Palmed off

Taken from my lofty perch aboard Dragon Rapide G-AKIF this view takes in the former RAF Station of Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire

 

Used by the USAAF in WW2 the Airfield hosted the 91st Bomb Group with the famed B.17 Flying Fortress 'Memphis Belle' being based there

 

In the 50's and 60's RAF Bomber Command moved in flying Canberras, Meteors and Mosquitoes but in 1970, the Station was was turned over to the Queen's Division of the Army as a Barracks to train new recruits before they joined their Battalions

 

The Barracks then had a chequered career not least at one stage training Libyan troops which was terminated shortly after being mired in scandal

 

In 1985 'Hollywood' moved in, filming scenes for the film 'Full Metal Jacket' with imported Palm Trees for the Vietnam War scenes and using based 'squaddies' as extras

 

Bassingbourn closed as a Barracks in 2012 - but with planned closures in the area - a recent announcement states that it will reopen in 2019, receiving units from Burgoyne Barracks and RAF Henlow. MDPGA from Wethersfield will move in during 2020 and those from Chilwell Station in 2021

 

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Done