RESEARCH spanning 25 years, more than 260 photographs and the experiences of 50 veterans have gone into the production of a new book on RAF Millom.

The airfield, on the outskirts of Haverigg, taught the skills of bombing, gunnery and navigation during the Second World War.

It later trained young army officers and taught Civil Defence techniques before part of the site became Haverigg Prison.

This complex story, which involves thousands of young men and women, is told in The History of RAF Millom and the Genesis of RAF Mountain Rescue by John Nixon.

Mr Nixon is a former prison officer at Haverigg and set up the RAF Millom Collection in 1993 and was the museum's curator until 2006.

He said: “The Second World War veterans are now passing away. “Many of the people in the book came to reunions I used to have and they became friends.

“I count myself as extremely lucky to have known them.

“They were lovely people, they really were.”

Some of the flight crews at RAF Millom didn’t survive flying accidents during training; others went to their squadrons and didn’t return from their first mission over enemy-held territory.

Others survived three full tours of duty – around 90 flights.

The need to find crews and their aircraft after crashes saw airmen at RAF Millom establish techniques which went into use after the war with volunteer mountain rescue teams.

What was then the No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School opened in January 1941 but was far from complete.

Official airfield records showed: "The roads are in a bad state and the ground is waterlogged."

Aircraft in use at RAF Millom included the Boulton Paul Defiant, Hawker Henley, Avro Anson, Airspeed Oxford and Blackburn Botha.

There was also a firing range with its own railway tracks in the Haverigg dunes.

The site came under German attack only once - on August 14 in 1942 - when a Junkers 88 raked the runways with cannon and machine gun fire but did no damage.

A few weeks earlier the airfield's defenders had been able to fight off a mock attack by Millom Home Guard.

Among the RAF Millom veterans whose memories enrich the book are Jim Bailey - who was among the pioneer mountain rescuers.

At Christmas 1944 he was called out to a crash on Black Combe.

He said: "I was given the job of driving a Canadian officer up to the crash to take photographs of the wreck."

Ross Blanchard, who was on the airfield's flying staff, said: "We flew in all sorts of very nasty weather."

Bille Gracie, said: "Millom was regarded as a good station although perhaps a bit in the backwoods but the people were friendly and welcoming and on a day off it was only a short train journey over to Barrow or up to Coniston.

"Most aircrew had single rooms and rarely was a complain heard about the food."

The base also had members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force - doing anything from clerical work to welding.

Among them was Cpl Audrey Renton, a physical training instructor, who lived in a Nissan hut.

She said: "The floor was a slab of very rough concrete, no covering, or mats whatever, not even painted."

Mr Nixon is doing books signing sessions on Saturday, September 10, at Greetings, in Lapstone Road, Millom, from 9.30m to 12.30pm and then at Millom Discovery Centre in the Station Buildings, from 1pm to 3.30pm.

On Saturday, September 17 he will be at Sutton’s Bookshop, in Market Street, Ulverston, from 10am to 1pm and on Saturday, September 24, at Barrow Library, from 10am to 1pm.

The History of RAF Millom and the Genesis of RAF Mountain Rescue by John Nixon is from Pixel Tweaks Publications of Ulverston.