RAF Waterbeach

Royal Air Force

The airfield was built in 1940 on the northern edge of Waterbeach village and operated under the control of RAF Bomber Command. The original control tower and many RAF buildings, including several hangars, are still present.

Transport Command, 1945-1949

After the Second World War, Consolidated B-24 Liberators and Douglas Dakotas from RAF Transport Command flew from RAF Waterbeach.

Fighter Command, 1950-1963

RAF Fighter Command took over the base on 1 March 1950 and used Gloster Meteors, Supermarine Swifts, de Havilland Venoms, de Havilland Vampires and Gloster Javelins. In addition Hawker Hunter fighters arrived in May 1955 and, two years later, the prototype English Electric P1 (Lightning) visited RAF Waterbeach.

RAF units and aircraft - Fighter Command

After the last RAF fixed-wing aircraft, from No. 54 Squadron RAF, left in August 1963, the site was used by the Airfield Construction Branch RAF until 1966.

Royal Engineers

in 1966 the station and airfield remained the property of the Ministry of Defence, but was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Engineers, part of the British Army. Until the closure of nearby RAF Oakington in the early 1970s, the main runway at Waterbeach remained active, along with the control tower, and was used as a relief landing ground for Varsities used in the advanced pilot training role. The barracks, airfield and surrounding quarters most recently housed 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group. The former airfield was used as a training area for troops, with occasional visits by helicopters and, in the past, by Harriers. 25 Engineer Regiment was disbanded on 19 April 2012. Two of its squadrons (34 Field Squadron and 53 Field Squadron) have become part of 39 Engineer Regiment and will move to RAF Kinloss.

In July 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that Waterbeach Barracks will close, and the site sold for housing. In November 2011 and March 2012 the Ministry of Defence announced that 39 Engineer Regiment would move to RAF Kinloss in July 2012. A total of 930 Service personnel will move to Kinloss, and 44 Service personnel to Wittering. HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group will move from Waterbeach to RAF Wittering in October 2012, with the complete closure of Waterbeach Barracks by 1 April 2013. After that date, the vacated site is in the care of G4S on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Urban&Civic.

First units of 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) arrived at RAF Kinloss in June 2012, with the majority leaving Waterbeach during July. Their move was complete by September 2012. On 26 July 2012 at 1200 the RAF Ensign was lowered at RAF Kinloss for the last time, to be replaced by the flag of 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support), Royal Engineers.

The barracks closed on 28 March 2013.

Future Development

The site was subject to an MOD disposal process by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, and in August 2014 Urban&Civic were appointed as Development Partners. In October 2015 they held open days for local residents to tour the site and meet the design team, as the first stage of their consultation on the development of the MoD site and surrounding farmland, as new settlements. Regular Newsletters for local residents are being issued. In December 2015 a community engagement report on the Open Days was published by David Lock Associates, for Urban&Civic, which includes the open day display boards.

During 2016 design workshops are being held bringing together the Urban&Civic and RLW Estates design teams, key local authority partners, the parish council, neighbourhood plan working group, and local residents.

Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum

In June 1984 a station museum was established by the Army to record and preserve items from RAF Waterbeach - in particular from 514 Squadron who hold their reunions at the barracks every year - as well as artefacts from the Army (39 Engineer Regiment). As the barracks closed in March 2013, the Museum closed to visitors on 30 September 2012.

In 2011 John Hamlin, an aviation historian, and the museum curator wrote a book documenting the history of RAF Waterbeach and Waterbeach Barracks, to raise money for the museum. In 2014 it was updated to include closure and contact information

In December 2012, a group of villagers set up a trust, the Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum, and the Army gifted the collection to it. The barracks museum contents were stored outside the barracks. The honorary curator from the barracks continued to answer enquiries and carry out research. He had an assurance from the most likely developers of the MOD owned airfield and barracks (RLW Estates, and then Urban&Civic) that the inclusion of a Museum will form an important part of the site's heritage.

During 2015 the museum started the move back into its building at the barracks, and hopes to reopen there in early summer 2016. The building will also be used for community groups and workshops by Urban&Civic.