STEPPING BACK IN TIME TO WWII AND RAF DESBOROUGH, RAF HARRINGTON AND THE USAAF.

A disused airfield in Desborough, Kettering, Northamptonshire, now silent and empty was once during WWII, the scene of immense activity. We can imagine the roar of the engines, young RAF pilots running to their planes and suddenly the sky filled with the sight of Wellington bombers off on a mission.

Based at RAF Desborough, No 84 Operational Training Unit at RAF Desborough, consisted of night bomber crews flying Vickers Wellington Bombers.  This airfield was also a training base for Miles Martinets and Dc3 Dakotas.

Nearby, Just  5 miles west of Kettering and  planned as a satellite at RAF Desborough was RAF Harrington, an operational training unit for the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force. Known as the Carpetbaggers and using B-24 Liberators, the 801st Bomb Group flew agents and supplies to the resistance groups in Southern France.

Weather reports from Bletchley Park and Photographic Aerial  Intelligence enabled these covert operations to capitalize upon and strengthen the French Resistance. Also, the SOE, Special Operations Executive, helped to co-ordinate the activities of the French Resistance.

Today, Desborough remembers and commemorates WWII with its 1940s events! Desborough village "steps back to the 1940s" as it is transformed with bunting, stalls and costumed re-enactors. The shops sell vintage goodies, there is a wartime café with"rations" and lively demonstrations of 40s dancing - anyone can join in! A wartime vehicle parade winds it's way through the village and there's lots more for visitors to see. Their 2014 event was a sunny, happy and friendly occasion and a lovely tribute to their wartime history and heroes.
      Www.1940spicturepost.blogspot..com
Source
Britains Secret War 1939-1945 Michael Smith
wikipedia.org/wiki/list-of-operational-training-units
Wikipedia.org/wiki/RafHarrington