The former airfield at Upwood in Cambridgeshire had a long and distinguished history. Having its origins go back as far as the First World War, it really gained its fame during the Second World War and post war history; closing as late as 2012 when the military finally pulled out.
During the Second World War it was home to Pathfinder squadrons, who attacked prestige targets. The airfield was home to a range of aircraft; it was also the location for the 1952 film with Dirk Bogarde ‘Appointment in London’. Post war, it was designed to be a post apocalyptic hospital, able to treat those injured in the event of a nuclear war.
Today the site is gradually being demolished as housing gradually takes over. Many of the original buildings are boarded up and behind screens and threfore inaccessible. The hangars however, are still in use by local industry and so access to part of the site is still available.
In 2020, a mural was painted on one of the buildings to commemorate those who flew from Upwood and the wider RAF in general. It features a Lancaster and three aircrew who each achieved incredible flying feats.
I don’t know what the future holds for the mural, but it’s a fabulous piece of street art and a very worthy one, perhaps it should be preserved.
The mural was painted by Street Arts Hire, and depicts Lancaster GT-Q (ND875) of 156 Squadron, which carried out 108 operations, one of only 35 to ever make it over 100 missions. The three airmen also depicted are:
Left: Flt.Sgt A. Wilson 76 operations
Middle: Flt.Sgt. J. Watson 77 operations and
Right: Flt. Sgt. W. Appleby 80 Operations
A video made by the group is available on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=760437928152790
Aviation Trails 