Monument record 1295/1 - Polebrook/Hemington Airfield

A World War Two military airfield, opened in 1941 for use by the Royal Air Force. The site was redeveloped in 1942 for use by the United States Army 8th Air Force, redesignated Station 110. Runways were lengthened to accommodate heavy bomber aircraft and more accomodation sites for up to 2900 personnel were added in woodland to the north away from the main airfield. The technical site buildings including aircraft hangars (Types T2 and J) were on the northern edge of the airfield. Polebrook was used by the 97th and then the 351st Bomb Groups. One famous member of the latter unit based at the airfield was the film star Clark Gable. The wartime construction of buildings and structures involved the use of "temporary" materials. After the war until 1948 the airfield was operated by the Royal Air Force, mainly for storage purposes. The north -eastern part of the airfield was reused during the Cold-War as a Thor Missile Site (please see HER no 1295/3 for details of the later missile site). There was also a 1950s underground observer corps post in the western part of the airfield (please see 1295/3/1). The airfield site is now disused but many traces can be found on the ground, including wartime defences.

{1} Map of Polebrook airfield in 1944, showing a schedule of all buildings present at that time.

{2} 351st Bombardment Group (Heavy) of 8th Air Force based here; Clark Gable flew several missions from airfield as gunnery officer in 1943; memorial book in village church lists those who served and other memorabilia.

{3} Many of the features visible on 1958 1:10560 map are no longer present. Apart from a small area around the memorial all runways appear to have been removed. One large hanger survives as do a scatter of mainly derelict smaller buildings located around the airfield's main northern accommodation area. Traces of many demolished buildings are also to be found in the latter area together with derelict stretches of former service roads. Woodland and scrub increasingly obscures these remains.

{4} Includes a plan of the airfield in 1944. The land was acquired from the Rothschilds. In 1940 before total completion Polebrook was a dispersal airfield and later a satellite for 17 Operational Training Unit. After other RAF use it became in 1941 one of the first airfields in Europe from which USAAF B-17's were operated by the 97th Bomber Group. The airfield was of 1939 style with one 'J' type hangar later supplemented by two 'T2's'; three runways and a compact technical site. It was subject to a major face-lift in 1942-43 with extension of the runways to almost 2,000 yards and 1,400 yards and with the addition of "an unconventional taxi track". The 351st Bomb Group arrived in 1943. Polebrook's flying days ended in late 1947, closure coming in October 1948. After 10 years of dormancy a Thor missile squadron No 130 was formed here in December 1959. The three missile pads were under North Luffenham's control until disbandment in August 1963. The site was returned to the Rothschild Estate in January 1967.

{5} Plan of the airfield and associated sites in September 1944, list of resident flying unit and aerial photo from summer of 1944. USAAF Station 110; airfield code PK; elevation 230ft amsl. 351st Bomb Group, Polebrook 311 missions; 8600 aircraft sorties; 20357 US tons bombs dropped; 125 aircraft missing. Gibson (1982) p233-34: Polebrook housed 130 Squadron from Dec 1959 with the arrival of the Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile unit. The unit held 3 missiles. These were stored horizontally in a movable shed being raised to the vertical firing position. Twenty old airfields in eastern England were used for Thor squadrons. The American missile had a range of 1750 miles and carried a 2 megaton thermo-nuclear warhead. The entire operation was a joint Anglo-American affair. Because of their surface storage and launching pads the missiles were increasingly vulnerable to 'first strike ' attack. The new generation of missiles were underground US based missiles. Consequently disbandment was inevitable particularly after the political dealing that followed the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Polebrook and Harrington (the other Thor site in Northants) were amongst the last batch of five units to be disbanded.

{6} Includes several references to the siting, construction and use of the wartime airfield.

{7} Six items are reported, all in Polebrook parish (though their ngrs have since been revised following field observations).

{8} C20th Airfield (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation). Crop/soilmark+Earthwork+Stonework: Non-destructive fieldwork.

{9} The gazetteer identifies this airfield as having an RAF Airfield Decoy at Little Gidding (in Cambbridgeshire).

{11} Dispersed accommodation blocks were built in Ashton Wold woods for the RAF and the American Eighth Air Force billeted at nearby Polebrook Airfield.

{13} OS map provides further information on the distribution of buildings, runways, taxiways etc.

{15} The site of a removed LAA battery has been identified at TL08938580.

{16} TL 095 865. Polebrook Airfield was perambulated during the course of the investigation of the Thor Missile Site TL 08 NE 43. Many wartime features may be found, these include in Communal area 1, centred at TL 094 870, a J Type hangar, various small brick buildings and footings. Around the perimeter of the Airfield is a Battle HQ and many pillboxes. In Communal area 2, centred at TL 089 881, many wartime communal buildings survive in a derelict condition.

{17} The gazetteer of WWII airfields by Willis and Holliss provides a statistical profile of the airfield as it appeared in 1944.

{18} Polebrook airfield was opened in 1941 for use by the Royal Air Force. The site was redeveloped in 1942 for use by the United States Army 8th Air Force, redesignated Station 110. Runways were lengthened to accomodate heavy bomber aircraft and more accomodation sites for up to 2900 personnel were added in woodland to the north away from the main airfield. Annotated air photographs taken in 1948 accompanying source 3 show that the technical site buildings including aircraft hangars (Types T2 and J) were on the northern edge of the airfield. Polebrook was used by the 97th and then the 351st Bomb Groups. One famous member of the latter unit based at the airfield was the film star Clark Gable. After the war until 1948 the airfield was operated by the Royal Air Force, mainly for storage purposes. Part of the airfield was reused between 1958-1963 as a Thor Missile Site.

{19} The WWII airfield appears on the Defence of Britain Database as RAF Polebrook Airfield.

<1> 1944, Polebrook Record Site Plan Site No 1 Airfield, (unchecked) (Map). SNN45655.

<2> Northamptonshire Enterprise, 1994, World War II American Airfield Nostalgia, (checked) (Pamphlet). SNN28528.

<3> CADMAN G.E., 1996, SMR Report Form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49702.

<4> Bowyer M.J.F., 1990, Action Stations 6: Military Airfields of The Cotswolds and The Central Midlands, p.224-9 (unchecked) (Book). SNN39505.

<5> Gibson M.L., 1982, Aviation In Northamptonshire: An Illustrated History, p.209-10+270-71 (unchecked) (Book). SNN100276.

<6> Seebohm C., The Country House, A Wartime History 1939-45, (unchecked) (Chapter). SNN39863.

<7> Dr M Osbourne, 1997, List of Northamptonshire Pillboxes, (unchecked) (Note). SNN101917.

<8> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<9> Dobinson C.S., 1996, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England: Vol.III Bombing Decoys of World War Two, p.97 (unchecked) (Series). SNN39506.

<10> Cadman G., 2014, 20th Century Military Archaeology in Northamptonshire: Logs 1, 2 & 3, p.18+88-94 (unchecked) (Report). SNN104868.

<11> 2010, Ashton Wold (Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England), (unchecked) (Report). SNN107179.

<12> 2010, Ashton Wold (Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England) Registration Advice Report, (unchecked) (Report). SNN107180.

<13> Ordnance Survey, 1950, Ordnance Survey 1950s Mapping Series (TL08), (unchecked) (Map). SNN58770.

<14> Ordnance Survey, 1950, Ordnance Survey 1950s 2.5 Inch Series (TL18), (unchecked) (Map). SNN60341.

<15> Pillbox Study Group, Unknown, Pillbox Study Group, e48052 (Website). SNN111964.

<16> Cocroft, W D, Field Investigator's Comments, Wayne D Cocroft/08-JUN-1998/RCHME: Cold War Project (Notes). SNN113478.

<17> Willis, S. and Holliss, B., 1987, Military airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945, p. 161 (Book). SNN111556.

<18> Freeman, R.A., 1978, Airfields of the eighth: then and now, p. 185-7 (Book). SNN111557.

<19> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<20> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain, DEB01 (Archive). SNN112947.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 7:54PM