The airfield was established as a base for
Operational Training Units to train recruits for combat and also for
"nickelling", the dropping of propaganda leaflets. The airfield went operational on 2 September 1942 and served as a satellite for
RAF Wing. The runway was built of rubble from bomb damaged London.
Vickers Wellington bombers from
No. 26 OTU arrived along with OTU Gunnery section and the 92 Group Communications flight to commence the basic training of recruits. No. 1684 OTU Bomber Defence Training Flight moved to Little Horwood on 5 June 1943 and simulation battles were undertaken using
Curtiss Tomahawk aircraft. Flying ended at Little Horwood on 30 November 1945 with the remnants of No. 26 OTU remaining until January 1946. On 7 August 1943, a Wellington Bomber X3790 from the airfield crashed into Winslow town centre killing four crew and 13 civilians. The site has been subject to several major development proposals in recent years, but these have not been well received locally and have all been rejected. ==References==