RAF Ibsley
Encyclopedia
RAF Station Ibsley is a former World War II
airfield in Hampshire
, England
. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley
, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Ringwood
; about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of London
Opened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force
and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as a fighter airfield. After the war it was closed in 1947.
Today the remains of the airfield are mostly quarry lakes, with an abandoned control tower overlooking the water.
valley of Hampshire and the only fighter station in the area to have asphalt-surfaced runways. It was originally surveyed before the war but passed over until approved as a satellite and forward base for RAF Middle Wallop
during 1940.
Construction work began in early 1941 with a set of three converging runways each containing a concrete runway for takeoffs and landings. The tarmac runways were laid down being aligned 01/19 (main); 14/32 and 05/23. Also numerous loop-type dispersal pads were constructed connecting to an enclosing perimeter track, of a width of 50 feet.
The ground support station was constructed largely of Nissen hut
s of various sizes. The support station was where the group and ground station commanders and squadron headquarters and orderly rooms were located. Also on the ground station were where the mess facilities; chapel; hospital; mission briefing and debriefing; armory; life support; parachute rigging; supply warehouses; station and airfield security; motor pool and the other ground support functions necessary to support the air operations of the group. These facilities were all connected by a network of single path support roads.
The technical site, connected to the ground station and airfield consisted of at least two T-2 type hangars and various organizational, component and field maintenance shops along with the crew chiefs and other personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light and moderate battle damage. Aircraft severely damaged in combat were sent to repair depots for major structural repair. The Ammunition dump was located outside of the perimeter track surrounded by large dirt mounds and concrete storage pens for storing the munitions required by the combat aircraft.
Various domestic accommodation sites were constructed dispersed away from the airfield, but within a mile or so of the technical support site, also using clusters of Maycrete or Nissen huts. The Huts were either connected, set up end-to-end or built singly and made of prefabricated corrugated iron with a door and two small windows at the front and back. They provided accommodation for 2.841 personnel, including communal and a sick quarters.
fighter squadrons in February 1941.
Over the following three years 19 different RAF fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons were based at Ibsley for periods varying from a few days to several months in the course of conducting sweeps, bomber escorts, armed reconnaissance and shipping strikes and patrols. The aircraft involved were chiefly. Spitfires
Hurricanes, and Hawker Typhoon
s, but North American Mustangs in RAF service
and Westland Whirlwinds were present on some occasions.
fighter units in the summer of 1942 found Ibsley allocated to the Eighth Air Force
on 4 June for use by Lockheed P-38 Lightnings which it was felt might have difficulty operation from grass airfields.
Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "IB".
1st Fighter Group, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived from RAF Goxhill
on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
The stay of the 1st FG was short, performing their first combat mission on 28 August and flying a number of missions over France
before being assigned to Twelfth Air Force for duty in the Mediterranean theater in support of the Operation Torch
North Africa
n landings.
The 1st FG was transferred to Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria
on 23 October as part of the ground echelon landing with the assault forces at Arzeu beach on 8 November. With their departure, the airfield was not used again until mid-December by some RAF units.
On 12 July 1943 Ibsley was again opened by the USAAF as a base for tactical fighters when required. Meanwhile, construction work was performed to improve the runways. The north-south runway was extended, a small addition was made to the north-west/south-cast runway, and the perimeter track was enlarged with additional hardstands being constructed.
On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the Ninth Air Force
.
With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the Ninth Air Force
48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina
(32.921817°N 80.633297°W). The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:
The 48th was a group of Ninth Air Force
's 70th Fighter Wing
, IX Tactical Air Command
.
The group began began operations on 20 April by making a fighter sweep over the coast of France then flew an intense period of escort and dive-bombing missions to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy
.
On 21 April the number of P-47s at Ibsley doubled when the aircraft of the 371st Fighter Group
moved in from nearby RAF Bisterne
while work was carried out on its wire-mesh runways. At one point there were over 150 P-47s parked on Insley. The 371st remained until 14 May and even then its pilots would have preferred to remain at Ibsley with its hard surfaced runways.
The group bombed bridges and gun positions on 6 June
and attacked rail lines and trains, motor transports, bridges, fuel dumps, and gun positions during the remainder of the Normandy campaign.
The 48th fighter Group's only air battle while flying from Ibsley cause on 12 June when the 493rd FS tangled with some Messerschmitt Bf 109
s and shot down four and shared another victory with a P-47 pilot from another group. During missions flown from Ibsley, the 48th lost a total of eight P-47s.
On 17 June a P-47 taking off on a mission crashed off the end of a runway and caught fire. Soon after fire tenders arrived the bomb-load exploded. killing the pilot and three firemen.
The 48th was one of the first P-47 groups to move to the Normandy bridgehead, the first aircraft landing at their assigned Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) at Deux Jumeaux, France (ALG A-4) on 18 June although Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel departed.
On the continent, the 48th FG provided tactical air support in support of U.S. First Army using the following ALGs:
The 48th Fighter Group moved to Laon Air Base
, France on 5 July, returning to the US during August-September 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November at Seymour Johnson AAF, North Carolina
.
With the departure of the 48th, about 20 Stinson L-5 Sentinels
and two UC-Expediters of the 14th Liaison Squadron had arrived from Cheshire in a preparatory move before going on to France. Their stay was brief, most of the ground personnel left for Southampton
with the rear party of the 45th Fighter Group, the L-5s being flown to Normandy
on 11 July. This unit's duties would be general courier duty for the US Third Army.
Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the 367th Fighter Group
arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross
. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
The 367th was a group of Ninth Air Force
's 70th Fighter Wing
, IX Tactical Air Command
.
From Ibsly the 367th bombed and strafed convoys, troops, flak towers, power stations, and other objectives behind the French invasion beaches. The 367th began departing for their Advanced Landing Ground
s (ALG) on the continent on 27 July, but the size of the unit meant that initially the whole group could not be based on one of the small strips available. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.
The 367th lost six aircraft flying a total of 20 missions from Ibsley.
On the continent, the 367th FG used the following ALGs providing tactical air support in support of U.S. First Army:
In early 1945 the 367th Fighter Group started transitioning from the P-38 to the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
. The 367th flew its last mission on V-E Day, 7 May 1945 The group returned to the US during July-August 1945, inactivating on 7 November at Seymour Johnson AAF, North Carolina
.
with the No. 7 Flying Instructors School. In March 1945 the airfield came under RAF Transport Command
control flying Douglas Dakotas and Waco Hadrian gliders. Other non non-flying units came and went during the spring and summer of 1945. In the late autumn, Ibsley was put on care and maintenance status, with the hangars being used for storage.
A small RAF stafff remained until late 1946, but by the spring of 1947 the airfield was returned to civilian hands.
sites of the era, Ibsley was to become a motor racing circuit being managed by the Ringwood Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. After an extended period of construction (mostly done by volunteer labor), the first racing event at Ibsley was held on 17 May 1951. Many well known drivers competed there, notably John Surtees - the only man to become world champion on both motorcycles and in Formula One - made his racing début here in 1952.
The various types of motor racing continued until 1955 and the land was turned into agricultural use for several years. In the early 1960s, Ibsley was sold to Amey Roadstone
, which removed the existing concrete and whatever was left of the airfield hardstands for hardcore aggregate. In addition, the entire site was turned into a quarry to exploit the rich aggregate found beneath the surface.
Today, the former RAF Ibsley is unrecognizable. The airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake being overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drive at the southern part of the airfield.
For some years, until the UK airways system was re-aligned in the area via the Southampton (SAM) VOR, Ibsley airfield was the site of the Ibsley (IBY) VOR aeronautical navigational beacon. IBY VOR anchored the western portion of Airway Red 1 and the airspace overhead was a busy intersection of air routes.
A small memorial is located near the control tower 50°52′45"N 001°46′34.00"W.
, about 2 miles. The quarry lakes that was once the airfield will be on your left once you pass Ellingham Drive.
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 in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley
Ibsley
Ibsley is a village in Hampshire, England. It is about 2.5 miles north of the town of Ringwood.-Overview:The village of Ibsley lies to the east of the River Avon on the main road between Ringwood and Fordingbridge, and has some picturesque thatched cottages...
, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
; about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Opened in 1941, it was used by both 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 United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as a fighter airfield. After the war it was closed in 1947.
Today the remains of the airfield are mostly quarry lakes, with an abandoned control tower overlooking the water.
Overview
Ibsley airfield was the first of the airfields built in the AvonRiver Avon, Hampshire
The River Avon is a river in the south of England. The river rises in the county of Wiltshire and flows through the city of Salisbury and the county of Hampshire before reaching the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour in the county of Dorset....
valley of Hampshire and the only fighter station in the area to have asphalt-surfaced runways. It was originally surveyed before the war but passed over until approved as a satellite and forward base for RAF Middle Wallop
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop is a British Army base near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop. The base hosts 2 Regiment Army Air Corps and the School of Army Aviation. The role of 2 Regiment is training and so AAC Middle Wallop is the base where most Army Air Corps pilots begin their careers...
during 1940.
Construction work began in early 1941 with a set of three converging runways each containing a concrete runway for takeoffs and landings. The tarmac runways were laid down being aligned 01/19 (main); 14/32 and 05/23. Also numerous loop-type dispersal pads were constructed connecting to an enclosing perimeter track, of a width of 50 feet.
The ground support station was constructed largely of Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
s of various sizes. The support station was where the group and ground station commanders and squadron headquarters and orderly rooms were located. Also on the ground station were where the mess facilities; chapel; hospital; mission briefing and debriefing; armory; life support; parachute rigging; supply warehouses; station and airfield security; motor pool and the other ground support functions necessary to support the air operations of the group. These facilities were all connected by a network of single path support roads.
The technical site, connected to the ground station and airfield consisted of at least two T-2 type hangars and various organizational, component and field maintenance shops along with the crew chiefs and other personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light and moderate battle damage. Aircraft severely damaged in combat were sent to repair depots for major structural repair. The Ammunition dump was located outside of the perimeter track surrounded by large dirt mounds and concrete storage pens for storing the munitions required by the combat aircraft.
Various domestic accommodation sites were constructed dispersed away from the airfield, but within a mile or so of the technical support site, also using clusters of Maycrete or Nissen huts. The Huts were either connected, set up end-to-end or built singly and made of prefabricated corrugated iron with a door and two small windows at the front and back. They provided accommodation for 2.841 personnel, including communal and a sick quarters.
RAF Fighter Command use
The need for a forward airfield for fighter use in the area led to its being occupied by Hawker HurricaneHawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
fighter squadrons in February 1941.
Over the following three years 19 different RAF fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons were based at Ibsley for periods varying from a few days to several months in the course of conducting sweeps, bomber escorts, armed reconnaissance and shipping strikes and patrols. The aircraft involved were chiefly. Spitfires
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...
Hurricanes, and Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s, but North American Mustangs in RAF service
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
and Westland Whirlwinds were present on some occasions.
USAAF use
The arrival of the first United States Army Air ForcesUnited 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....
fighter units in the summer of 1942 found Ibsley allocated to the Eighth Air Force
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....
on 4 June for use by Lockheed P-38 Lightnings which it was felt might have difficulty operation from grass airfields.
Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "IB".
1st Fighter Group
The first USAAF unit to use Ibsley was 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....
1st Fighter Group, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived from RAF Goxhill
RAF Goxhill
RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
- 27th Fighter Squadron27th Fighter SquadronThe 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
(HV) - 71st Fighter Squadron71st Fighter SquadronThe 71st Fighter Squadron was a squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 1st Operations Group of the 1st Fighter Wing, and stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. The squadron is equipped with the F-15C Eagle, the last squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing to fly the...
(LM) - 94th Fighter Squadron94th Fighter SquadronThe 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
(UN)
The stay of the 1st FG was short, performing their first combat mission on 28 August and flying a number of missions over 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...
before being assigned to Twelfth Air Force for duty in the Mediterranean theater in support of the 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....
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...
n landings.
The 1st FG was transferred to Tafaraoui 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...
on 23 October as part of the ground echelon landing with the assault forces at Arzeu beach on 8 November. With their departure, the airfield was not used again until mid-December by some RAF units.
On 12 July 1943 Ibsley was again opened by the USAAF as a base for tactical fighters when required. Meanwhile, construction work was performed to improve the runways. The north-south runway was extended, a small addition was made to the north-west/south-cast runway, and the perimeter track was enlarged with additional hardstands being constructed.
On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the 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....
.
48th Fighter Group
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....
48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina
South 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...
(32.921817°N 80.633297°W). The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:
- 492d Fighter Squadron492d Fighter SquadronThe 492d Fighter Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England.-Mission:The 492d FS is a combat-ready F-15E Strike Eagle squadron capable of executing strategic attack, interdiction, and counter air missions in support of United States Air Forces in Europe, United States...
(F4) - 493d Fighter Squadron493d Fighter SquadronThe 493d Fighter Squadron , nicknamed "The Grim Reapers", is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England.-Mission:...
(I7) - 494th Fighter Squadron494th Fighter SquadronThe 494th Fighter Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England.-Mission:The 494th FS is a combat-ready F-15E Strike Eagle squadron capable of executing strategic attack, interdiction, and counter air missions in support of United States Air Forces in Europe, United States...
(6M)
The 48th was a group of 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....
's 70th Fighter Wing
70th Fighter Wing (World War II)
The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
, IX Tactical Air Command
IX Tactical Air Command
The IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
.
The group began began operations on 20 April by making a fighter sweep over the coast of France then flew an intense period of escort and dive-bombing missions to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
On 21 April the number of P-47s at Ibsley doubled when the aircraft of the 371st Fighter Group
371st Fighter Group
The 371st Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces stationed at Camp Shanks , New Jersey...
moved in from nearby RAF Bisterne
RAF Bisterne
RAF Bisterne is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south of Ringwood; about southwest of London...
while work was carried out on its wire-mesh runways. At one point there were over 150 P-47s parked on Insley. The 371st remained until 14 May and even then its pilots would have preferred to remain at Ibsley with its hard surfaced runways.
The group bombed bridges and gun positions on 6 June
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...
and attacked rail lines and trains, motor transports, bridges, fuel dumps, and gun positions during the remainder of the Normandy campaign.
The 48th fighter Group's only air battle while flying from Ibsley cause on 12 June when the 493rd FS tangled with some Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s and shot down four and shared another victory with a P-47 pilot from another group. During missions flown from Ibsley, the 48th lost a total of eight P-47s.
On 17 June a P-47 taking off on a mission crashed off the end of a runway and caught fire. Soon after fire tenders arrived the bomb-load exploded. killing the pilot and three firemen.
The 48th was one of the first P-47 groups to move to the Normandy bridgehead, the first aircraft landing at their assigned 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 Deux Jumeaux, France (ALG A-4) on 18 June although Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel departed.
On the continent, the 48th FG provided tactical air support in support of U.S. First Army using the following ALGs:
- A-4 Deux Jumeuax, France 18 June 1944
- A-42D Villacoublay, France 29 August 1944
- A-74 Cambrai/Niergnies, France 15 September 1944
- A-92 St. Trond, Belgium 30 September 1944
- Y-54 Kelz, Germany 26 March 1945
- Y-96 Kassel/Waldau, Germany 17 April 1945
- R-10 Illesheim, Germany 29 April 1945
The 48th Fighter Group moved to Laon Air Base
Laon-Couvron Air Base
Laon-Couvron Air Base is a former French and United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Aisne département of France, less than one mile southeast of the village of Couvron and 6 miles northwest of Laon; on the southwest side of the Autoroute des Anglais 1 Mile east of the...
, France on 5 July, returning to the US during August-September 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November at Seymour Johnson AAF, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
With the departure of the 48th, about 20 Stinson L-5 Sentinels
L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel was a World War II era liaison aircraft used by all branches of the U.S. military and by the British Royal Air Force. Along with the Stinson L-1 Vigilant, the L-5 was the only other American liaison aircraft of WWII that was purpose-built for military use and had no...
and two UC-Expediters of the 14th Liaison Squadron had arrived from Cheshire in a preparatory move before going on to France. Their stay was brief, most of the ground personnel left for Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
with the rear party of the 45th Fighter Group, the L-5s being flown 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:...
on 11 July. This unit's duties would be general courier duty for the US Third Army.
367th Fighter Group
367th Fighter Group
The 367th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with XII Tactical Air Command stationed at Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina...
arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross
RAF Stoney Cross
RAF Station Stoney Cross is a former World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton....
. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
- 392d Fighter Squadron (H5)
- 393d Fighter Squadron (8L)
- 394th Fighter Squadron394th Fighter SquadronThe 394th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 367th Fighter Group, IX Fighter Command, stationed at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945-History:...
(4N)
The 367th was a group of 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....
's 70th Fighter Wing
70th Fighter Wing (World War II)
The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
, IX Tactical Air Command
IX Tactical Air Command
The IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
.
From Ibsly the 367th bombed and strafed convoys, troops, flak towers, power stations, and other objectives behind the French invasion beaches. The 367th began departing for their 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...
s (ALG) on the continent on 27 July, but the size of the unit meant that initially the whole group could not be based on one of the small strips available. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.
The 367th lost six aircraft flying a total of 20 missions from Ibsley.
- A-10 Carentan, France 27 July 1944
- A-14 Cretteville, France 27 July 1944
- A-6 Reuxeville, France 28 July 1944
- A-71 Clastres, France 14 August 1944
- A-44 Peray, France 4 September 1944
- A-6B Juvirncourt, France 28 October 1944
- A-64 St. Dizler, France 1 February 1945
- A-94 Conflans, France 14 March 1945
- Y-74 Frankfurt/Eschorn, Germany 10 April - July 1945
In early 1945 the 367th Fighter Group started transitioning from the P-38 to the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
. The 367th flew its last mission on V-E Day, 7 May 1945 The group returned to the US during July-August 1945, inactivating on 7 November at Seymour Johnson AAF, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
RAF Training/Transport Command use
With the Americans moved onto the continent, the RAF again took control of Ibsley airfield. It was used by RAF Training CommandRAF Training Command
Training Command was the RAF's command responsible for flying and ground training from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1968 to 1977.-History:Training Command was formed from Inland Area on 1 May 1936 and absorbed into RAF Support Command on 13 June 1977...
with the No. 7 Flying Instructors School. In March 1945 the airfield came under RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.-History:...
control flying Douglas Dakotas and Waco Hadrian gliders. Other non non-flying units came and went during the spring and summer of 1945. In the late autumn, Ibsley was put on care and maintenance status, with the hangars being used for storage.
A small RAF stafff remained until late 1946, but by the spring of 1947 the airfield was returned to civilian hands.
Civil use
With the end of military control, the land (complete with runways, perimeter track, etc.) was handed back to the land owner, Lord Normanton, and his tenant, Mr W. Samson. Like some other 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...
sites of the era, Ibsley was to become a motor racing circuit being managed by the Ringwood Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. After an extended period of construction (mostly done by volunteer labor), the first racing event at Ibsley was held on 17 May 1951. Many well known drivers competed there, notably John Surtees - the only man to become world champion on both motorcycles and in Formula One - made his racing début here in 1952.
The various types of motor racing continued until 1955 and the land was turned into agricultural use for several years. In the early 1960s, Ibsley was sold to Amey Roadstone
Amey plc
Amey plc, previously known as Amey Ltd and Amey Roadstone Construction, is a United Kingdom based infrastructure support service provider. It was once listed on the London Stock Exchange but since 2003 it has been a subsidiary of Spanish company Grupo Ferrovial, S.A....
, which removed the existing concrete and whatever was left of the airfield hardstands for hardcore aggregate. In addition, the entire site was turned into a quarry to exploit the rich aggregate found beneath the surface.
Today, the former RAF Ibsley is unrecognizable. The airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake being overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drive at the southern part of the airfield.
For some years, until the UK airways system was re-aligned in the area via the Southampton (SAM) VOR, Ibsley airfield was the site of the Ibsley (IBY) VOR aeronautical navigational beacon. IBY VOR anchored the western portion of Airway Red 1 and the airspace overhead was a busy intersection of air routes.
A small memorial is located near the control tower 50°52′45"N 001°46′34.00"W.
Directions
Ibsley Airfield can be reached by driving north on the A338 from RingwoodRingwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
, about 2 miles. The quarry lakes that was once the airfield will be on your left once you pass Ellingham Drive.