Historic Aviation Military

Burtonwood Home Page

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(Follow these links to see pictures and learn some of the history about the sites at RAF Burtonwood)

Staff Sergeant
Paul D. Neumann

Nationality: American
Unit: 8th Air Force
Location: RAF Burtonwood England
Date: 1943 - 1945
Survived the war: Yes

Paul D. Neumann recalls...

"I was trained as an electronics technician by the Air Force and shipped to England in the largest convoy ever to sail up to that time. It consisted of 22 troopships, 16 destroyers, and the battleship Arkansas.

I did some research a few years ago to get all the information I could about the convoy (designated UT-3). We landed in Liverpool on 18 Oct. 1943. Some of the Air Force people were sent to RAF Burtonwood near the town of Warrington.

The buildup leading to the great bombing missions soon to come brought more troops than the base could accommodate and hundreds of us were billeted in aircraft hangers in which double-deck bunks were jammed.

They were cold and drafty so colds and other ills were common. RAF Burtonwood was the name of an aircraft maintenance and repair depot built by the British in 1938-41.

When the U.S. entered the war and began sending Air Force units to England in preparation for the air war and it was decided to use this large base for the supply and repair of U.S. aircraft.

The first units arrived about 11 April 1942. The base was officially handed over to the 8th Air Force in October 1943, a few days after I arrived from the U.S.A. It grew into a huge operation that repaired aircraft, manufactured parts, and rebuilt engines on a huge scale which served all of the U.S. air services in the EAME Theater.

I am told that at one time there were 18,000 people at work there, including British civilians, members of the RAF, and of course American civilians and members of the 8th Air Force.

On the evening of 5 June 1944, I was drafted, along with many others at RAF Burtonwood, to help load C-47 transports and CG4A Waco Gliders with men and equipment. This went on far into the night. Most of them took off before daylight on 6 June.

There was more of the same early in the morning of 6 June. We got some rest, food, and sleep late in the afternoon. The base was returned to British control soon after the war but was used again by the U.S. during the Berlin Airlift and served American air and other services until it finally closed in 1993.

I served at Burtonwood (BAD#1) for most of the next 26 months with short tours of temporary duty (TDY) at BAD #2, Wharton, BAD #3 at Langford Lodge near Belfast Ireland, and with the 390th Bomb Group at Parham, Suffolk. In October 1945 I was transferred to the 2003rd Ordinance Maintenance Company, which operated a bomb dump near Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire, in order to get a ride home.

I left Southhampton on 5 December 1945 on the Queen Mary, was discharged at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin on 22 December, and reunited with my 3-year-old son on the 23rd, just in time for Christmas.

Paul D. Neumann

Donald L Kramer at USAAF Station
590 Burtonwood During WWII

"WE KEPT EM FLYING"

Donald L. Kramer sailed to England in the spring of 1943 aboard the liner Queen Mary along with 18,000 troops and a crew of 3,000, crossing the Atlantic in 4 ½ days. Upon arriving in England, he was assigned to the 16th Depot Repair Group at Burtonwood No. 2 near Warrington, about halfway between Manchester and Liverpool.

The Army Air Force had just established this massive service depot operation to support the Allied air offensive against Germany, labeling the two depots Burtonwood No.1 and Burtonwood No. 2

“The airplanes would come into the depot, and all of the parts that needed to be overhauled would be taken off the plane and sent to the various shops. I worked at both depots fixing carburetors, so I worked in the engine shops.

One depot worked on inline engines for fighter planes like the P-51, while the other worked on radial engines for the B-17s and B-24s. We retrofitted 700 or 800 P-51s with a water injection system which gave them a short-term burst of power.

It was a lot like working in a factory, just like back home. Once the various shops finished their work, the plane would be re-assembled and flown back to the fighter or bomber group.

We kept ‘em flying,” ... he remembered.

A snapshot showing one of the endless
poker games in the barracks at Burtonwood
No. 2 Kramer remembered that
as a staff sergeant, he

"got a cot right next to the stove.
It didn't put out too much heat
but it kept the ice off the windows."

The poor G.I. on the cot in the
foreground looks cold (he's wearing
his jacket) and utterly exhausted:

he is fast asleep despite the rowdy
card game going on just a few feet away

Sergeant Donald L. Kramer at left with
best friend Claude Loe of Cygnet, Ohio
on the right in a photo dating from 1944
while both men were stationed
at Burtonwood No. 2

Kramer is wearing an enlisted men's
service cap and heavy wool overcoat
while Loe is wearing an overseas cap
and dress uniform

He displays ribbons for Good
Conduct and European Theater service.
His left lapel shows an engineering collar disc

Sign at the Entrance
of Burtonwood

USAAF American personnel who worked in
hangar 6 at Mary Ann site station 590
Burtonwood during WW2

Robert Weynand and some unknown friends
standing in front of the Chapel House pub at
Liverpool Road Great Sankey in Warrington

Robert is in the middle of the back row

Picture courtesy of Robert Weynand

Then (above) and now (below)

USAAF American personnel who worked
in hangar 6 at Mary Ann site station
590 Burtonwood during WW2

Robert Weynand and some
unknown friends standing in
front of the original Red Lion Inn
Pub at Warrington Road Penketh

Robert is in the middle of the back row

The building on the left is the Union
Bank of Manchester and was also
at some point the post office

In between the pub and
the bank is Chapel Road

Picture courtesy of
Robert Weynand

A visit of Representatives of the town
council Chief officers and Warrington R.D.C.

To Burtonwood Aerodrome
October 16th 1953

United States Air Force ceremonial
handing over of the US flag at
Warrington Town Hall 1950s

A photo of the American Donut Dugout
at Pinners Brow Orford Lane Warrington
that was used by Burtonwood airbase
servicemen during world war II

Donut Dugouts” were canteen facilities
set up at various locations during World
War II where a soldier could pause for
a cup of coffee, a donut (Official Red
Cross Donut Recipe), and a bit of friendly
conversation that offered him a familiar
and reassuring connection with home."

..........................................................................

A VISIT BY WILLIAM FRANKLIN GRAHAM
Jr THE FAMOUS AMERICAN EVANGELIST
AT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
BASE AT BURTONWOOD WARRINGTON
ENGLAND ON THE 11 MAY 1954

William Franklin Graham arrived
by air at the USAF Burtonwood
Airbase on the 11th of May 1954

William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well-known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christian figure, and according to a biographer, was "among the most influential Christian leaders" of the 20th century.

Graham held large indoor and outdoor rallies with sermons that were broadcast on radio and television, with some still being re-broadcast into the 21st century. In his six decades on television, Graham hosted annual crusades, evangelistic campaigns that ran from 1947 until his retirement in 2005. He also hosted the radio show Hour of Decision from 1950 to 1954. He repudiated racial segregation and insisted on racial integration for his revivals and crusades, starting in 1953.

He later invited Martin Luther King Jr. to preach jointly at a revival in New York City in 1957. In addition to his religious aims, he helped shape the worldview of a huge number of people who came from different backgrounds, leading them to find a relationship between the Bible and contemporary secular viewpoints. According to his website, Graham preached to live audiences of 210 million people in more than 185 countries and territories through various meetings, including BMS World Mission and Global Mission.

Graham was particularly close to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson (one of Graham's closest friends), and Richard Nixon. He was also lifelong friends with Robert Schuller, another televangelist and the founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, whom Graham talked into starting his own television ministry. Graham's evangelism was appreciated by mainline Protestant denominations, as he encouraged those mainline Protestants who were converted to his evangelical message to remain within or return to their mainline churches.

Despite his early suspicions and apprehension, common among contemporaneous evangelical Protestants towards Catholicism, Graham eventually developed amicable ties with many American Catholic Church figures and later encouraged unity between Catholics and Protestants.

Graham operated a variety of media and publishing outlets. According to his staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to "accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior". Graham's estimated lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2 billion by 2008.

As a result of his crusades, Graham preached the gospel to more people in person than anyone in the history of Christianity. Graham was on Gallup's list of most admired men and women a record 61 times. Grant Wacker writes that by the mid-1960s, he had become the "Great Legitimator": "By then his presence conferred status on presidents, acceptability on wars, shame on racial prejudice, desirability on decency, dishonor on indecency, and prestige on civic events.

Billy Graham on an outdoor stage
at Burtonwood Preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ

Graham preached to some
215 Million people throughout
the world in his lifetime.

Part of the huge crowd that attended
the Billy Graham Event at Burtonwood
airbase on the 11th of May 1954

A close-up of the crowd that
attended the Billy Graham Event

Supply Sergeant Richard Long is
the last American Airman to leave
the giant Burtonwood Airbase
near Warrington

Sergeant Long is seen here on the
main runway with his wife Anne and
his six children playing Baseball
on the 28 May 1965

Aldon Fergusons Facebook group
Aldon is the RAF Burtonwood association,
founder and honorary lifetime president

Click on the interesting
links given to us by Aldon.

https://www.facebook.com/130265297004798

https://www.rafburtonwoodheritagecentre.co.uk

Thanks to Gary Skentelbery
for this photo & article on the
Warrington World Website

The Burtonwood GI Brides pictured
here inside the White Hart pub

A group of Warrington women, who became known as the Burtonwood GI Brides are pictured at the White Hart pub, prior to embarking on a new life across the Atlantic.

Now Aldon Ferguson, founder and UK President of the Burtonwood Association, is seeking help in identifying the women ahead of next year’s UK Reunion.

Aldon said: “The photograph shows a group of GI Brides who married GIs from Burtonwood but had to wait until after the war before they could travel across the Atlantic.

“It was taken in the White Hart Hotel in Warrington in late 1945. They travelled to the US in large groups, many on the Queen Elizabeth or Queen Mary, to New York where they were initially met by their husbands.

“The authorities then stopped that and told the husbands not to travel to New York to meet them. Instead they gave the brides, often with children, train tickets and sent them all over the US to their new homes. It must have been quite an ordeal as they had never left home before, never been to the US and many had never seen their husbands in civilian clothes as they were always in uniform.

“They had a new family to go to and could only communicate with home by letter. Most marriages survived and we still have many GI brides as members of the Burtonwood Association. They do however, tell stories of how hard it was at first although they were generally welcomed into the family. The only problem would be when the GI told them he lived in a huge ranch in Texas and they found him in a poor district in Chicago or similar!”

Aldon added: “Of course many , many marriages continued after the Americans came back to Burtonwood in 1948 and still continued right into the 1980’s to the US Army personnel there.

“We are having our next Reunion in Warrington in May 2020 with the slogan ‘2020 – Looking Forward’ and we will have several GI brides join us then.

“It would be wonderful if anyone can name any of the brides on this photo.

The photograph came from Edith Kratzer (front row, 4th from left) who married in 1951 but she entitled it ‘War Brides 1945’ so the date is questionable. She was nee Astle, married Mack Kratzer Jr (7540th Maintenance Group Depot, Feb 49 – Feb 52) at Warrington Registrar’s Office on 4 October 1951. Edith worked on the base as a telephone operator for four years 1948 – 1952. Mack died 3 Oct 1996. Edith was last known to be living at, Kokomo, IN.

Does anyone recognize
these Warrington ladies?

I believe that they worked in the office at RAF Burtonwood during the 1950s for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron USAF.

Dave Eaton from Warrington replied saying that the girl with the name Marg at the bottom right of the photo is his sister.

Erin Buckley also replied saying:

"well, we are almost 100% sure that is my Auntie Margaret (Margaret Allcock nee Chapman).on the photo she is first, on the left front row, We weren’t aware she worked at RAF Burtonwood as we thought she worked at Rubery Owens so we are just trying to make the connection xxx"

Any help regarding the photo please email Me at:

[email protected]

William Richardson's Motor Pool Driving Permit in the 1950's

William Richardson's Letter of Promotion

Various Photos of the Goose Bus with William Richardson & Personel

Emergency Mirror

Mark Richardson at the Terminal

Non Commissioned Officers
Club Xmas Menu 1950's

Family Xmas Card 1956

Christmas party at Burtonwood in
1944 for the local children.

The man in the middle and the boy to the right met
in the Burtonwood heritage center 66 years later.

Louise Carey Rockey Graduation
at Scripps College June 1942

First Lieutenant Louise Carey Rockey Evans.
WAAC/WAC, Serial Number L903406, U.S.A.,
and England 1942- 1946

Louise Carey Rockey was born in Portland, Oregon, in November 1921. Her family had lived in Portland for three generations. Her maternal grandfather, Judge Charles H. Carey, was a noted lawyer, author, and historian; her paternal grandfather, Dr. Alpha Eugene Rockey, was an early Portland physician.

Carey wanted to join the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) but was unable to do so because she was not yet 21. After graduation from Scripps, to mark time until her November birthday, she attended the San Francisco School of Fine Arts. She signed up in San Francisco for the WAAC on 2 December 1942, receiving a call-up in January 1943

In England, Carey was assigned to Headquarters HQ 8th Air Force Bomber Command in Earls Colne, Essex (about 60 miles NE of London. The Command flew primarily Martin B-26 Marauders (medium bombers) and A-20 light bombers. She had very little seniority and was an administrative officer there.

Following D-Day, Carey was reassigned to the 8th Air Force at RAF Horsham St. Faith near Norwich on England’s east coast (about 120 miles northeast of London), the home of B-24 heavy bombers. There, she was attached to the 458th Combat Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. As operations officers, Carey and three other WACs performed administrative work, such as keeping track of where the aircraft was.

Carey was on duty in the operations office on 18 August 1944 when a pilot named Charles S. “Sam” Evans miraculously landed his B-24 with a broken wing on an emergency runway at RAF Woodbridge about 40 miles south of Horsham (CPT Evans was returning from a bomb run over France), while she was still stationed at Horsham, Carey met up with Sam Evans and they began seeing each other. and were later to get married.

First Lieutenant Louise Carey Rockey, Mess
Officer at RAF Burtonwood England 1944

In the fall of 1944, flying was reduced enough that four WACs were not needed in the operations office. Carey was transferred in October to RAF Burtonwood in Warrington, halfway between Manchester and Liverpool on the west coast, and about 170 air miles northwest of Norwich.

At Burtonwood, she was promoted to First Lieutenant and appointed mess officer (one of her jobs was to censor all letters written by her staff). She overheard an enlisted serviceman remark to another, “Well, we got us a new mess officer and it’s a damn lady.” More than 3,500 meals were prepared and served every 24 hours

Upon Carey’s transfer to Burtonwood, they visited as often as they could. Carey would take the train to London where she would meet Sam, or from London on to Horsham (Norwich) where they would meet. She would do the reverse to return to Burtonwood (Warrington). Sam and a few of his crew members once tried to fly her from Horsham to Burtonwood in a B-24.

The weather was so bad over the Burtonwood airfield that after circling it for about 20 minutes, he flew back to Horsham, meaning that Carey had to take trains, via London, back to her base at Burtonwood.

Sam and Carey were married on 6 September 1946 in Portland. They moved to Richmond, California, to finish college. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts at the University of California at Berkeley; she earned a Master of Fine Arts, also at Berkeley. Taking advantage of the GI Bill, they lived on stipends of $125 per month each. In 1949 they settled, and have since resided, in Portland.

During his time in the USAAF, Sam Evans became the rank of Captain and carried out 30 combat Missions, and earned 2 Distinguished flying crosses.

Charles Sam Evans passed away on 31 December 2016
Louise Carey Rockey Evans passed away on 6 October 2019
They left 4 Children, 6 Grandchildren, and 1 Great-Granddaughter.

Pilot Charles Sam Evans 1st on the left-back
row in front of their Consolidated B-24 Liberator
at Horsham St Faith England May 1944.

Charles was Assigned to the 8th Air Force,
458th Bombardment Group Heavy,
of the 753rd Squadron

USAAF (RAF) Burtonwood (Cheshire/Lancashire)

Aerial Image of USAAF Burtonwood on
the 10th of August 1945 by 541 Squadron

Overlay of 1955 USAF Burtonwood Airfield
Plan On Top of 2015 Google Aerial View

Landing Charts

Burtonwood Landing
Chart - September 1951

Burtonwood Landing
Chart - December 1954

Burtonwood Range
Chart - September 1951

There are different approach charts for each of the runways at Burtonwood

The chart shown here is for runway 27 which was the most used due to the prevailing wind.

The chart shows to arrive overhead on a heading of 275 degrees, with the height dictated in the chart to the bottom left it shows the Procedure to fly east on 275 degrees for ten miles, then initiate a rate of one turn to the left onto 046 Degrees then a 180 turn onto 226 degrees.

Then turn right onto 271 degrees, descending to be at 1,000 feet above the overhead marker radio beam pointing upwards and also looking ahead to land.

If the ground could not be seen at 560 feet the instruction is to climb and go around again. The 10-mile circle on the chart is only to judge the distance and is not indicating a zone.

Note this chart is dated before runway 09/27 was extended to the East, and also no localizer beacon was installed at Burtonwood at this time period.

Target Dossier For Burtonwood
Lancashire England

German Luftwaffe target maps
of RAF Burtonwood Warrington
Lancashire England Date 1942

Image credits to the Imperial war
museum for Non-Commercial use

target dossier for padgate
lancashire england

German Luftwaffe target maps of
RAF Padgate number 3 recruit training center
Warrington Lancashire England date 1942

Target Dossiers Pertaining
to the British Isles

10 138 Manchester-Barton 13 km NO
GB 10139 Manchester - Ringway 20 km
OSD GB 10297 Burtonwood 6km W GB
10 407 Puddinglake 23km SSO m 4

Rhitiver und paffiver Luftfdyuty
detl Bewadjung M 5

Image credits to the Imperial war
museum for Non-Commercial use

1st Basic Air Depot Burtonwood

As Captain, Fret, and Lieutenant Kollew look on, Major, Keating presents a diploma to S/Sgt, Jean Bratcher, a member of the First Graduating class of the B-29 School during Graduation ceremonies at
Burtonwood Air Force Base, England, on the 18th November 1949.

I took this shot just as we were
coming in for a landing in a C-47
- Note B-17s and P-61
black widows June 1945.

B-45 Tornado Undercarriage
collapse in 1953.

Results of an accident to a G I bus
belonging to the 5th A.P. group

The accident happened while returning
to camp from Warrington during WWII

Burtonwood group photo

Credit to Victor Davies

The iconic American jeep at the
Burtonwood United States Air Force Base
Warrington England during 1952

The American flag is raised during WW2 for the transfer of the
Burtonwood Air Depot to the United States 8th Air
Forces Service Command 15th July 1942

Building number 8 on the left of the flag is the Burtonwood
repair Depot site Headquarters, during the late 1950s
this building become the United States Air Force
Dependents School having moved from site 1

World War 2 Photo Looking West

In the background the J type hangar on
technical site can clearly be seen

In the background to the right is the 3 earthed covered
hangars next to the high level water towerer on E site

In the foreground is the east perimeter track

All our photos that we took in the RAF Burtonwood Airfield .

For more information about RAF Burtonwood visit the RAF
Burtonwood Archive on the 'Airfield Findings' page.

Where is it?

RAF Burtonwood is just outside the town of Warrington.

What is it?

RAF Burtonwood was an expansion programme airfield. It was constructed as an aircraft storage and repair depot.

What were the main sites?

There were 5 main sites on the airfield :

A site with 2 K type hangers,

E site with 3 L type hangers,

G site with 3 L type hangers,

Tech site with 1 K type hanger and 1 J type,

and Mary Anne site with 3 C type hangars.

There was also a site off the airfield known as BRD site, it was constructed as a factory.

What about the Runways?

There was 3 runways at RAF Burtonwood :

04/22 was 4200 FT long,

09/27 was 5280 FT long,

and 15/33 that was 4248 FT long

What about the Sub sites?

There were also 7 sub sites for living accommodation.

Site 8 Header house was opened in 1954 as a warehouse.

What about the Control towers?

There were 3 control towers :

One was a fort type 207/36 and was made of concrete.

Another one was a watch office for all commands. Its reference number is : 12779/41, it had small windows to 15371/41

The last one was a post war USAF tower.

Can you give us some Brief History about RAF Burtonwood?

The airfield first opened on April 1940, with 37 maintenance unit moving in .

The USAAF moved in on the 15th July 1942 and was called Base Air Depot 1 for repair and modification of aircraft.

The airfield returned to RAF use on June 1946.

Controll was handed back to the USAF in September 1948.

In 1951 the USAF expanded the base with extensions of runway 09 / 27 to 9000 FT and 250 FT wide , a new controll tower was constructed in 1953 on Tech Site.

What is RAF Butonwood like now?

RAF Burtonwood is now completely demolished apart from taxi ways between E and A sites and the odd bit of fencing.

WWII USAAF BAD1 Burtonwood Trench Art From One of Our Members

Early this week we received an email from one of our members and he told us about an aluminium sign that he says was made from WWII aircraft alloy that he has in his possession.

So we asked him to send us a photo of the item and he has given us permission to publish it along with his message below.

"Hello Sir ,

I'm Nigel , and I've just spent a good while perousing your great website.

Very interesting .

I write Sir ,because I have a nice item from the old Burtonwood Airfield.

It's a Sign basically or the raised elements from said sign.

It's made from scrapped USAAF Aircraft Aluminium that much we know , it features a B-17 in semi profile the wings and star of the USAAF and banner logo with the legend "Base Air Depot No1" all as seperate parts and is roughly sand cast made locally on base the whole assembly is around 2-3 feet square .

I have the parts mounted on a piece of felt covered MDF just for display now, but would love to know if You might know where abouts on the airfield it was originally?

We've had it a long time.

And I'm keen to know a little more about it if possible .

I'd be glad to send photos if you'd be interested in seeing it .

Many thanks for Your Time Sir, and Very best regards Nigel."

This is a Souvenir Poster From One of the Many Open Days at the
Header House at Burtonwood During the US Army's Occupation

The administration
department at Burtonwood

The administration department at Burtonwood
carried out a huge undertaking during world war 2.

There was 18,500 US personnel on
base including many women.

In addition, Burtonwood controlled more than 20 other
bases spread across Britain so it had a combined
responsibility for well over 60,000 personnel.

It operated 24 hours a day, seven days
a week with three eight-hour shifts.

Boeing B17E - 41-9175 on the
16th of March 1943 with 'A'
site in the background.

Photo USAAF

P38 Lockheed Lightning
During Maintenance

P38 Lockheed Lightning During Maintenance

P-38 Lightning Maintenance Burtonwood England

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress undergoing
Maintenance at Burtonwood during world war II

P-51 Mustangs Lancashire
England 25th of February 1944

B17's on Dispersal

bell P-400-Airacobra at Burtonwood
on the 16th march 1943.

The aircraft appears to be
on Site 1 facing South.

Personnel of the Base Air Depot 1
outside Nissen huts at Warrington.

Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Left to right- Pop Raddle,
G Basson, Dick Kingston, W [illegible] "Me", Steve Paras.'

P47 Thunderbolt CV-S, serial number 42-22468 nicknamed
Geronimo of the 359th Fighter Group has crash-landed

Official caption on image

GAD-35-I-100][12-5-44[]222468- BURTONWOOD

Famous visitors to visit the base included: Comedian Bob Hope and Singers
Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, Vera Lyn & Joe Loss and also Major
Glen Miller the famous USAAF Band leader

Left To Right - Major Glenn Miller at one of his concerts with
Love Dust on the 27th of July 1944 at Burtonwood.

(Photo USAAF)

Left To Right - Joe Loss, Vera Lynn and Major Glen Miller outside Building
226 on Mary Ann Site during a concert visit on the 15th of August 1944.

Shortly after this photo was taken Glen Miller flew to Twinwood farm in
Bedfordshire and then onto Paris. However, his aircraft never arrived
at Paris (presumably) having crashed in the English Channel.

(Photo by Wally Baldwin)

Glen Miller Photos Credit Jerry Migoski

Glenn Miller is on the right and on the left
is Second Lieutenant Donald Haynes.

He was Miller's administration officer at
Burtonwood Air Depot on 15 August 1944.