Burtonwood RAF WW2 Airfiield USAAF Base Depot & RAF filmed 12th Feb 1987.

RAF Burtonwood was a major USAAF base near Warrington Cheshire.

[@georgeking6356]

I was born in the RAF Burtonwood hospital in 1952. My father was a USAF airman stationed at Manston and all American mothers were sent to Burtonwood to deliver their babies.

[@haroldhumerickhouse7904]

My brother was born (1956) at Burtonwood too. We lived there 1954-58. We moved on base when the new housing was built.

[@paulwilton735]

Yep, born there in 1953

[@glendaandrist5896]

I was Born there in 1953.

[@glendaandrist5896]

​@@paulwilton7350:58

[@BobbyMulqueen]

Thanks for the upload. My grandfather was a USAF airman who serviced his three year Tour of Duty here at RAF Burtonwood. I never knew him personally as he left England to return to the USA but I would have loved to have been able to walk around the aerodrome to see where it all began. This video has given me a glimse of that.

[@TonyKitchen471]

Thank God someone had the imagination to capture this on video.

[@666VIKING1]

I echo your sentiments totally Tony. I just stumbled on this video and it brought back so many memories. I was an ATC Staff Cadet on the 635 gliding School based there back in the 1960s eventually becoming an Instructor. In my early years as a Staff Cadet it was our job to prepare everything for Saturday and Sunday Gliding, ie refuelling of vehicles plus minor repairs, cleaning and carrying out Daily Inspections, along with refueling the winches, recabling and reparing, towing the equipment out to position on the airfield at the crack of Dawn so they would be ready for the arrival of the Officers, adult instructors and Cadets visiting. We carried out daily inspections on the gliders as well, and had a Gliding School building to clean. When we had finished our jobs (we often slept over Friday and Saturday Nights out there because most of us lived quite a distance away) and when our daily work was done we would often go exploring in the Land Rovers, but were regularly hindered and chased by RAF Security Patrols in Volkswagen Campers, knicknamed "J2s" and pursued a Cat and Mouse avoidance. In getting up that tower (still active in my day) you acheived more than I ever did, although looking at some of the shots from the tower you missed out on a lot of the buildings we were able to visit that still stood at the time. The two main hangers featured "J" which had the tower above it and "K" were both in use. One half of J was given over to a propper basketball court with an imported American Scoreboard whilst the other half housed I think it was a Beaver single engined aircraft and a couple of Huey Helicopters (we actually got a Vietnam Style Beatup" flight on one of these one summer evening as a swap for the pilot to get a go in one of our gliders, and another occassion when we had an eving out at the Bowling Alley in Lakenheath Base in Suffolk. K Hanger alongside was the storage for 635 GS Gliders vehicles and winches. It was a great place to be a part of, ansad now to realize it is no more, built over to a large extent by by commercial parkland and housing estates, but it was a real experience to drive on to with all of the security in its hey day, as an active American Base altyhough called RAF Burtonwood. I could write a couple of books about it quite easily I have so many memories and some old slide photos somewhere of there. Thanks once again to @1tothirtysix for sharing this, it has brought back some very much treasured old memories. It would be so wonderful if this could in some way be enhanced in its clarity because I know several old colleagues who would welcome seeing it.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

BIGGEST U. S. Base in Europe, D.Day onwards, until Western Approaches didn't score so much anymore ??

[@carolebarker2195]

@@666VIKING1 So sad to see it all derelict like this. Brought a tear to my eye. I grew up in Burtonwood village in the 60's and I can remember standing in front of my house looking over to the base and seeing the gliders being pulled up on a rope, every weekend. My dad worked as a security guard at the base in the early 80's for a firm called Naylors who stored their timber in one of the hangars. He worked the graveyard shift and he told me some hair-raising stories! It really was a massive place.

[@jamiebutler9504]

@@666VIKING1 Please write that book !

[@666VIKING1]

@@jamiebutler9504 I might just do that one day, but there is a book all about Burtonwood available, from its first day of construction, right through to the Americans leaving. There is also a very worthy little museum that can be visited, which is located next to the car park at Gullivers World in Warrington. On the weekend or near of 4th July, the generally have the field full of people dressed as american soldiers and airmen with all kinds of memorabilia for sale, along with some good books. Certainly worth the visit, particularly that time of year or any weekend really. Thanks for the compliment though. Certainly got me thinking!!!.

[@janmcfarlane4683]

Love this video,the old red battered volvo F88 is our old truck,we used to deliver Napolina products all over the UK and E8 and E11 were our hangars,good times.

[@Daniel71508]

this used to be at the back of the house where I used to live as a kid... remember seeing the army trucks ect...cheers for the vid 👍

[@RargoFC19]

Thanks for the upload,you've uploaded a part of my childhood I thought had disappeared forever only existing in my memory, amazing really that this was filmed in 1987 around the time I was exploring this great airbase with my mates, you've actually captured everything I saw as a child, the massive airplane hangar, the view from the top of the steps of the main control tower, really was high when you were at the top, scary really, I've lived in this area all my life(1972) and understand the significance of this great airfield and airbase,not everyone does,they shouldn't have demolished it all, this area where we lived and played as kids played a significant role in WW2, many of the USAAF bombers left from here to carry out their bombing missions on mr hitler, can't believe it's now been demolished and they've built soulless chapelford on part of it, overcrowding this town with even more outsiders that have no idea of the history of the area of where they live. Once again thank you.

[@1tothirtysix]

+RargoFC19. I agree with all you have said, I recently reviewed my back catalogue to see if there was any footage I did not use, unfortunately it's all there. Best wishes. Roly - [e-mail]

[@RargoFC19]

1tothirtysix No problem, thanks for everything again, pure genius to get it all on video, I guess we all thought it would be there forever, once again many thanks, look after yourself.

[@billylewis2426]

RargoFC19 im Billy from Skem,,, your RIGHT mate took me Back in time also

[@andreac2740]

Thank you for taking the time to film this important and historic place. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, I felt the need to see where my Dad had been stationed during WW II. My Father departed New York on Aug 6, 1942 on the USS Uruguay. He arrived in England on Aug 18, 1942 where he was stationed with the US Army Air Force as a Tech Sargent, servicing aircraft along with so many others. So proud of the strong alliance between the US and the UK.

[@RargoFC19]

Andrea Connolly I’m an English guy born in 72 very close to the base, we used to sneak on as kids in complete awe of the place, such an amazing place to explore as a kid, I’m also proud of our alliance with your nation.

[@donkendall1227]

My Dad was stationed there in WW2. His job was a machinist. I have a few things he made during his spare time. Only heard a few stories when I was very young.

[@eyesopen7201]

I used to play on raf burtonwood as a child, exploring the buildings hangers control tower playing with the switches. Running down the runway with my freinds. Listening to peoples stories about working there during the war. Such a amazing facinating place that i loved. I moved away for a long time but came back to show my family, i was devastated to find it gone completely utterly heart breaking, so thank you for bringing back my amazing memories you captured in this film.

[@RargoFC19]

eyes open Me too , wasn’t it amazing as a kid to explore? The place was so exciting and so full of mystery, went up the control tower, visited all the hangars , went into one room and it must have been some kind of office but it was as if they’d just got up and left , there’s was still a pen and papers on the main office desk , very strange. This was about 1986 , can’t believe no one had an illegal acid-house party in the hangars , it was about that time when the base became abandoned 86-88. Anyway such an amazing place to explore as a 14 year old. Devastated they demolished it and built that awful troubled housing estate that is chapelford, it’s like a social engineering experiment that’s gone horribly wrong that place. They should knock chapelford down and build the base again(joke), or just leave it as countryside , since chapelford has been in existence the crime rate around that area has risen dramatically, and before chapelford the area was such a nice leafy suburb of Warrington now there’s just gangs of youths on mountain bikes all dressed in black terrorising everyone. Bring back the base I say, with current state of the world and another Cold War on the horizon it looks like it was destroyed far too early, anyway fond memories as a kid exploring that base. Peace.

[@haroldhumerickhouse7904]

It appears that very little of the airbase existed by this time. My dad was stationed here 1954-58. I have many memories and some photographs, of the area. Memories of hanging with my dad on the base. Thank you so much for the video!

[@groundhoppinguk]

Wow I live on the village where this was made into and I am only young, it’s amazing to see what it used to Be like, my uncle showed me the last bit of the old train track yesterday and where it went along, just amazing!

[@beergrylls2418]

Lived in Burtonwood 68 to 84. Ironically those search lights at the top of the control tower were actually made in Germany. The airbase has a lot of memories for a lot of people from many walks of life and from many places. I knew everybody in the village, great place to grow up as a kid.

[@susansykes5356]

I don't live to far away from there and it's so sad that we don't have a permanent museum or any information to pass onto the next generation. My Gran worked there during WW2 as cook.

[@phatfiesta1]

Hi susan there is a museum on gulliver's world I used to help out there

[@briwire138]

Worked in Building 100 from 1971 to 1980 on the diesel generators. Happy days.

[@garrybrown1979]

I've lived In Burtonwood all my life and was 8 at the time of this video (38 now) I don't remember the control towers or the hangars on the south side of the M62 as they were pulled down not long after this video was taken but i spent many hours as a teenager in and around the 5 north side hangars and air raid shelters that lasted a further 25 years. i was fascinated by the history and imagining what it was like in it's prime. my dad used to tell me about it as he was born in 1932 and lived is whole life in Burtonwood. At least the control tower or 1 hangar should of been saved and restored for historical purposes but now it's all gone..... such a shame.

[@1tothirtysix]

I agree with what you say Gary. Thanks for the comment. Rol

[@tracya4087]

hear hear

[@glendaandrist5896]

6:37 ​@@1tothirtysix

[@allinmyhead]

Very interesting indeed.

[@jamiebutler9504]

Thank you so much for posting this. I live near by and saw it get pulled down over the years. Went there once many years ago for a nosey, you done a great job documenting it.

[@alexfrag]

Shame that local people and authorities did not have the vision to preserve at least the control tower to become a museum for the once biggest ww2 airbase of Europe. Today, a small museum inside Gulliver's world park theme had honoured this history. Since 2010 I drive on m62 almost every day, just imagining how busy it was in the now ghost airfield.

[@SandyVee370]

Thank you ever so much for uploading this video. I've lived in this area all my life and have vague recollections of the buildings before they were pulled down but it was fantastic to see it all here.

[@1tothirtysix]

thanks

[@1tothirtysix]

+SarahW374 Thanks for that. Roly

[@nervo6321]

Now a huge industrial estate...was on there today delivering to Brake Bros...so pleased the memories are preserved here of an iconic airbase...

[@johnsmith-on4bj]

I flew RC model planes on there nearly fifty years ago. What a shame it's all gone now.

[@richardsanders4624]

Thanks. Excellent video and memorys.

[@mikewhittaker8228]

I used to live near Burtonwood airfield when I was a young lad. At the end of the war, when I was about six years old, I can still remember driving past the boundary fence on the way to my Uncles at St Helens and seeing what looked like hundreds of Curtiss P40 Tomahawkes with the sharks face lined up against the fence, probably waiting to be scrapped.

[@brianlawton6535]

I used to work at Burtonwood Air Base many years ago on the Motorpool as a Driver and have been in all of those Hangers, and can remember the Concrete Ramp all around the Control Tower being busy with all kinds of Aircraft Large and Small both Jets and Prop Driven Planes coming and going taxiing too go take off or going to a place to park, it was a very busy place back then, that building in the middle facing the the tower used to be a kitchen where they prepared food in white boxes for the Air Crews ( In Flight Lunches ) so sad to see it end up the way it did but there was no further use for it and all that valuable land was needed for development. Too bad that the Tower Building was not saved and preserved it could have been made into a Service Area and Restaurant for the M-62 Motorway it being so close .

[@1tothirtysix]

Brian Thanks for your comments. Regards, Rol

[@1tothirtysix]

many thanks for your comments

[@1tothirtysix]

+Brian Lawton Thanks for your comments. Roly - [e-mail]

[@ianrkav]

Is it true there were miles of underground tunnels? Did you ever go in them?

[@RargoFC19]

ianrkav nobody knows but everyone of our age was talking about this, that’s the rumour I heard also , but it’s never been proven or disproven, but everyone of a certain age has heard about this , I’ve heard there’s enough underground space to build a city, nuclear bunker? Also a rumour that there’s hundreds of US military hardware vehicles under the base all concreted in, i love the rumours it adds mystique to our amazing area where we grew up as kids. There’s no smoke without fire as they say. Peace.

[@baldfatgit1]

Great video great music i have sadly taken hours watching your vid then flicking to google maps to see what is left Well the conclusion is sadly nothing much but great vid none the less. :)

[@robjohnsonrallying]

Great footage what a shame its all gone. Would have loved to see it I grew up a few miles down the road and never saw the tower.

[@mwdca7810]

Great footage. My parents met and married at the air base in 1957. Today, it nearly 100% gone...redeveloped into distribution centres and housing estates. Fortunately my parents left for France soon afterwards....c'est la vie.

[@kev050177]

Great video, thanks for sharing it! shame about the monstrosity of warehouses that now sit upon the giant base! USAF 8th

[@1tothirtysix]

Thanks Kevin.

[@1tothirtysix]

thanks

[@kev050177]

1tothirtysix You are welome mate, at least you got to see it like this before it was pulled down

[@1tothirtysix]

+Kevin Cawley Thanks for your kind comments. Regards Roly ([e-mail])

[@stevefirman2375]

Dr.Tango , my dad navigated 39 Operation Carpetbagger missions with the Top Secret 801st ( Prov) BG. in 8/44 it was redesignated the 858th BS / 492nd BG , who flew from Harrington Field , Their B24's D models ny preference planes deemed not qualified for high level bombing , if they got a H model they had the chinturret replaced with highly glazed greenhouse nose. This and a list of modificstions were done at Burtonwood . zHush Hush . Ball turret removed , plyeood doors over hole , hard points for parachutes , spies jumped into occupied Countrys. The oxygen removed planes paited black . They flew lone plane . night missions , flew under radar , dropped 3 man jedburgh teams OSS , at 600 ft. flew around again then at 200ft. dark out they dropped canisters with shoch aborbers on frt. and parachute with weapons , explosives , money , food , you name it fore theMaquis . contact me if you want more info . a month ago the house senate and Onama signed act to give all OSS members or family can get copy of Congressional Gold Medal .

[@philipmason3218]

What happened to the hugely significant, historic site was nothing short of criminal. The area should have been preserved as a tribute to those who perished.

[@billylewis2426]

this is ACE, Year i got out of school 1987. was a good summer also love the way its done just like THE PROFESSINALS,,, THEM OLD FORD CARS BUT NO Bodie & Doyle,,,in them lol MIND you there film sets were like this,, love it lads. took me Back YEARS

[@tshep9000]

I was born at that airforce base in 1953.

[@haroldhumerickhouse7904]

My younger brother was born there in 1956. Our dad was stationed there.

[@zzzpip]

brings back memories

[@oomoonbeam4373]

I have gone past Burtonwood Air Base all my life and sad that its gone, always wanted it to become a museum or at least keep some of it!! I think looking around a real airbase with all the history is great and writing on the walls from the men who stayed there, the tower and it is a museum in itself and a good place to see from the road for advertisement to it!! Sadly it never became anything! When I saw the last hangers go felt pretty sad!!! ...Now it looks horrible with those massive plastic looking buildings on it, they lost some great history there!! Once it's gone its gone forever... seems they love knocking down anything with important historical meaning!!!!

[@sarahsmusicals]

there is a museum near gullivers world i think

[@1tothirtysix]

Thanks for your comments

[@1tothirtysix]

your right of course

[@1tothirtysix]

+oomoonbeam Thanks for your comments. [e-mail] Roly

[@davidkerr66]

Never knew that about the Ikea being the largest in Europe - nice one! 😎

[@1tothirtysix]

Thanks for your kind comment!

[@ragandoil]

I spent 3 months on attachment from the British Army On The Rhine in 1974 ,as a supply specialist .. seeing how the Americans did it for Exercise ReForGer return forces to Germany ... by massive air lift if the Russian kicked off .. had a fantastic time with them i was a Sgt in the RAOC a Brit army corps ... my family lived in St Helen's and still do sad to see this once great base i so run down .... then again all the camps in Germany have gone the same way ... i did have the pleasure of visiting the HQ of the Mighty 8th in Savannah USA and saw that it is still remembered

[@metavox1]

will do.just seen your reply.thanx.

[@mikeclark4416]

Is this the airfield along side the Motorway ?? which heads into Liverpool ? I went to "Bins Road " to United Biscuits years ago hauling the raw product cocoa from Basingstoke to Bins Road . The story I was told underneath the airfield is a massive bunker which would house enough War Surplus to keep a War going ???????????

[@RargoFC19]

mike clark That’s exactly what I heard , in case of a Russian invasion, Tanks,Jeeps and Aircraft all underground.

[@billyrussell5148]

Binns Road.

[@Maddybreenofficial]

I remember my mum and dad telling me that there was a huge underground city built under the base...did anyone ever find it?

[@paulwilton735]

Born there in 53...

[@alxkohn]

I worked @ Burtonwood as a teenager. 67-72

[@bitmadmax]

My Mum worked here in the offices right upto the early nineties when it closed but even in the late eightees it looks quite derelict here.. was part of it mothballed or something?

[@Mallymoore]

Whatever happened to the underground part as that was just as large if not bigger.

[@Tyler.i.81]

What part ov the uk was this place?

[@RargoFC19]

RAF burtonwood, Great Sankey, Warrington.,Cheshire.

[@georgeking6356]

RargoFC19 Lancastershire when I was born.

[@zzzpip]

@@RargoFC19 RAF Burtonwood not great sankey

[@bottomsupbass]

This is, I'm almost certain on my families old land. Shame it degraded. Point of pride. Operation Starkey was launched here.

[@rglover2410]

Makes me so mad that they ripped everything down. Could have easily kept one of the last hangers and made some use out of it. But no, Hermes and Amazon.

[@robbielawson4828]

All warehousing now, an old air force base replaced by shoebox housing and minimum wage distribution jobs. Welcome to modern Britain.

[@metavox1]

what is this music called????

[@1tothirtysix]

Have lost the original track now, but it was copyright free music of the internet.

[@metavox1]

+1tothirtysix thank you.ex vid.the music very ap.need to know what it is!

[@1tothirtysix]

Stephen If you want to give me your email address I will mail you the info if I find it.. Mine [e-mail]

[@bcsconstruction1843]

Hello buddy do you have an email address to make contact. Regards Sean.

[@1tothirtysix]

Hi Sean, Email- [e-mail] Rol

[@duxberry1958]

the whole base now is houses