NORTHSTOWE HISTORY World War II to the present day

1939 saw the arrival of RAF Oakington, which had three runways constructed in the early 1940’s for various combat aircraft, including Short Stirling bombers.

R AF Oakington also has connections with the Great Escape Air Commodore Herber t Massey was commander at the base in 1942. His Shor t Stirling bomber was shot down and captured near the Dutch coast in June 1942 Massey was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III, becoming the most senior British Officer in the POW camp and authorised the 'Great Escape' in 1944.

After the war, Transpor t Command inherited the air field From July 1945 to April 1946, Liberator bombers made many flights to India to repatriate Allied troops In addition, Oakington became the home of several squadrons of Dakota aircraft used for medium distance transpor t tasks, notably the Berlin Airlift of 1948

From the 1950’s until 1974, R AF Oakington was an Advanced Flying Training School His Majesty King Charles III learned to fly at R AF Oakington and chose to celebrate his 21st bir thday there

The base became home to the Army in 1979, last used as a helicopter base The Ministr y of Defence relinquished the site in the 1990’s, becoming an immigration centre for a shor t period before passing to Homes England.

A small number of former R AF buildings remain, including nine listed pillboxes, conver ted to bat roosts as par t of the site's redevelopment .