The Airfield in WW2
RAF Grafton Underwood
From RAF training station to a major 8th Air Force base
RAF Grafton Underwood - A History
RAF Grafton Underwood was located a short distance from the village of Grafton Underwood, near Kettering in Northamptonshire.
Built on land requisitioned from Boughton Estate, the airfield was constructed by George Wimpey & Co. Ltd and completed in 1941, initially for RAF use. It nestled between the ancient hunting woodlands of Boughton House, its construction forcing the demolition of two farm complexes, although several old buildings survived and remained enclosed within the airfield boundaries for the duration of the war.
The surrounding woods were used as a natural camouflage defence and also housed aircraft hardstanding points, bomb dumps and communal areas, shaping the distinctive character of the station.
With America's entry into the war, Grafton Underwood evolved rapidly from a British training airfield into a USAAF heavy bomber station, and that transformation reshaped both the landscape and the rhythm of life on the site.
Today, the surviving fragments of runway, taxiway and woodland infrastructure help tell that larger story.
Built Up to Class A Standard
With the entry of America into World War II, the airfield was earmarked for USAAF use and during 1942 was brought up to Class A standard. This required major changes to the original station.
Runways were lengthened, additional aircraft hard standings were built, bomb storage was expanded in Old Head Wood near Warkton Common, and the accommodation sites and their supporting infrastructure were all upgraded to support large-scale bomber operations.
Runway Lengths
- Runway 1: 6,000 ft x 150 ft
- Runway 2: 5,200 ft x 150 ft
- Runway 3: 4,200 ft x 150 ft
The Arrival of the USAAF
The first USAAF units arrived in mid-May 1942 with the 15th Bomb Squadron, and by July 1942 the 97th Bomb Group had replaced them, equipped with B-17E aircraft.
History was made on 17 August 1942 when the first raid by USAAF 8th Air Force heavy bombers flew from the airfield. Later that year the 305th Bomb Group arrived, followed in April 1943 by the 96th Bomb Group.
In early June 1943 the 384th Bomb Group took over the base and remained in residence for the rest of the war, making Grafton Underwood one of the key stations in the Eighth Air Force story.
Explore the Airfield Through Imagery
After Victory in Europe
With the end of the war in Europe, the 384th Bomb Group moved to Istres in France, leaving the airfield deserted. It was later returned to RAF ownership and became home to 236 Maintenance Unit.
The unit's role was to collect, repair and auction surplus military vehicles. Photographs from 1954 show much of the airfield infrastructure still intact, but with military vehicles lined across runways, taxiways and dispersal points awaiting disposal.
By early 1959 their work was complete, and on 1 February 1959 the airfield was officially declared surplus to requirements.
The Airfield Today
Once returned to Boughton Estate ownership, the runways, taxiways and hard standings were steadily lifted to free up the land again, while many surviving buildings were repurposed for temporary housing, maintenance and light industrial use.
Today much of the flying part of the airfield has returned to arable use. Small sections of runway remain, taxiways have been narrowed and reused as access roads, and most hard standings have disappeared to ease cultivation.
The Control Tower was demolished and the two T2 hangars removed, but deep within Grafton Park Wood many concrete pads, bomb shelters and heavy-duty wartime structures still survive beneath the landscape.
The Museum Site Within the Wider Airfield
Sited deep within Grafton Park Wood, nearly all of the communal site buildings have disappeared, with nature and time accelerating their loss. Yet many concrete pads remain hidden in the undergrowth, alongside bomb shelters whose robust construction has resisted decay.
Because of their substantial construction, the Operations Block and Norden Bomb Sight Store still survive in reasonable condition on the Station Headquarters Site. These buildings, and this part of the former airfield, now form the home of the 384th Bombardment Group Museum.
Gallery of the Airfield
Explore the Wider Story of the Site
This page gives the wider context for the trail locations across Grafton Park Wood and the museum site. The surviving roads, woodland clearings, pads and hardened structures all make more sense when seen as parts of one large wartime airfield.
Part of the 384th Bombardment Group Museum Heritage Trail