(Images: Urban Ghosts)
Despite the presence of the Borders Gliding Club, little remains to betray the history of this grass expanse at Milfield in the English county of Northumberland. But look closely and the ghosts of World War Two will reveal themselves, as runway remains, aircraft dispersals and taxiways lie half hidden amid the fields.
(Images: Andrew Curtis, cc-sa-3.o; inset: Royal Air Force via Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Opened as a Class A (heavy bomber) airfield in 1942, RAF Milfield ultimately served as a training base for British and Canadian pilots learning to fly the Hawker Hurricane (above, inset). The Fighter Leaders’ School, which operated at Milfield from 1942, developed tactics for the use of rocket projectiles and low level attacks, which played a decisive role in Operation Overlord during the D-Day landings.
(Images: Urban Ghosts)
Nowadays, the old perimeter track to the east forms a section of modern road. Scattered in the fields on either side can be seen the overgrown remnants of hard standings and several crumbling military buildings. The concrete runways were torn-up decades ago and little now remains, but a poignant memorial to the north honours those who served and died at RAF Milfield.
(Image: Lisa Jarvis, cc-sa-3.o)
One intriguing feature to the north-west of the abandoned base is the Maelmin Heritage Trail, boasting faithful reconstructions of an ancient henge, mesolithic hut and a Dark Age house that had once existed at the site. Discover more about Milfield’s history here.
Keep reading – wander the Abandoned Wartime Runway of RAF Boulmer and explore 20 Spectacular Military Abandonments of the World.
