RAF Thurleigh was a Royal Air Force station located five miles north of Bedford, England.
Thurleigh was transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force on December 9, 1942, designated Station 121,
and used for heavy bomber operations against Nazi Germany.

After the war, the base was returned to the RAF and renamed the Royal Aeronautical Establishment,
Bedford, where it was used for experimental aircraft operations and testing.
The airfield was closed in 1997 with the RAE having become the
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Thurleigh

This is a WWII View

RAF Thurleigh was built during WWII and after the war became a development site known as RAE Bedford,
until it was eventually decommissioned in 1994.  Since then the airfield has been split into two sections;
See upper photo, the Northern half is used for the Bedford Autodrome race track,
and the runways are used as mass car-storage.

The runway numbers on these photos are probable (I added what they might be).
Runways are generally numbered according to their magnetic heading
(the takeoff direction it is "pointing towards").
Example: Runway 6 would be used for a runway with a 62 degrees heading
Each runway can be used in either direction,
and hence has two numbers, each 180° apart, like 6 and 24.




Memorial to the 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The top area is inscribed with "ALWAYS FIRST"


The setting is by this building as seen in top photo,
Just north of Thurleigh.