RAF Tempsford: The Airfield of Britain’s Secret War

Location and Identity

RAF Tempsford was a former Royal Air Force station located in Bedfordshire, England, approximately 2.3 miles northeast of Sandy and 4.4 miles south of St. Neots [1]. Built in 1941 by John Laing & Son Ltd and Balfour Beatty, the airfield was designed to be unremarkable and outwardly plain to avoid attracting enemy attention [1, 4].

The airfield’s secrecy was further enhanced by the efforts of illusionist Jasper Maskelyne, who designed the site to give overflying enemy aircraft the impression that the facility was disused [3]. Despite this facade, it operated as a critical hub for clandestine aviation throughout the European theatre of World War II [1, 3].

Wartime Function and the SOE

RAF Tempsford served as the principal home for the Royal Air Force’s clandestine flying operations, specifically supporting the Special Operations Executive (SOE) [4]. Its primary mission was the delivery of secret agents, arms, and wireless sets into German-occupied Europe, as well as the retrieval (or ‘pick up’) of personnel returning to England [2, 4].

Operations were typically conducted on moonlit nights, either side of the full moon, to provide enough visibility for pilots to identify drop zones while remaining under the cover of darkness [3]. To avoid detection, aircraft flew low and without lights [3].

Organisations and Squadrons

The airfield was controlled by RAF Bomber Command and hosted two specialized units [1, 2]:

• 138 (Special Duty) Squadron: Tasked with parachute drops of agents and supplies [2, 4].
• 161 (Special Duty) Squadron: Also involved in clandestine deliveries and the high-risk retrieval of personnel [2, 4].

Aircraft and Equipment

The squadrons utilized specific aircraft tailored to the requirements of secret warfare [4]:

• Handley Page Halifaxes and Short Stirlings: These larger aircraft were used for the parachute drops of SOE agents and heavy supplies, such as weaponry and radio equipment [4].
• Westland Lysander: A small, versatile aircraft capable of taking off and landing from rough, unprepared fields in minutes, making it the primary tool for the most dangerous ‘pick-up’ missions [4].
• Lockheed Hudson: Also utilized in clandestine roles, as evidenced by the recovery of undercarriage parts from a Hudson that departed Tempsford in November 1944 [2].

Key Personnel and Operations

The airfield drew a variety of remarkable figures involved in the secret war. Notable RAF personnel included Group Captain Percy Pickard and Wing Commander Hugh Verity, the latter of whom wrote a classic account of the moonlight landings [4]. On the agent side, the airfield was the departure point for many SOE operatives, including the renowned agent Violette Szabo [4].

A critical component of the airfield’s ground operations was a plain-looking barn known as Gibraltar Farm [4]. This facility served as the final preparation point where departing agents were issued their equipment and final instructions before boarding their aircraft [4].

Legacy and Present Day

RAF Tempsford remained in use until February 1963 [1]. While much of its history remained untold for years, it is now recognized as one of the most secret airfields of the Second World War [2, 3].

Today, the history of the site is preserved by the Tempsford Museum & Archives, which maintains a large archive of documents, maps, crew photographs, and aircraft parts [2]. The museum also holds artifacts such as an officer’s uniform and the undercarriage of a Lockheed Hudson T9463, donated in 2015 by the family of Squadron Leader Reginald Wilkinson [2].