Military Model Scene

Title: Bases of Bomber Command Then and Now
Author: Roger A. Freeman
Publisher: After the Battle
ISBN: 978-1-870067-35-5

Thanks to new owners Pen & Sword, another new reprint of one of the classic Then & Now books from After the Battle Publications, this covers all the bases in the UK used by Bomber Command during WW2, and written by the late Roger A. Freeman, who passed away in 2005, and who also produced similar books for them on the bases of both the 8th and 9th US Army Air Forces in WW2. A 360-page hard cover book packed with great detail. First published back in 2001.
After the introduction which sets the scene for the rest of the book, it is organised in 7 main sections, according to the Bomber Command Groups. So that means 1, 2 (and 100 Group), 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 Groups. Each of these is then subdivided to cover their individual HQ locations along with every airfield allocated to the Group, each presented in alphabetical order. with a total of 101 separate airfields all covered. Some of those bases will be well known to many, such as Binbrook, Scampton, Marham, Conningsby, Elvington, Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Tempsford as well as so many more, some much less well known. As well as text telling the stories of each one, including what has happened to them since the end of WW2, there are the now famous series of Then & Now photos, with aircraft, crews and buildings during the war, along with wartime aerial photos as well as modern images showing what remains today (as far as was possible). Some remain as military airbases to this day, others have been largely re-developed or returned to agriculture. The photos all have excellent captions which explain them well, and off even detail for the airfield archaeology enthusiast, historian and modeller alike. While some will have had changes since, but most will still be pretty much as they are in the book. Some of the pictures are interesting in themselves, such as the Wellington bomber on dispersal, but one fitted with the Merlin engines. In the wartime aerial photo of Tempsford, as well as Stirlings and Halifaxes on their dispersals, there are even half a dozen Lysanders gathered in one corner of the base
The author spent a lot of his time as a youngster watching bomber formations, both RAF and USAAF, making their way to Germany during the war, and it is little surprise that he had a lifetime fascinated by their stories. Some of these stories will encourage many more to search out these old airfields, walking around to see what still remains. As well as imagining the ghosts of those men and machines that once inhabited them, I wonder how many of those airmen for WW2 would look on wonder at the likes of the F15 Eagles now operating from Lakenheath, and maybe with pride at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight kept flying in their honour. There is only so much I can mention in a short review compared to what you will find in the book itself. If you have any interest in the old Bomber Command airfields, I suggest this ought to be on your reference shelf if it is not already there. A remarkable work which I can't recommend highly enough.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy.

Robin