Bassingbourne HQ Squadron

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2628

A Boeing B-17 "Flyign Fortress" Taxies To The Parking Area At The 91St Bomb Group Base In Bassingbourne, England. The Planes Parked On The Grass Include (Left To Right) A Vultee L-5 [Crossed Out, Replaced With] Piper L-4, Noorduyn C-64, Republic P-47 And (U.S. Air Force Number 69428AC)

42-75151 (MSN 3502) 82nd FS [MX-L], 78th FG, 8th AF, Duxford, Station 357; HQ Squadron [MX-L], 1st Combat Bomb Wing, 8th AF, Bassingbourn, Station 121; Used as a formation monitor; Crashed 15May45 near Bassingbourn; The pilot came in upside down which was a usual trick with the intention of flipping over at the last minute. Pilot killed

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1576

Lovely shots: went to an airshow there years ago (1978?) - I think even then it was an army airfield with little flying.

Spelling is "Bassingbourn" - no "e".

JohnB · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:59 pm

It would be neat (and affordable) to have an L-4 in 8th AF markings from some group.
I have seen the main photo before, but I don't think I've seen any closeups of a BG L-4 (or a UC-78 for that matter).

I can't imagine what they would have been used for...too small for parts hauling, VFR only (so not a lot of god in an English winter), not much of a trainer if you are used to anything heavy.
Used as a flying staff car for quick trips to Pinetree?

sandiego89 · **Joined:** Mon May 21, 2012 12:28 pm **Posts:** 1196

JohnB wrote:

It would be neat (and affordable) to have an L-4 in 8th AF markings from some group.
I have seen the main photo before, but I don't think I've seen any closeups of a BG L-4 (or a UC-78 for that matter).

I can't imagine what they would have been used for...too small for parts hauling, VFR only (so not a lot of god in an English winter), not much of a trainer if you are used to anything heavy.
Used as a flying staff car for quick trips to Pinetree?

The L-4 was quite useful as an elevated observation platform for artillery. They could spot and correct land based and vessel based fire support. They were also quite useful for liaison between various HQ and field units, so commanders could meet and coordinate with other elements. Being capable of austere operations they could land on roads and field and allow face to face meetings.

JohnB · **Posted:** Thu Oct 10, 2024 11:44 am

Sandiego 89

I understand what the L-4 did in the Army (as opposed to the USAAF) as a liaison and artillery spotter...my comments were asking why a bomb group had one.
As the photo above shows, the B-17 group had one with its markings.

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1576

JohnB wrote:

Sandiego 89

I understand what the L-4 did in the Army (as opposed to the USAAF) as a liaison and artillery spotter...my comments were asking why a bomb group had one.
As the photo above shows, the B-17 group had one with its markings.

I'm assuming it would have been used in a communications role?

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Thu Oct 10, 2024 4:38 pm

Why would that taxiway have been built with all the curves in it? I thought taxiways were normally straight.

phil65 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 10, 2024 5:01 pm

Well, you do like to zig zag down the taxiway if you are in a taildragger... :-D

Phil

JohnB · **Posted:** Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:28 pm

quemerford wrote:

I'm assuming it would have been used in a communications role?

But as I pointed out in my post, it doesn't have much utility (in part due to wx), capacity or payload, and any training utility would be minimal.
For transportation there were trains nearby (no place in the UK is far from trains), and trucks, cars and Jeeps were assigned to the unit, so communicate with whom?.

Even in the war, units weren't just allotted things willy-nilly, there would of had a reason for them having it.
I can see the UC-64 and UC-78, but a Cub?

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2628

Dave Homewood wrote:

Why would that taxiway have been built with all the curves in it? I thought taxiways were normally straight.

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1576

Curved taxiways would be perfect for taildraggers surely?

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7802

Aeronut · **Posted:** Fri Oct 11, 2024 5:34 pm

phil65 wrote:

Well, you do like to zig zag down the taxiway if you are in a taildragger... :-D

Phil

In the UK at that time they were not called taxiways they were perimeter (peri) tracks as originally airfields were just that fields, and the perimeter track was laid around the perimeter of the odd collection of odd shaped ancient fields that had been purchased/commandeered leaving a landing ground in the middle. When hard runways were laid they would sometimes cut across the existing peritracks and additional ones would be laid parallel to the new runway. The need for two or three runways to fit in with the UK's variable winds resulted in some odd layouts with only short lengths of parallel peritracks.