RAF Twinwood Farm
Encyclopedia
Other RAF Squadrons
- No. 26 Squadron RAFNo. 26 Squadron RAFNo. 26 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976.The squadron motto is N Wagter in die Lug , and the squadrons badge is a springbok's head couped.-1915 to 1918:...
- No. 268 Squadron RAF
- No. 613 Squadron RAFNo. 613 Squadron RAFNo. 613 Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force later Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron formed on 1 February 1939 at the then new municipal airport at Ringway, nine miles south of Manchester. The squadron served at first in the army cooperation role, and later during World War II became a tactical...
- No. 169 Squadron RAFNo. 169 Squadron RAFNo. 169 Squadron RAF was a tactical reconnaissance and later a night intruder squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II-History:No. 169 squadron was formed on 15 June 1942 at RAF Twinwood Farm as a tactical reconnaissance squadron from 'B' flight of 613 Squadron, and took over their North...
- No. 239 Squadron RAFNo. 239 Squadron RAFNo. 239 Squadron RAF was an anti-submarine squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War I. During World War II the squadron performed as an army co-operation squadron and later as a night intruder unit. After the war the squadron was disbanded....
In March 1943 P51 Mustangs belonging to 164, 169, 239 and 208 Squadrons RAF engaged in Operation Spartan which occurred between 1 and 12 March 1943 was conducted across southern and central England to test a wide range of procedures and tactics of British and Canadian Forces.
Use by the USAAF
In 1944 the base was transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force and operated in conjunction with the nearby RAF ThurleighRAF Thurleigh
RAF Thurleigh was a Royal Air Force station located five miles north of Bedford, England. Thurleigh was transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force on 9 December 1942, designated Station 111, and used for heavy bomber operations against Nazi Germany.-Origins:...
.
Glenn Miller
Twinwood Farm was where USAAF Major Glenn MillerGlenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
aircraft took off on 15 December 1944 for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. His plane disappeared over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and was never found.
Disappearance
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to play for the soldiers there. His plane (a single-engined UC-64 Norseman
Noorduyn Norseman
The Noorduyn Norseman is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or operated in 68 countries throughout the world and also have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.-Design and...
, USAAF serial 44-70285) departed from RAF Twinwood Farm in Clapham, Bedfordshire
Clapham, Bedfordshire
Clapham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It has a population of 3,643.-Facilities:Clapham has numerous public houses and several small shops; including a post office, Chinese and Indian takeaways, fish and chips, a florist, a hairdresser and a small...
and disappeared while flying over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. No trace of the aircrew, passengers or plane has ever been found. Miller's status is missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
.
There are three main theories about what happened to Miller's plane, including the suggestion that he might have been hit by Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombs after an abortive raid on Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. One hundred and thirty-eight Lancaster bombers, short on fuel, jettisoned approximately 100,000 incendiaries in a designated area before landing. The logbooks of Royal Air Force navigator Fred Shaw recorded that he saw a small, single-engined monoplane spiraling out of control and crashing into the water. However, a second source, while acknowledging the possibility, cites other RAF crew members flying the same mission who stated that the drop area was in the North Sea.
Use today
The airfield closed in June 1945.The site is now home to the Twinwood Arena , a large natural amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
which plays host to various music festivals promoted by Twinwood Events including the Rhythm Festival
Rhythm Festival
The Rhythm Festival is an outdoor music festival held at The Mansion House, Old Warden Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire from 2011. From 2006 until 2010 it was held at Twinwood Arena, near the village of Clapham, Bedfordshire, England.. Rhythm Festival was founded by music promoter Jim Driver...
.
Glenn Miller Museum
The Glenn Miller Museum is located in the restored control towerControl tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
and features displays about Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, RAF Twinwood Farm, and World War II.
Other buildings house different displays including:
- Twinwood Aviation Museum - featuring uniforms and artifacts recovered from German and Allied aircraft crash sites, as well as British aviation units and life in Britain during the war.
- Rooms of a 1940s family home
- Axis Museum - recreation of a GermanNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
bunkerBunkerA military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
, Russian and German artillery and weapons, and a display about Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and the British Royal FamilyBritish Royal FamilyThe British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with... - Fire Service Museum - recreated 1940s wartime fire station with uniforms, equipment and vehicles
- Displays of military vehicles
The group of museums are also known as Twinwood Airfield Museum, and are open seasonally.
See also
- List of RAF stations
- Glenn Miller OrchestraGlenn Miller OrchestraThe Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...