking in the
dark for a small field in France."
There was no room for a navigator when passengers had to be brought
back.
Often the Gestapo arrived just as the airplane lifted its wheels
off the ground. "There were many hairbreadth escapes like that," I
was told. A pilot was just about to land one night when he saw that behind each
torch-holder stood a German with a revolver. The pilot realised what was
happening, revved up his engine and flew off. He was wounded in the neck but
flew back safely.
"When one of our Hudsons got bogged down in landing, he
rounded up 200 people, 12 oxen and 6 horses, and worked for two and a half
hours before the airplane could leave - with a number of important people
(political) on board."
How secret it all was may be judged by all this - said to me by another
of the pilots:- "Even when high-ranking officers who were not in the know
asked us about the work that we were doing, we had to lie like old Harry. It
was court martial for anyone who breathed a word about the job. Not even the
mechanics knew about the passenger flights."
©
Copyright Harrington Aviation Museum Society 2001 - 7