RAF Upwood is a former Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The base was operated by USAF from 1981 until it's closure in 1994.
Bury, Huntingdon, UK Derelict History
RAF Upwood is a former Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The base us operated by USAF from 1981 until it’s closure in 1994.
In 1917, during WWI the Royal Flying Corps requisitioned 160 acres of farmland. The base opened later that year as Bury (Ramsey), referring to the nearby Village or Bury and larger market town of Ramsey. The station was initially used as a satellite site and night-landing ground by No. 75 Squadron flying BE.2 aircraft out of Elmswell.
Initially there were no permanent buildings, but by 1918 a number of huts and several large hangers had been built. The station was then renamed to Upwood. A few squadrons became based at Upwwod until the end of the war when they were disbanded. The site was handed back to the local community.
The 1930s saw massive expansion of the Royal Air Force, and as a result many new airfields were opened. The former WWI site was selected to be revamped, and construction of many new buildings began in 1934.
During WWII the squadrons based at Upwwod were merged to form the No. 17 Operational Training Unit and were tasked with training aircrews. The site was the target of Luftwaffe bombing raids on two occasions which resulted in one death.
In February 1941 a German spy named Josef Jakobs was discovered by a farmer, after he parachuted into the area resulting in a broken leg. He was found to have maps of RAF Upwood, a code device and £500 in his possession. He was interrogated by MI5 and spent several months at Dulwich hospital before being put on trial. He was found guilty of treachery and was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London
April 1943 saw the construction of three concrete runways, replacing the old grass airfield allowing larger planes to be stationed at RAF Upwood.
By 1981 the site had become almost dormant, so the decision was made to lease it to the United States Air Force. This begun a whole new round of activity at Upwwod, which became a satellite site of near-by RAF Alconbury.
The site was handed back to MoD in 1994 who closed the site. The buildings remain, although they are now completely stripped. The site has been sold for development; the hangers and runways now in private use.
Great place this is , I got split up with the two I went with and lost them as it’s so big . Need another full day there really .
Nice man better than I expected, the cross on the door on the floor is cool!
Great report and love the pictures! Must add this to my list if I ever get out of the westcountry again! lol
Curiouser and curiouser….. What’s a couple of Warsaw Pact PT76 armored vehicles doing on an old RAF base that was leased to the USAF. perhaps it was used for training exercises since it’s closure?
BMP with a turret.. The site looks like something out of Half Life.
Liking this bud, done it justice
Are they British tanks?
WPG (Warsaw Pact). NATO-soldier speak for soviet/Russian/bad guys/targets 20 years ago.
Bit late but the site is used for airsoft and I believe the tank’s we’re placed there by the airsoft group.
there was a horror film filmed here a few years back (the devils chair).
Awesome set of pictures
i remember it very well i lived there when i was a child i watch lancaster land and take off and now the memory will be gone its sad to see it in a sorry state
i am surprised as to the lack of information about this great station,lots happened here between 1943 and 1981 i was posted to Upwod in 1972 for my first posting, It was then The RAF school of education, with students of many nationalities. I can also remember many good nights in the Naafi club watching many great bands such as jimmy ruffin among others. i lived in Shackleton block, for the duration of my 2 years before my posting to Brize Norton. i felt sick to my stomach when i first saw how the station had been abused over the years
I wa stationed here from 195 0 until 1953 doing my natioal service when it was a full and active station,what a sorry site it has become.
Amazing set, place and pictures…