The History of Bottisham Airfield By Jason Webb
Jason Webb will share with us the intriguing history of Bottisham Airfield, including untold stories and significant moments that have shaped this site.
Originally prepared in 1940 as a satellite of RAF Waterbeach, Bottisham was built as a grass airfield and was initially used by the Cambridge-based Tiger Moths from Marshalls as a relief landing ground. During a two-year period beginning in July 1941, the airfield was then occupied by a succession of Royal Air Force Army Co-operation squadrons.
In the summer of 1943, the Air Ministry Works Directorate began work on enlarging and improving the facilities at Bottisham in preparation for the arrival of its new tenants: the 361st Fighter Group, United States Eighth Air Force.
Whether you're a World War 2 aficionado or simply curious about local history, the legacy of Bottisham Airfield and its enduring significance in our collective history is a very interesting tale.
Jason Webb biog:
Jason Webb has been involved with Bottisham Airfield since 2001 when he created a website about the airfield. The museum was founded eight years later when an opportunity arose to use one of the original buildings that were home to the air crews. A move towards greater permanency followed in 2014 with the purchase of the site, and thousands of hours of volunteer time and expertise have created a bigger, better museum.
Jason says: “We built a Nissen hut in 2016 and decided to refurbish the buildings - they had asbestos roofs and cracks in the walls, so we needed to make them usable for the public. David Rayner of Scotsdales has been the premier funder - without his help this wouldn’t have happened.”
Bottisham Airfield Museum
The Museum was opened in 2009 to commemorate the sometimes-forgotten role of the airfield at Bottisham in World War Two. It is the only UK museum dedicated to the Royal Air Force, United States 8th Army Air Force and Belgian Air Forces.