page_title: RAF Tempsford
section_title: People
hierarchical_section_title: RAF Tempsford / Tempsford now / People
caption_attribution_description: English: Wesland Lysander, flying example at Shuttleworth, 2004,
context_page_description: RAF Tempsford is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.3 miles north east of Sandy, Bedfordshire, England and 4.4 miles south of St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, England.
  As part of the Royal Air Force Special Duty Service, the airfield was perhaps the most secret airfield of the Second World War. It was home to 138 Squadron and 161 Squadron, which dropped supplies and agents into occupied Europe for the Special Operations Executive. 138 Squadron did the bulk of the supply and agent drops, while 161 Squadron had the Lysander flight, and did the insertion and pick-up operations in occupied Europe.
  RAF Tempsford is very close to Little Gransden Airfield and can be clearly seen from flights climbing out from the westerly runway 28. Other active airfields nearby include the former RAF bases at Gransden Lodge and Bourn.
context_section_description: Andrée Borrel and Lise de Baissac (Odile), were the first female SOE agents to be parachuted into occupied France. They flew out from RAF Tempsford on 24 September 1942.
  Flying Officer Gerald Cruwys was awarded the Croix de guerre for his work with the French Resistance while at RAF Tempsford.
  Group Captain Edward 'Mouse' Fielden, Station Commander of RAF Tempsford (1942-1944) and a former royal pilot
  Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Macdonald Hodges was the Commander of 161 Squadron from May 1943 to 1944.
  Group Captain Percy Charles Pickard was awarded a second bar to his DSO in March 1943 for his outstanding leadership in command of 161 Squadron
  Group Captain Hugh Verity, author of We Landed by Moonlight
  Violette Szabo, GC, of the SOE flew on her first mission into France from RAF Tempsford.
  Wing Commander F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, otherwise known as the White Rabbit, was dropped in France on 27 February 1943 having been flown out from RAF Tempsford by Pilot Officer Foster.
caption: A Westland Lysander of the type that was used to drop and pick up SOE agents from Occupied Europe
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