Vlamertinge (B-59)

50°49'57"N 002°49'25"E

Runway: 08/26 - 610x50meters - concrete

Vlamertinghe airfield (Dutch: vliegveld Vlamertinghe-Dikkebus, German: Flugplatz Vlamertinge, also known as Advanced Landing Ground B-59 Vlamertinghe) was an airfield 100 kilometer west of Brussels. 
During the early months of World War II a German aircraft landed in a field near Vlamertinge (close to Ieper) in West-Flanders, Belgium in order to find a field suitable for use as a military airfield. The next day a similar landing occurred a little further, followed by more in August, leading to the impression with the locals that not one, but two airfields were to be built.
In any case, only one airfield was built south of Vlamertinge, although some 30 per cent was built on land of the neighbouring municipality of Dikkebus. 
Initially the construction of the airfield was of a very temporary character, most 'buildings' were built from wood and straw, covered with mesh. Later on more permanent buildings were erected.
During 1941-1942 a ring road was constructed of about 4000meters length, and a concrete runway of 607x51meters was laid out in 1941. The ring road had branches to hangars and workshops, and small shelters were erected around the entire air field.
On 10 June 1944 the Germans blew up the runway, followed by the hangars and workshops on 2 September 1944. The entire infrastructure was further demolished by ploughing up the landing field, and removal of all electrical wiring. Only the ring road and the roads leading to the hangars and workshops remained intact. 


reconnaissance photo of Vlamertinge made in 1943 or 1944 (private coll. Jean-Valéry Masset)


Map of Vlamertinge airfield (source).

When the airfield was liberated, the remains of a V-1 launch stand was found in one of the burned out hangars, but no V-1s are known to have been launched from Vlamertinge. Within days of being liberated, English engineers began repairing the runway of the airfield, which they called B-59, while English fighters operated from the grass next to it.
A few weeks later the fighters moved north, following the front line. Engineers stayed behind to repair or dismantle aircraft for spares. When they ultimately left too the local population got their first glance on site. They found a lot of metal aircraft parts, and a damaged four engine aircraft (likely a bomber) which remained for quite some time.
By March of 1945 farmers were allowed back on their lands, and they immediately began working the soil. When harvest time came most of the airfield had already disappeared. 

Today, it is not very hard to find remains of the old airfield. Many remains of the old hangars, shelters and workshops were converted into stables and sheds associated with farm life, and they are still scattered all over the area.


Converted hangar of Vlamertinge airfield (source).


Parts of the ring road were still visible in this 2015 aerial photo of the airfield (Google Earth)