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Title A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOVINGDON AIRFIELD

Description

The airfield at Bovingdon was built during 1941 ? 1942 as a bomber airfield for the RAF. It had three runways, the main one being one mile long. There were four enormous hangars, each 240 ft long, 120 ft wide and 39 ft high. The site was ideal as an airbase because it was 535 ft above sea level and therefore unlikely to get fogbound.

The first unit to be based there was No. 7 Group RAF Bomber Command but in April 1943 the base was formally handed over to the 92nd Bomb Group of the USAAF. It became US Air Station 112 under the leadership of Colonel James S. Sutton. Eventually there were 635 officers and 2214 other ranks stationed at the base. It was decided that Bovingdon would serve as the major heavy bomber base for B-17 crews.

Their first combat mission took place on 21st August 1942 when 30 Flying Fortresses set out to bomb the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte in France. Two planes were lost on this mission, one of which flew from Bovingdon. Captain Frank Ward?s aircraft was also attacked and Corporal Hubert Crowell died from his wounds. Two other members of the crew were wounded. Sergeant Robert Smith was badly hurt and the navigator Lieutenant
The average age of the pilots and crew who flew these B-17 bombers was 21.

In January 1943 the 92nd was transferred and finally based at Podington in Bedfordshire. It had flown 308 missions over occupied Europe and had proved to be one of the most effective groups in the Eighth USAAF.
Bovingdon became a training base much to the disgust of Colonel Sutton who protested so vehemently that he was almost court martialled. He later managed to get himself transferred to another operational combat base.

REALTIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE AMERICAN AIRMEN AND THE LOCALS.

Relationships between the Americans based at the airfield and the residents of Bovingdon were somewhat strained at first. The Americans liked to drink in The Bell and locals who wanted to avoid them went to the Wheatsheaf. Some took exception the American game of ?crap?, a dice game played for high stakes, that involved much shouting and general noise. Relations became so bad that the airmen threatened to overturn tables or pour beer on the ladies? skirts and the locals threatened to call out the Provost Marshall. However, Colonel Sutton?s replacement, Colonel Howard Agne, worked hard to remedy this situation. He visited local organisations and organised children?s parties and dances at the base. He and his wife were popular with the villagers and a road, Howard Agne Close, is named after him.
Many of the people interviewed for this website have happy memories of the airmen, distributing presents to children, offering chewing gum and other rare commodities and organising parties. Many have commented that they had their first experience of contact with ethnic minorities when they met black American airmen.

Bovingdon was the nearest airbase to the Eighth Air Force and other command headquarters and General Eisenhower?s personal B-17 was housed in Number 1 Hangar. The Memphis Belle was also often to be seen at the base. After completing 25 missions, this bomber, with most of its original crew and pilot, Colonel Robert ?Bob? Morgan, was selected to return to the USA for a ?flag waving? tour. The B-17E ?Yankee Doodle? which flew on the first B-17 raid on Rouen in August 1942, with General Ira C. Eaker on board, used to park on a hard stand behind the White Hart pub at Whelpley Hill.

There were also many famous visitors to the airfield, the foremost of these being Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the President of the USA who spent a day in Bovingdon in November 1942. Her second son, Lieutenant Colonel Elliot Roosevelt spent several weeks at the base as part of the student detachment of the 15th Photo Mapping Squadron.

Many famous film stars passed through the airbase whilst en route to other places including Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart and William Holden. Glen Miller, Bob Hope and Frances Langford all came to entertain the troops and invited the locals to join in. It was from Bovingdon that Glen Miller made his last flight. His disappearance remains a mystery to this day.

THE END OF THE WAR

In September 1944 the training facility was disbanded and the airfield became the base for the European Air Transport Service. Many thousands of GIs retuned to the United States. Control reverted to the RAF in April 1946 and in 1947 it became an aerodrome for civilian airlines.

Source: Bovingdon Airfield by Ray Potter, published by The Dacorum Heritage Trust, 1998.

Keywords USAAF, Americans, Bovingdon, bombers, Flying Fortress, Eleanor Roosevelt, Glenn Miller, Memphis Belle, Eisenhower,

Collection Bovingdon Airfield

Place Bovingdon

Year 1941 - 1946

Conflict World War Two

File type html

Record ID number 139

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Title	A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOVINGDON AIRFIELD
Description	The airfield at Bovingdon was built during 1941 ? 1942 as a bomber airfield for the RAF. It had three runways, the main one being one mile long. There were four enormous hangars, each 240 ft long, 120 ft wide and 39 ft high. The site was ideal as an airbase because it was 535 ft above sea level and therefore unlikely to get fogbound. The first unit to be based there was No. 7 Group RAF Bomber Command but in April 1943 the base was formally handed over to the 92nd Bomb Group of the USAAF. It became US Air Station 112 under the leadership of Colonel James S. Sutton. Eventually there were 635 officers and 2214 other ranks stationed at the base. It was decided that Bovingdon would serve as the major heavy bomber base for B-17 crews. Their first combat mission took place on 21st August 1942 when 30 Flying Fortresses set out to bomb the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte in France. Two planes were lost on this mission, one of which flew from Bovingdon. Captain Frank Ward?s aircraft was also attacked and Corporal Hubert Crowell died from his wounds. Two other members of the crew were wounded. Sergeant Robert Smith was badly hurt and the navigator Lieutenant The average age of the pilots and crew who flew these B-17 bombers was 21. In January 1943 the 92nd was transferred and finally based at Podington in Bedfordshire. It had flown 308 missions over occupied Europe and had proved to be one of the most effective groups in the Eighth USAAF. Bovingdon became a training base much to the disgust of Colonel Sutton who protested so vehemently that he was almost court martialled. He later managed to get himself transferred to another operational combat base. REALTIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE AMERICAN AIRMEN AND THE LOCALS. Relationships between the Americans based at the airfield and the residents of Bovingdon were somewhat strained at first. The Americans liked to drink in The Bell and locals who wanted to avoid them went to the Wheatsheaf. Some took exception the American game of ?crap?, a dice game played for high stakes, that involved much shouting and general noise. Relations became so bad that the airmen threatened to overturn tables or pour beer on the ladies? skirts and the locals threatened to call out the Provost Marshall. However, Colonel Sutton?s replacement, Colonel Howard Agne, worked hard to remedy this situation. He visited local organisations and organised children?s parties and dances at the base. He and his wife were popular with the villagers and a road, Howard Agne Close, is named after him. Many of the people interviewed for this website have happy memories of the airmen, distributing presents to children, offering chewing gum and other rare commodities and organising parties. Many have commented that they had their first experience of contact with ethnic minorities when they met black American airmen. Bovingdon was the nearest airbase to the Eighth Air Force and other command headquarters and General Eisenhower?s personal B-17 was housed in Number 1 Hangar. The Memphis Belle was also often to be seen at the base. After completing 25 missions, this bomber, with most of its original crew and pilot, Colonel Robert ?Bob? Morgan, was selected to return to the USA for a ?flag waving? tour. The B-17E ?Yankee Doodle? which flew on the first B-17 raid on Rouen in August 1942, with General Ira C. Eaker on board, used to park on a hard stand behind the White Hart pub at Whelpley Hill. There were also many famous visitors to the airfield, the foremost of these being Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the President of the USA who spent a day in Bovingdon in November 1942. Her second son, Lieutenant Colonel Elliot Roosevelt spent several weeks at the base as part of the student detachment of the 15th Photo Mapping Squadron. Many famous film stars passed through the airbase whilst en route to other places including Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart and William Holden. Glen Miller, Bob Hope and Frances Langford all came to entertain the troops and invited the locals to join in. It was from Bovingdon that Glen Miller made his last flight. His disappearance remains a mystery to this day. THE END OF THE WAR In September 1944 the training facility was disbanded and the airfield became the base for the European Air Transport Service. Many thousands of GIs retuned to the United States. Control reverted to the RAF in April 1946 and in 1947 it became an aerodrome for civilian airlines. Source: Bovingdon Airfield by Ray Potter, published by The Dacorum Heritage Trust, 1998.
Keywords	USAAF, Americans, Bovingdon, bombers, Flying Fortress, Eleanor Roosevelt, Glenn Miller, Memphis Belle, Eisenhower,
Collection	Bovingdon Airfield
Place	Bovingdon
Year	1941 - 1946
Conflict	World War Two
File type	html
Record ID number	139