RAF Tempsford was a Bomber Command station located in Bedfordshire, 3 miles (5 kms) north-east of Sandy.

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The station was still under construction in October 1941 when the runways were started to be used by the Wellingtons of 11 Operational Training Unit, which stayed until February 1942. The station became home to the RAF Special Duty Service as part of 3 Group. 109 Squadron arrived in January 1942 with Wellingtons to trial new radio equipment but quickly left. In March and April 1942 138 Squadron and 161 Squadron both arrived with Whitleys, Halifaxes and Lysanders specialising in the delivery of Special Operations Executive agents either by parachute or by landing at night and dropping supplies to resistance groups. The Whitleys were gradually replaced by other aircraft types including Albermarles, B-24s, Hudsons and Stirlings. 138 Squadron moved out in early 1945, leaving 161 Squadron at the station until after the war.

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Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Trevor Hardcastle]]>
RAF Torquay was located in Devon and comprised multiple hotels used for initial training by the RAF in Torquay and the surrounding area.

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Initial Training Wings (ITW) were located in the Torquay area where aircrew and other RAF recruits would spend 8-12 weeks receiving basic service training. 1 ITW was based in Babbacombe on the northern edge of Torquay and trained over 27,000 recruits. 3 ITW and 5 ITW were based in Torquay itself and trained 8,000 and 10,000 recruits respectively. 13 ITW was in Torquay from June 1941 to March 1944 and 21 ITW was in Torquay from May to September 1943.

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Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Nigel Moore]]>
RAF Upwood was a Bomber Command station located in Cambridgeshire 7 miles (11 kms) north of Huntingdon.

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Originally opened in 1916 RAF Upwood re-opened in 1937. In September 1939 it was occupied by 52 Squadron and 63 Squadron with Battles but these quickly moved out and replaced by 90 Squadron training Blenheim aircrews. In 1940 90 squadron combined with 35 Squadron to form 17 Operational Training Unit which continued to train Blenheim aircrews until April 1943. Concrete runways were then installed and RAF Upwood re-opened in early 1944 in 8 Group with the Pathfinder squadrons of 139 Squadron, with Mosquitos, and 156 Squadron, with Lancasters. Both units remained at the station until the end of the war.

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Clare Bennett]]> Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Terry Hancock]]> Nigel Moore]]>
RAF Warboys was a Bomber Command station in Cambridgeshire 7 miles (11 kms) north-east of Huntingdon.

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The station opened in August 1942 as part of 3 Group. 156 Squadron moved in with Wellingtons. However within a month both the station and 156 Squadron were transferred to the new Pathfinder force. Converting to Lancasters in January 1943 156 Squadron continued to operate from RAF Warboys until March 1944. RAF Warboys then became a training station for 8 Group with its Night Training Unit with Lancasters and 1655 Mosquito Conversion Unit.

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Nigel Moore]]> Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Terry Hancock]]>
RAF West Raynham was a Bomber Command station located in Norfolk, 5 miles (8 kms) south-west of Fakenham.

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It opened in May 1939 as part of 2 Group, initially with grass runways. First occupant was 101 Squadron with Blenheims. 18, 76 and 139 Squadrons all had brief stays at the station. In 1941 101 Squadron was replaced by 114 Squadron, also with Blenheims. 180 Squadron with B-25s and 342 Squadron with Bostons both formed at RAF West Raynham before moving out. The runways were converted to concrete in 1943 and in December 1943 the station was transferred to 100 Group. 141 Squadron and 239 Squadron both operated night fighter bomber support Mosquitoes until the end of the war.

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Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Nigel Moore]]>
RAF Wilmslow was located in Cheshire, a mile (2 kms) north of the town of Wilmslow.

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Construction commenced at the outbreak of war and 4 School of Recruit Training was based there. Its role was the reception and basic training of male and female recruits who would spend eight weeks at the station before being posted elsewhere.

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Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]>
RAF Woolfox Lodge was a Bomber Command station located in Rutland, 5 miles (8 kms) north-west of Stamford.

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It was initially a grass satellite ground and, in 1940, used by the Hampdens of 14 Operational Training Unit. The station was then developed with concrete runways as part of 5 Group and re-opened in October 1941 when 61 Squadron moved in with Manchesters. The squadron started to convert to Lancasters before moving out in May 1942. The runways were extended and, on re-opening in June 1943 the station was transferred to 3 Group and 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit took up residence with Stirlings. The training unit moved out in January 1944 and two months later 218 Squadron moved in with Stirlings but converted to Lancasters in July 1944. The station was temporarily transferred to the United States Army Air Force from August to October 1944 but in November 1944 it returned to 3 Group and 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit took up residence with Stirlings and Lancasters.

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Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Nigel Moore]]>
RCAF Bowden (also known as BCATP Station Bowden) was located at Bowden, Alberta, Canada.

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The station opened in the summer of 1941 and it was used by 32 Elementary Flying Training School. In July 1942, it was privatised as the Edmonton Flying Training School Limited under Royal Canadian Air Force control as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It could handle 240 pupils on eight-week courses and had 150 aircraft, mainly Tiger Moths and Cornells.

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Clare Bennett]]> Julian Maslin]]> Nigel Moore]]>