Bedfordshire’s aviation history is to be commemorated with the unveiling of two memorials at the sites of former wartime bases, Woburn Park and Podington, the latter now the drag racing strip known as Santa Pod.
The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT) is erecting the monuments to ensure the airfields, and the people who served there, are never forgotten.
Woburn Park has a rich and varied flying past, famous for its use between both world wars by the Duchess of Bedford. Flying started in the late 1920s and continued until her unexplained disappearance in March 1937 whilst on a flight over the East Anglian coast.
After her tragic death the site’s links with aviation continued when Woburn Park became a Satellite Landing Ground for aircraft storage for the RAF, the largest SLG of them all.
A large number of Short Stirlings arrived which were eventually scrapped after the end of the war but the site was not clear of Stirlings, and indeed the RAF, until as late as May 1947. Since then many vintage aircraft meetings have taken place.
More than 17 miles away Podington Airfield opened in August 1942 and was used by various American units, notably the 92nd Bomb Group. This element won a Distinguished Unit Citation and had quite an eventful time at the base until the end of WW2.
On May 20th 1944, for instance, two of its Boeing B-17s collided on the runway in poor visibility, leaving 21 people dead and the runway badly damaged. In early 1945 the Group also operationally tested examples of the Disney bomb, an unusual weapon which had a rocket fitted in its tail to increase speed. After the 92nd Bomb Group moved to France in the summer of 1945 Podington passed to RAF control, closing in 1947 and eventually being sold in 1961. In 1966 the site opened as Santa Pod, Europe’s top dragster racing circuit.
Kenneth Bannerman, ABCT’s founder, explained: “Airfields are every bit as part of our heritage as castles and stately homes; these places were vital in securing the freedom we have today. We are delighted, therefore, to be providing a lasting tribute for present and future generations.”
To date the charity, ABCT, has established 28 memorials at former airfields across Britain.
The unveiling at Woburn Park will take place on Saturday morning with Podington the following day.