Signing up for National Service - RAF Cardington 1951

Welcome to the RAF Cardington website

This website has been set up as a tribute to RAF Cardington in Bedford which finally closed in the year 2000. Now 17 years later in 2017 new homes have been built on parts of the old site and further houses are in the pipeline as we speak.

By way of explanation I live across the road from the former Camp in Shortstown and in 2009 I set up a website about the history of Shortstown (www.shortstownheritage.co.uk) which has always been linked to the camp because it housed many of the civilian workers there. I had dedicated a few sections on that website to RAF  Cardington but it soon became apparent that the Camp deserved a wider platform to celebrate its history. Some of those pages are repeated here on this website where it has been deemed relevant.

Whilst beginning my research into the Station I quickly realised that this was a massive undertaking and would never be completed. I have only scratched the surface of many of the topics mentioned here but one has to start somewhere and I hope people will support this site by sending in their stories and photographs for everyone to enjoy.

I would also like to apologise to any RAF people out there if I have got anything wrong. I do not have an RAF background so am not familiar with some of the terminology used.
And finally if you have any memories of Cardington which you would like to share please make contact (details on the Contacts page).

Many thanks
Jane Harvey

A A B Thomson - holder of The Military Cross & Bar. The first Station Commander of RAF Cardington 1936

Updates Feb 2017

We are delighted that an apartment block in our new development is to be named Nettleton Mews. This is the first RAF related name to date to appear in Shortstown and we know this will be the first of many. Nettleton Mews is named after John Dering Nettleton a young RAF VC holder who was killed in action in 1943. The block is very close to the original road on the station named after him. For more original street names on the camp go to the RAF Cardington 1939-1945 section.

Grp Capt A R Arnold DSO, DFC - the longest serving Station Commander from Nov 1939- Mar 1945

Barrage Balloon testing in 1938

The two magnificent Sheds in Jan 2016. Home to airships from 1916-1930 and put to numerous uses during the following years.

 No 102 Dispersal Unit was set up to 'demob' the thousands of RAF men returning home from WWII

Emblem of MU217 RAF Cardington