RAF Upwood opened in 1917 as a satellite field for RAF Elmswell. Shortly after opening, a few hangars and buildings were built. It closed in 1919. During the RAF expansion period in the mid 1930s the airfield was expanded drastically. Five hangars were built, and around 100 other buildings of varying sizes. The base finally closed in 1995. Wikipedia has a lot more info about the base.
The last twelve years haven’t been kind to the base. It has suffered badly at the hands of vandals. The hangars are in use by a turbine company and are inaccessible. The rest of the buildings are totally gutted, and used occassionally by “airsofters” (people with guns and small balls).
Guard House
This is the first thing you see when entering RAF Upwood. The Guard House. Inside is a little cell to detain people, a small shower block and some other rooms.
Head Quarters
Opposite the Guard House is the main base HQ. Compared to the rest of the site, this is in quite good condition – there are even curtains in some rooms! In one of the back rooms was a huge black-board type thing for aircraft assignments.
Community Centre
Next stop was the community centre. This is where the people stationed on the base would’ve come to relax sometimes. There was a bar inside and a sports court.
Water Tower
The water tower looks the same as West Raynham’s. I would’ve climbed it but the ladders were covered in pigeon mess.
Gas Decontamination Buildings
This is one (two) of the most impressive things at Upwood – two “underground” (under-mound?) gas decontamination buildings. They were built as a precaution – the use of gas weapons had been outlawed in 1925.
Contaminated troops would’ve entered at one end, deposited their clothes in some chutes for washing/destroying; have a shower in the large line of cubicles; get new clothes from the store; and wait until the gas had gone outside. One of the bunkers was attatched to the hospital/sick quarters by a short passage.
Stores
Used for storing stuff.
Boiler House
Couldn’t climb this one – the door was blocked with bricks and debris.
Officers Mess
This is where the officers would have lived and relaxed. There is a huge ballroom and a small cinema room.
Sergeants Mess
The Sergeants Mess is joined to the Officers Mess via a corridor. It’s smaller and not as interesting. It is an E-shape.
Dining Room
No explanation is really needed for this – it’s where the airmen would have eaten. In the back was an impressively-huge oven. And a mortuary tray.
The chefs and staff would have accessed the upstairs level by this crazy little staircase. It was *really* narrow – I could barely fit up it! Upstairs was totally gutted (not a surprise) and the windows sort-of boarded up – again presumably for the gun people.
Out the back was this little room – the back of the ovens.
Entertainment building
This seemed to be some sort of entertainment area. I am not sure exactly what it was.
Random Barrack Blocks
They all look the same, and it got a bit boring looking through them all.
Tanks
There are two tanks at Upwood, used as elaborate props for the airsofters. They’re seriously cool…
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Served R A F Upwood on 214 F M S Squadron from oct 1950 until it was disbanded dec 1954. I then went to A F S until demob April 1955
Informative site ! 49 Squadron served here in the early fifties and the crash that Jill Mason refers to was probably one of their Lincolns. 49 Squadron association is still going strong -please check out our website at 49squadron.co.uk for all 4T9ers and families.
Ed Norman, 49 Sqn Archivist
I was stationed at raf upwood 1949 to1951 as a national serviceman ,I was a rigger,or
you might say a airframe fitter,on the best squadron on the base No 49 of course,
we had lancasters, then lincolns , when i left to be demobed. the best time of my life
was spent at this fine station and the timesI had in shallufa on detatchment.
will send further comment at alater date , bye ex Lac Callon.
Just came across this site for RAF Upwood and it brought back some fabulous memories of my time stationed there from 1958 to 61. I was a snowdrop (Police). Would love to link up with any other guys who were serving on the camp at the same time as I was. I was surprised to see it had closed down and now looks nothing like it used too.
Alan…….your name is familiar and I believe I remember you. I was posted to Upwood straight from Boy Entrant training in April 1960 and left there in April 1961 to go to Akrotiri. I was a Clerk G D and worked in the General Office where my job was “discharges” – the administration involved in discharging servicemen from the RAF. I now live nearby in Warboys. I’d like to have a chat if you feel so inclined.
Hi Alan I was on the camp at the same as you were but I cannot remember your name> I did work with a colleague in the Guardroom with the name of Fred Taylor. Perhaps if we did chat it may help to recall who you are
You weren’t the snowdrop who wrote off the Vanguard pick up by crashing it into the guardroom pillar were you? I remember a week doing fire picket with one snowdrop driving us around in a land-rover but another one (Mr Nasty) – not you was it??? – hiding behind trees to make sure you passed patrol points at exactly the time specified on the beat card!!! Do remember the delicious bacon rolls from the Sally Ann behind the guard room? My e-mail is alanjames007@tesco.net if you would like to get in touch. Alan
i am looking for a detail map of the site and more important of the “blue print” of the inside of some fo the building. I am mainly interested in the “hotel” in W shape and the officer mess attach to it.
Can anybody help?
please send them to me if you have them: curef99@hotmail.co.uk
I worked in the Finance Office at RAF Alconbury from Nov 85 to Nov 89 and lived at 21 Cambera Rd on RAF Upwood. I also attended the NCO Academy at RAF Upwood in 1987 and was one of the finalists in the military briefing competition. When I had to give my presentation before the entire class, I was very nervous and lost track of what I was talking about. Someone told me afterwards that unknown to me, I apparently raised my hand and pointed my index finger as if I were shooting myself in the head – and then I began picking up from where I had left off. I really didn’t remember doing that, but there were too many people agreeing with that story that it must have really happened.
Am interested to hear from fellow classmates from the class I attended in 1988. My son recently stationed at RAF Molesworth, has let me know how it looks now at this old place. I had been stationed at Sicily AB, Italy when selected to go the class. Was a memorable time to say the least.
Hi, i was just wondering if anyone knows how i could contact the current owners of RAF Upwood about permissions to use it for a filming project. It is for a media course at Peterborough Regional College, Media and Journalism Centre. Please respond asap as we feel that this would be a perfect and suitable place for one of our locations. Only a small section of the building is required and most filming will be outside, however we would like filming to commence sometime during the evening hours for some natural sunset lighting. Please and thank you for any information you may have. To contact me, you can email on: xmwahx_lbromley@hotmail.com
Hi,
I was at RAF Upwood in Jan. 1962 attending a P.I.s course. At the time I was serving in the Royal Engineers as a Cpl. and passed the course enabling me to fill a posting to Gordon Barracks, Gillingham, Kent. A very interesting course.
Hello I used to drive by that old camp often.
I noticed that nice looking medical building, I’m ex R A O C 12 years and I know an old ARMY/R A F Camp when I see one,
it’s the U S A Fire Hydrants on the old Estate that I’m wanting to know about, did they have there own fire trucks on the base,and would the hydrants work with the UK Fire equipment is the medical center still used by the forces it looks quite impressive there is a notice out side. the place looks run down but that medical building looks top notch
Stewart<
Lived in Ramsey most of my life,so know Upwood very well,was there a picture house on the base? i think there was,as my dad was a projectionist there during the war,and he got the nick name FLICK for obvious reasons,he also worked at the grand in ramsey as well.He met and married a girl called Margaret Holmes,a Liverpudlian,who was in the WRAF, stationed at Upwood,and worked in the ops room.Any one remember them?.
Hi Ray
There certainly was a camp cinema on the site. The rushes
from the film “Appointment in London” were shown in there
in 1952 when filming finished. I was an Instrument Mechanic
on 148sqdn there from Feb1952 to mid 1954 when I was posted
to Luqa-Malta.
Any help?
Pete Snook.
Sad to see these images. My grandfather was based there in 1974, so was my wife’s uncle in the mid 1960′s.
trying to contact anyone who was at upwood from 1940 and knew a Sgt Ivan John Green from 214 Sqn