A station in Project Emily

RAF Polebrook belonged to the North Luffenham group of Thor stations. The deployment brought American intermediate-range ballistic missiles to Britain, operated by the RAF under joint British and American arrangements.

No. 130 Squadron. Three-missile station in the North Luffenham group. Approximate station-area marker.

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Understanding the site

The directory marker is approximately 52.49° north, 0.42° west. It identifies the station area, rather than the surveyed position of an individual launch pad.

The site’s significance lies in its place within the wider force. Missile readiness, political authorisation and control of the warhead were separate matters. The Thor chapter explains those distinctions.

Read about Thor and dual control →

Open farmland at former RAF Polebrook, with low concrete remains of a Thor missile launch pad visible in the distance.
Remains of a Thor launch pad at former RAF Polebrook, photographed on 20 May 2007. This is a modern view, not a photograph from the crisis.Nigel Stickells / Former Thor Missile Launch Pad at Polebrook Airfield / Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0. Converted to WebP; no crop. This image remains CC BY-SA 2.0. Source record · CC BY-SA 2.0View full image ↗
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