Places
Runways, dispersals, and the human geography of wartime flying. Each place connects to the aircraft and squadrons that passed through it.
Airfield
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Britain's largest aviation museum, sits on the historic WWI/II airfield that famously hosted the RAF's 'Big Wing' during the Battle of Britain and later served as a major USAAF base.
Imperial War Museum Duxford occupies the historic RAF Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire, originally established by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. During the Battle of Britain, Duxford was one of the most significant RAF fighter stations, gaining particular fame through the controversial "Big Wing" concept championed by Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory, which brought multiple squadrons together for concentrated fighter attacks.
Following the Battle of Britain, Duxford became a base for the United States Army Air Forces, serving as headquarters for the 78th Fighter Group and later the 4th Fighter Group, supporting daylight bombing raids over Europe. After the war, the station continued as an active RAF airfield until 1961, operating an array of fighter, fighter-bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft.
In 1977, the Imperial War Museum took over the site, and today it remains one of the few surviving Battle of Britain-era airfields still in active aviation use. The site features over 30 listed buildings, including original WWI hangars and the Stirling Prize-winning American Air Museum. Duxford hosts major air shows and houses nearly 200 aircraft across its exhibition halls, making it one of the world's leading aviation heritage attractions.
On the map
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Sources used for verification and further reading:
Imperial War Museum Duxford — Wikipedia
Duxford Aerodrome — Wikipedia
