(Rus)  Extraordinarily, the first Stirling and Halifax heavy bomber squadrons were expected to operate from turf-surfaced airfields. This was not a problem in summer, but these 30-ton giants rutted and churned up runways at other times of the year and were often bogged down. No 7 Squadron at Oakington was the first with Stirlings and suffered with unsuitable surface conditions for many months until concrete runways were laid. Until sufficient concrete hardstandings were available, the Stirlings at Oakington were lined up on the out-of-use runways for bombing up, as in this photograph taken in March 1942. W7466/MG:B, with P Off M. R. Green and crew, failed to return from its sixth sortie, the Liibeck raid later in the month, crashing at Gnutz. The MG sports car is appropriate transport for a member of this squadron! (IWM CH5177)