Stanbridge
STANBRIDGE: RAF communications base but once also with an airstrip
Note: Pictures by the author.
Location: SE of Leighton Buzzard
NOTES: In 2003 I made this note: There is a large level area just N of the present base very reminiscent of a possible runway. Indeed, I mentioned to my wife that I would have no hesitation landing a Cessna 172 onto this area. Today this has become adjacent to a large housing development with many roads named after RAF subjects. For example: Roundel Way, Mannock Drive and Gibson Drive. I took pictures of some of these road signs and the locals were very curious about what I was doing. Sadly, not one person I spoke to had the slightest idea about the background to these names and their significance in our aviation history.
No matter where I looked afterwards I could find no trace of any flying activity here and nobody seemed to know anything about this; in fact I was assured that such a airstrip/airfield never existed. Then, in April 2005 I made this discovery in an article, (Airfield ReviewApril 2005), by Peter Howarth on the history of CRANFIELD: “In 1950 No.23 Group Communications Flight moved in from South Cerney. This unit was equipped with a few Anson C.Mk.19s and Prentice T.Mk.1s that were used for transporting senior personnel and visitors from No.23 Group HQ at Leighton Buzzard”. Surely this must be RAF STANBRIDGE?
In 2017 I was kindly contacted by Mr Rory Morrisey of the LBDAHS, (Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and History Society). It appears that the LBDAHS was about to publish a book of the WW1 history, and, another book edited by Paul Brown, "Q Central" had been published a couple of years earlier about the secret stuff going on in Leighton Buzzard during WW2. Plus of course, the now famous Bletchley Park facilty was just 'up the road'.
I mention this simply because wars in the 20th century, after WW1, are not fought simply by men in machines. Indeed, they are simply at the front end of a vast 'machine' of work done in the background by boffins and designers etc. As Mr Morrisey tells us regarding STANBRIDGE in WW2; "It contained the largest telephone exchange in the world at that time". He adds that; "I don't think there much if any flying going on there as it was the top-secret communications centre of its day, heavily camouflaged." I suspect this might well be the case, but, in the lead up to D-Day the possibilty of light communications and laison aircraft visiting seems hard to discount? Can anybody offer advice?
"It later became the centre for the RAF's inventory, using two massive (for the day) ICL mainframe computers. I think it had a Hawker Hunter as a gate-guardian for a while".
Alison
This comment was written on: 2019-01-19 14:01:31I believe that there was aircraft here in the war as my mother ( now dead) use to work at Stanbridge and knew her boys were going in planes and would worry until they were back home I always though it was from Stanbridge.Obviously I can't check this out now .
Geoff
This comment was written on: 2021-02-03 23:14:57I have a model aircraft plan (for the Zaunkoenig) published by the Aeromodeller Plans Service in the late 1940's and they give their address as "THE AERODROME, STANBRIDGE NR. LEIGHTON BUZZARD BEDS." Sounds like there was an airfield there.
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