RAF Upottery

RAF Upottery, built as a standard RAF Class 'A’ bomber airfield very late in the war by George Wimpey and Co. Construction started early in 1943 to be ready for D-Day.

Airfield Features

• Three runways
• A perimeter track with 50 Spectacle dispersals
• A full bomb store
• Dispersed accommodation

American Operations

The Americans were going to use the airfield for medium bombers but later decided to bring in the 439th Group, IX Troop Carrier Command on 26th April 1944. An endless stream of Dakotas and gliders flew in from their former base at Balderton. Just imagine the ground crews' vehicle convoy as well.

439th Group Details

The 439th Group contained 4 squadrons: the 91st, 92nd, 93rd, and 94th. Each squadron had its own code letter painted on the fuselage behind the cockpit in large yellow lettering so it could be easily identified.

• 91st Squadron Code: (L4)
• 92nd Squadron Code: (J8)
• 93rd Squadron Code: (3B)
• 94th Squadron Code: (D8)
• Dakotas: 81
• Gliders: 81

Starting on the main road running around the perimeter track. The first item is the Petrol Installation - Aviation.

• 68. General Purpose Hut: T.B. - 12790/42
• 70. Latrine: T.B. - 9026/41
• 71. Picket Post: T.B. - 1580/42
• 72. Petrol Installation - Aviation: 76,000 Galls. - 1491/44

Starting on the main road running around the perimeter track. The first item is the Petrol Installation - Aviation.

• 68. General Purpose Hut: T.B. - 12790/42
• 70. Latrine: T.B. - 9026/41
• 71. Picket Post: T.B. - 1580/42
• 72. Petrol Installation - Aviation: 76,000 Galls. - 1491/44

• 68. General Purpose Hut: T.B. 12790/42. This was a crew room for members of the fuel detail.
• 70. Latrine: T.B. 9026/41. A small toilet block of a standard style used on all airfields.

• 71. Picket Post T.B. 1580/42.
• 72. Petrol Installation - Aviation 76,000 Galls. 1491/44.

Picket Post 71 functioned as a sort of police post. When entering the camp, visitors signed in and then signed out upon leaving. The public roads were closed. Fuel tankers arriving would sign in and out, and their quantities were checked. Consequently, anything passing through had to be recorded.

T2 hangar 1

• 50. Armoury - Squadron N. 2406/43.
• 51. Store Block N. 2406/43.
• 52. Latrines Technical T.B. 9026/41.
• 53. Hangar (23bay) T2. 3653/42.

N = Nissen Hutting. T.B. Temporary Brick.

T2 Hangar 1

• Armoury: Squadron N. 2406/43
• Store Block: N. 2406/43. This is a triple length Nissen hut.

I have added a Nissen hut to show what it may have been like.

• Site No: 49
• Type: Petrol Installation
• Category: Aviation
• Capacity: 72,000 gallons
• Reference: 13022/42 the second.

A circular road allowing tankers to drive in and around and out without reversing.

Site 1 Airfield M&E plinth.

On the right was the:

• Guard House & Fire Party N 1204/41.
• M&E Plinth.

The Guard House was the Guard Room, where one booked in and out everything and everybody arriving and leaving the camp.

The Fire Party was the fire brigade to tackle any local (dispersed camp) fires rather than aircraft fires, but it may have helped out in real emergencies.

• 11
• A.M. Bombing Teacher
• P.B.
• 816/43

The room needed to be kept warm to work in, and in an attached room there was a boiler.

Now removed is the M.T. Motor Transport garage of four bays, one of which was for servicing with its own vehicle pit.

• 1 x 34. - Gas Clothing & Respirator Store - T.B. - 13730/41.
• 2 x 16. - Main Stores - R - 827/43.

T.B. Gas Clothing store and two Main Stores in Romney, corrugated iron.

• 2 x 16
• Main Stores
• R
• 827/43

Romney huts were much larger Nissen-style huts. They were made from hoops of tubing with wooden spars, and corrugated tin or asbestos was screwed to the wooden spars.

Main Stores held everything from aircraft parts to typewriter ribbons.

• 30
• Hangar (23 Bays)
• St.
• T2
• 3653/42
• ST - Steel.

A T2 hangar being built by American engineers putting in place one of the doors.

Somewhere in Britain.

This appears to show the takeoff or landing of an aircraft, with a senior officer watching alongside another looking through binoculars. Another is just looking on. Two airmen are present: one possibly talking to planes, and another appears to be writing something down.

On the wall is a chalkboard with details (I presume) related to:

• Whether the beacon was on or off.
• Whether the Q Site was in operation.
• Whether the flare path was lit or not.
• The weather for the day.

A Q Site was the decoy of an airfield, set out somewhere in the area to attract bombers to bomb the decoy and not the actual airfield.

89 - Control Tower - T.B. - 343/43

Don't tell his mother what he gets up to when out with Granddad.

M&E Plinth.

• 87 - Floodlight Trailer & Tractor - TB - 12411/41.
• 88 - Night Flying equipment Store - TB - 12411/41.

Both are exactly the same drawing numbers; I have checked several other airfields, and it's the same numbers.

87 - Floodlight Trailer & Tractor - TB - 12411/41.

The roadway in.

85 - Squadron & Flight Offices - T.B. - 1451/42

This airfield was designed to hold one RAF squadron and was laid out for that purpose. Each flight would park their planes close to their flight office. But here the Americans came with four squadrons and must have been very cramped in their office accommodation. I expect the standard American square tents would be used for extra space.

85 - Squadron & Flight Offices - T.B. - 1451/42

The centre corridor with offices both sides.

• 82 - General Purpose Hut - TB - 12790/42
• 84 - Latrines - TB - 9026/41

84 - Latrines - TB - 9026/41

Two-bay latrine.

The small black dots indicate landing locations of the 52 CG-4A WACO gliders of the 'Chicago Mission', which landed 148 men at 0400 hrs on D-Day.

The Red Triangles indicate landing locations of the 'Keokuk mission'. This consisted of 32 Horsa gliders, which delivered 165 men, including 6 A.T. guns of the 327th GIR at 2130 hrs on 6 June, 1944.