RAF Aldermaston
Encyclopedia
- For the post World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
use of this facility, see Atomic Weapons EstablishmentAtomic Weapons EstablishmentThe Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
RAF Aldermaston was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Eighth
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
as a troop carrier (C-47) group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.
Origins
In 1941 the higher part of the Aldermaston CourtAldermaston Court
Aldermaston Court is a country house built in the Victorian era with incorporations from an earlier house, located in the village of Aldermaston in the English county of Berkshire...
estate was chosen by the government as a site for development as a Bomber Operations Training Unit (OTU). The woodland was cleared and a standard 'A Class' bomber airfield
Class A airfield
Class A airfields were military installations originally built for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Several were transferred to the U.S...
with three concrete runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s was built. The major construction work was carried out during the spring and summer of 1942 with a main runway, aligned 06-24, being 6000 ft (1,828.8 m). Two secondary runways, both 4200 ft (1,280.2 m), were aligned 11-29 and 17-35. Fifty "pan" type hardstands and two "loop" hardstands were constructed. The workshops and administration buildings were on the south side, near the main entrance at Falcon Gate. There were five hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s. Four were built to take the largest RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
aircraft.
Wartime RAF use
The fifth hangar, just off the airfield, was for the Ministry of ProductionMinistry of Production
The Ministry of Production was a British government department created in February 1942, initially under the title Ministry of War Production, but the following month "War" was dropped from the title...
where Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighter planes were assembled by Vickers Supermarine
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that became famous for producing a range of sea planes and the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The name now belongs to an English motorboat manufacturer.-History:...
. The Spitfires were flight tested from the airfield. On the east side of the airfield there was a large bomb dump which covered nearly half the site.
The airfield was opened by No 92 Group of the RAF on 1 July 1942, but was never used by the intended Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bombers because, by then, it had been earmarked for the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF).
Wartime USAAF use
When the USAAF Ninth Air Force inherited Aldermaston on 16 October 1943, it was the oldest USAAF troop carrier base in the UK and this continued to be its chief use for the remainder of hostilities.The airfield was allocated for USAAF use in June 1942 as one of 13 airfields to bomber standard to be available for transport or reconnaissance units. Aldermaston Court was also to be requisitioned as a headquarters and although this too eventually served the Ninth Air Force, it was administered as an entirely separate station, unconnected with the airfield.
The 926 Signal Battalion provided communication support for the Ninth Air Force at Aldermaston Court until January 1944.
60th Troop Carrier Group
Once Aldermaston became ready for aircraft in August 1942 the Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
60th Troop Carrier Group was moved in from its temporary stations at RAF Chelveston
RAF Chelveston
RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....
and RAF Podington
RAF Podington
RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...
. Flying Douglas C-47s and C-54 Skytrains
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, operational squadrons of the group were:
- 10th Troop Carrier Squadron10th Airlift SquadronThe 10th Airlift Squadron is part of the 62d Airlift Wing as McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-History:...
(S6) (Arrived 7 August from Chelveston) - 11th Troop Carrier Squadron (7D) (Arrived 15 August from Chelveston)
- 12th Troop Carrier Squadron (U5) (Arrived 15 August from Podington)
- 28th Troop Carrier Squadron (3D) (Arrived 7 August from Podington)
During the following three months. the 60th TCG trained with paratroops preparatory to moving out to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
on 6 November on its way to Relizane Airfield, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
as part of Twelfth Air Force for participation in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the invasion of North Africa.
67th Observation Group
On 25 November 1942 The 107th Observation Squadron, 67th Observation Group, was transferred from RAF MemburyRAF Membury
RAF Station Membury is a former World War II airfield built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately mi north-northwest of Hungerford, at the Membury services stop of the M4 motorway; about miles west-southwest of London...
to Aldermaston with A-20s, L-4s and Spitfires so that their reconnaissance photographs and visual intelligence would be quickly available to IX Troop Carrier Command. However, after flying its first mission on 20 December 1942, the squadron remained only until 8 January 1943 when it was moved back to Membury.
315th Troop Carrier Group
On 12 December the first of 24 aircraft of the 315th Troop Carrier Group touched down from Florence Army Airfield, South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
with C-47s and C-53s, having made an emergency landing at Montford Bridge near Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
The group had left the United States in late October and early November, but encountered bad weather while flying the North Atlantic route and the air echelon was detained for about a month in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, where it searched for missing aircraft along the east coast and dropped supplies to crews. Only two of the groups squadrons initially arrived, those being:
- 34th Troop Carrier Squadron (NM)
- 43d Troop Carrier Squadron (UA)
The 315th TCG was part of the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing
52d Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)
The 52d Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the New York Air National Guard. It was inactivated on 31 October 1950....
of IX Troop Carrier Command
IX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
.
After the air and ground echelons were united in England in December, the group began ferrying cargo in the British Isles and training with airborne troops and did some training with British paratroops and glider towing.
On 25 May, twenty-one of the 315th's aircraft left for Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
to support the invasions of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Although the group did not participate in the airborne phase of the invasions, it did support those operations by transporting supplies in the theater. This detachment, supposedly for a limited period, stretched to 10 months and then the aircraft and crews remained in the Mediterranean and did not return to Aldermaston.
On 6 November the remainder group was reassigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
and transferred to RAF Welford
RAF Welford
RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London...
thus leaving Aldermaston ready for other uses. However, on 4 December HQ IX Air Support Command was activated at Aldermaston Court
Aldermaston Court
Aldermaston Court is a country house built in the Victorian era with incorporations from an earlier house, located in the village of Aldermaston in the English county of Berkshire...
and Aldermaston was transferred to the USAAF Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
On December 1943 the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 73d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, arrived at Aldermaston from Esler FieldEsler Regional Airport
Esler Field, also known as Esler Regional Airport, is a military and public use airfield in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, near the City of Pineville...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
without aircraft. They were transferred to RAF Middle Wallop, and equipped with Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
Vs.
370th Fighter Group
Delays and changes of plan followed and many weeks passed before another flying organisation arrived. The 370th Fighter Group arrived from Bradley FieldBradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
on 12 February. Operational squadrons of the group were:
- 401st Fighter Squadron401st Fighter SquadronThe 401st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts...
(9D) - 402d Fighter Squadron402d Fighter SquadronThe 402d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Shanks, New York...
(E6) - 485th Fighter Squadron485th Fighter SquadronThe 485th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Shanks, New York. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945-History:...
(7F)
When the group arrived, the expected to receive Republic P-47 Thunderbolts on which they had trained. However, much to the amazement of the CO, Colonel Howard Nichols, he was informed by IX Fighter Command
IX Fighter Command
The IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
that the group was to fly Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, a few of which arrived for training during the 18 days the group was in residence. However, this was only a temporary stationing and the 370th moved to RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
as Aldermaston airfield was required for troop carrier operations.
434th Troop Carrier Group
RAF Fulbeck
RAF Station Fulbeck is a former World War II airfield in Lincolnshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Radcliffe on Trent; about north-northwest of London...
on 3 March. Its operational squadrons were:
- 71st Troop Carrier Squadron71st Special Operations SquadronThe 71st Special Operations Squadron is part of the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It operates CV-22 Osprey conducting special operations flying training.-History:...
(CJ) - 72d Troop Carrier Squadron72d Air Refueling SquadronThe 72d Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Indiana. It operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions...
(CU) - 73d Troop Carrier Squadron73d Airlift SquadronThe 73d Airlift Squadron is part of the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It operates C-9 Skytrain II and C-40 Clipper aircraft providing executive airlfit.-Mission:...
(CN) - 74th Troop Carrier Squadron74th Air Refueling SquadronThe 74th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Indiana. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
(ID)
The 434th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing
53d Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)
The 53d Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the IX Troop Carrier Command, based at Camp Shanks, New York. It was inactivated on 12 August 1945....
.
As with most troop carrier bases, areas on either side of the main runway head were covered with PSP
Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting is standardized, perforated steel matting material originally developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the rapid construction of temporary runways and landing strips...
to allow the marshalling of gliders and tow aircraft.
The group immediately began training with 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
units based in the Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
area.
The 434th was one of the groups trained and designated to deliver gliders on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. As the assigned delivery group for Mission Chicago, the 52 C-47s of the 434th TCG each towed a Waco CG-4A glider to Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, losing one aircraft to flak in the darkness. For this, and two follow-up missions with gliders and supplies, the group was later awarded the coveted Distinguished Unit Citation.
The 434th TCG spent the summer of 1944 mainly in carrying freight, fuel and troops to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was not involved in the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
(as were several of the UK based C-47 groups) and its next combat operation was `Market', the airborne operation in Holland on 17 September.
Two serials (the term for a specifically briefed formation) of 45 C-47s each dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in the Veghcl sector. Heavy flak shot down four aircraft and damaged 10 of the first serial and another plane was lost from the second serial plus nine damaged. Next day, 80 of the group's aircraft towed gliders to a landing zone in the Son area. Seven gliders landed prematurely, two of them in the sea, and flak brought down two C-47s and damaged 33.
Some 82 aircraft towing gliders were despatched on 19 September and one C-47 failed to return. A total of 20 gliders were lost before reaching release point. This most intensive period of troop carrier operations continued on the 20th when 53 C-47s took off on a re-supply mission to Overasselt. The drop was scattered but all aircraft returned. A final re-supply mission was carried out from Ramsbury but by now the situation on the ground was beyond retrieval.
The 434th remained at Aldermaston until 12 February 1945 when the group moved to an Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG) at Mourmclon-le-Grand airfield (ALG A-80) in France, the first of the troop carrier groups in the Wiltshire area to move from the UK. The airfield was left with a skeleton crew that consisted of one sergeant with a bicycle and a Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
- he was there alone until well after VE-Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
with Aldermaston being finally relinquished to the Air Ministry on June 15.
Postwar RAF use
The airfield was relinquished to the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
on 15 June 1945. It was to be the site for a flying school, where more than 1,000 former RAF pilots would be retrained to fly civil aircraft. Many of the buildings were refurbished and improved runway lights were installed.
Postwar civil use
In 1947, the Ministry of Civil Aviation designated the airfield as a temporary civil airport and possibly a third London airport. In April improved facilities installed when the training school was taken over by BOACBoac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
and British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
(BEA). On 30 September 1948 the school closed down.
A number of buildings were occupied by various local firms including Thorneycrofts and Eagle Aviation. For the next year or so the field was used for occasional test flights of the Westland Wyvern
Westland Wyvern
The Westland Wyvern was a British single-seat carrier-based multi-role strike aircraft built by Westland Aircraft that served in the 1950s, seeing active service in the 1956 Suez Crisis...
, and the perimeter tracks were used for vehicle testing by the Vehicle Development Establishment at Chertsey. Reading Aero Club and a number of model airplane clubs used the facilities for weekend meets.
Return to military use
The airfield was formally handed over by Air Ministry to the Ministry of SupplyMinistry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
on 1 April 1950. There was in fact an unusual outburst of aerial activity on the day before the hand-over when, due to a slight misunderstanding at the Air Ministry, a number of pilots were given authority to land on the airfield for the purpose of conveying their clients to the races at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
. Therefore, 31 March 1950, marked the final day of Aldermaston’s existence as an airfield.
The airfield site subsequently became the location of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment
Atomic Weapons Establishment
The Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
(A.W.R.E.).
See also
- List of RAF stations
- 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...