B.104 Damm and B.106 Twente

[Steve Brew]

At the end of March 1945, 125 Wing (41, 130 & 350 Sqns) were preparing to move to B.104 Damm, ca. 8.5 miles ENE of Wesel. It appears that 39 (Recce) Wing (400, 414 & 430 RCAF Sqns) were also destined for this airfield. However, after their 'A' Echelons arrived and started preparing a strip, but found it too waterlogged and too difficult to make serviceable, the Wing CO, Gp. Capt. 'Johnnie' Johnson flew in for a first-hand look at the situation, and decided to abandon the effort. 125 Wing then moved instead to B.106 Twente, and 39 (Recce) Wing to B.108 Rheine.

I have a few questions in regard to Damm and Twente...

1. Was B.104 Damm ever completed and used by the RAF or USAAF? Can anyone provide any more information on Damm's capture, or other details, e.g. was it already an airfield or just a flat area of ground? Any additional info would be appreciated. (Sources used so far: 41, 130 & 350 Sqns' ORBs, 125 Wing ORB, Jeffords, Rawlings and Johnnie Johnson's 'Wing Leader'.)

2. Can anyone provide me with additional information on B.106 Twente, please? e.g. size, location, description, when/how captured, facilities & accommodation, etc.?

Thanks
Steve

[Leendert]

Steve,

Location of B.106 Twente is same as former Dutch air base Twenthe, nowadays civil Enschede Airport Twente (EHTW).

(Note that the military used an "h" in the name)

Regards,

Leendert

[Ex Shack]

Hi Steve
As Leendert has shown, Twente has become Enschede Airport. If you look on Google maps you can find it about 5 kms N of Enschede and about the same distance E of Hengelo. A diagrammatic airfield with the runways shows quite clearly with enough zoom
Regards
Dick

[Stig Jarlevik]

Steve

Shores' first book about 2nd TAF (the one from 1970) does not even list B.104 as a base, which to me at least indicates it was never used, at least not by 2nd TAF.

No such list in his maximum 4 volume effort, together with Thomas, though. Every squadron with 2nd TAF listed with all bases, and a very brief (!!) look-through by me failed to produce any B.104 in there.

Most probably a piece of land intended to make some kind of airstrip.

Cheers
Stig

[Allan125]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Steve

Shores' first book about 2nd TAF (the one from 1970) does not even list B.104 as a base, which to me at least indicates it was never used, at least not by 2nd TAF.

No such list in his maximum 4 volume effort, together with Thomas, though. Every squadron with 2nd TAF listed with all bases, and a very brief (!!) look-through by me failed to produce any B.104 in there.

Most probably a piece of land intended to make some kind of airstrip.

Cheers
Stig

Hi Stig

B.104 Damm certainly existed - both 125 Wing and 39 Recce Wing personnel were there (including my father ), it is mentioned in the 125 Wing ORB (which also stated that 39 Recce Wing were there) and, presumably, is mentioned in the ORB of 39 Recce Wing as well - JEJ even mentions it in "Wing Leader" but the actual squadrons of 125 Wing (41, 130, 350) never flew from there as they were sent to B.106 Twente Enschede.

cheers

Allan

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks for that Allan

However I have not looked closer in Shores 2nd TAF Vol 4 and there are still no Squadrons listed using B.104. Nothing from RAF, nothing from the Army (AOP) units and nothing from RN. Unfortunately none of the new books are indexed as per place names....

The place feels very strange, since I think it is hard that Shores should have overlooked such an airfield if two Wings had been based there. Was it known under another name? Where was this place in the first place? Could it have been very close to another field and simply hosted Staff personal?

Cheers
Stig