Kings Cliffe

Airfield
Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, one of the COs of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base. He stands with other crew members beside P-38J Lightning (MC-O, serial number 43-28431), called "Happy Jack's Go Buggy". media-377007.jpg FRE 1439 Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, one of the COs of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base. He stands with other crew members beside P-38J Lightning (MC-O, serial number 43-28431), called "Happy Jack's Go Buggy". Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1439 - Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, one of the COs of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base. He stands with other crew members...

Kings Cliffe began as a satellite air base for the Group based at nearby Wittering. The 56th Fighter Group, however, were all based at Kings Cliffe and it was here that the pilots trained in P-47 Thunderbolts and flew their first missions in the aircraft.



The 56th Fighter Group moved on to Horsham St. Faiths in April 1943 and the air base was used by the RAF until August when another American Fighter Group, the 20th, moved in. This time, there was not sufficient accommodation for all of the Group's personnel at Kings Cliffe so when additional blocks were being built, some of them had living quarters at Wittering.



Kings Cliffe was the furthest west of any Eighth Air Force bases and this made long escort missions that much harder for the pilots.

Connections

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16082440 / O-803433
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-830757
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14190116 / O-2067452
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Captain Delynn Anderson of the 20th Fighter Group, with bicycle, in front of P-38 Lightning, at Kings Cliffe air base, October 1943. Printed caption attached to print: 'Lightnings Attack Northern France. Versatile P-38 Lightnings, flashing their power across the English Channel for the first time in a combat role, bring new serial phase into the European Theatre of Operations. Well-trained pilots - some of them already experienced in the other theatres of war - and ground crews swear by their ships. From
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15066294 / O-431370
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot/Squadron Commander
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17064508 / O-753590
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-2578) nicknamed "Butcher Shop" of the 92nd Bomb Group at Bovingdon. Written on slide casing: 'B-17 E 12578 Oldest fortress in 8AF Bovingdon, 1943.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Butcher Shop/ Big Tin Bird
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron 340th Bomb Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Strictly Stella's Baby Lucky Lady
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 370th Fighter Group 402nd Fighter Squadron 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Bob Cat III
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Group 486th Fighter Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Added alternative spelling 'Kingscliffe'.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978)

Kings Cliffe: Gallery (148 items)