RAF Cardington Camp
RAF Cardington 1936-2000
Did you know that the RAF was formed 100 years ago in 1918?
Welcome to the RAF Cardington website.
Hello. Welcome to the RAF Cardington website. Located two miles south of Bedford, Bedfordshire the station was opened in 1936 and finally closed in 2000. RAF Cardington was home to several Units during its existance but it is mostly remembered for its Recruitment Centres, Balloon Units, and Maintenance Unit producing gas cylinders. RAF Cardington was also used as a demob station for personnel returning from wartime service in 1945. During the Second World War approximately 8,000 personnel worked on the station at any given time and it is estimated that over 250,000 recruits passed through its gates. However there is much more to the story – Parachute Units, Polish and Dutch Units and many others have made an appearance over the years.
If you have any details/stories/photographs of the station please make contact I would love to hear from you. Thank you
Jane Harvey.
A A B Thomson - holder of The Military Cross & Bar. The first Station Commander of RAF Cardington 1936
Above: RAF Cardington nr Bedford in Bedfordshire.
Updates August 2018
New wartime pages illustrating the preparations for war at the station. Read about the activity on the camp in September 1939 and later in June 1940 following the Dunkirk Evacuation.
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A new page has been added to the Balloon Unit section - read about the little known M Balloon Unit set up to distribute propaganda leaflets over enemy lines.
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Another page has also been added to the Balloon Units section - Balloon Staff tells the story of Flt Lt Edward Charles Bale who served at the station at various times between 1938 - 1952. Thank you to his sons Jonathan and Nick for sharing his story with us. It is hoped to expand this page with other stories so if you have information of any individuals who worked
in these units please make contact. Thanks.
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Photographs have also been added to the WAAF pages - please take a look and see if you recognise any of these women. I don't have much information about any WAAF's at RAF Cardington so would love to hear from anyone who can help with the research.
No 102 Dispersal Unit was set up to 'demob' the thousands of RAF men returning home from the war.
Signing up for National Service - RAF Cardington 1951
Grp Capt A R Arnold DSO, DFC - the longest serving Station Commander from Nov 1939- Mar 1945
Barrage Balloon testing in 1938
Aircraft Storage in 1932
Emblem of MU217 RAF Cardington
A 1943 RAF Cardington cricket team. Sport of any kind was high on the agenda for staff in their spare time.
The two magnificent Sheds in Jan 2016. Home to airships from 1916-1930 and put to numerous uses during the following years.
Renamed MU217 RAF Cardington in 1955 - the Gas Plant supplied RAF depots throughout the world.
The Shorts Building in 1986
A sign of the times - a road sign which will probably be taken down soon.
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