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RAF Welford

Coordinates:51°28′06″N001°24′13″W/ 51.46833°N 1.40361°W/51.46833; -1.40361
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RAF Welford
RAF Welford Park
USAAF Station AAF-474
Part ofUnited States Air Forces in Europe(USAFE)
NearWelford, Berkshirein England
RAF Welford
RAF Welford is located in Berkshire
RAF Welford
RAF Welford
Shown within Berkshire
Coordinates51°28′06″N001°24′13″W/ 51.46833°N 1.40361°W/51.46833; -1.40361
TypeRoyal Air Force station
CodeWF
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
(1943,1945–1948,1995-present)
United States Army Air Forces
(1943–1945)
United States Air Force
(1955—present)
Site history
Built1943(1943)
In use1943–1948, 1955—present
Garrison information
Garrison420th Munitions Squadron
Airfield information
Elevation147 metres (482 ft)AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00 Asphalt
00/00 Asphalt
00/00 Asphalt

Royal Air Force Welfordor more simplyRAF Welfordis an activeRoyal Air ForcestationinBerkshire,England.[1]The station is located approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest ofNewbury;about 50 miles (80 km) west ofLondon

Opened in 1943, it was used during theSecond World Warby both the Royal Air Force andUnited States Army Air Forces.During the war it was used primarily as a transport airfield. After the war it was closed in 1946 and placed in reserve status. As a result of theCold War,the station was reopened in 1955 as a munitions depot by theUnited States Air Force.

Today it is one of the largestammunition compoundsfor the United States Air Force in Western Europe for heavymunitions.[2]

Location

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RAF Welford is located inWest Berkshirewith a dedicated but rarely usedaccess roadleading to the station from the eastboundM4 motorwayhalfway between junctions 13 (A34,Newbury) and 14 (A338, Hungerford).[3]The access road from the M4 is signposted "Works Unit Only". The 1 mile marker sign has the distinctivered border of a defence establishment.[3][4]

History

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RAF Welford, May 1944. The CG-4 Gliders and C-47s of the 435th Troop Carrier Group trying to find room with the aircraft being parked wherever space can be found, one month before the D-Day invasion of France.
Horsa glider at Welford, May 1944.

USAAF use

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In October 1943 the airfield was allocated toNinth Air ForceIX Troop Carrier Command (TCC). While under USAAF control, Welford was known asUSAAF Station AAF-474.[5]

315th Troop Carrier Group

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The315th Troop Carrier Grouparrived at Welford on 6 November 1943 fromRAF Aldermastonflying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:[6]

  • 34th Troop Carrier Squadron (NM)
  • 43d Troop Carrier Squadron (UA)
  • 309th Troop Carrier Squadron (M6)
  • 310th Troop Carrier Squadron (4A)

The 315th TCG was part of the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing. On 7 February 1944 the group was transferred toRAF Spanhoe.[6]

435th Troop Carrier Group

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As part of theIX Troop Carrier Command's desire to have its C-47 groups commence training with paratroops of the101st Airborne Divisiondeployed in theSalisbury Plainarea, the squadrons of the435th Troop Carrier Grouparrived at Welford on 25 January 1944 fromRAF Langarflying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:[7]

The 435th TCG was assigned to the53d Troop Carrier Wing.In early February 1945 the group was moved to an Advanced Landing Ground at Breigny France (A-48).[7]

USAF ammunition store use

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USAF munitions being loaded into a container in 2012

After being placed on a care and maintenance basis after the war, the station re-opened as the home of the 7531st Ammunition Squadron in September 1955.[8] During April 1995 the base was handed back to the RAF, however it was returned back to the USAF.[9]In 2009 USAF staffing at Welford was reduced as part of USAF wide budgetary adjustments.[10][11]The munitions base's function is described as "at its busiest when the US government deploys bombers to a forward air station at RAF Fairford".[12]The bombers at RAF Fairford can include B-1, B-2 and B-52.[13][14]

In May 2019, the USAF moved 450,000 pounds (200 tonnes) of explosives to RAF Welford, then the second largest ammunition store inUnited States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa(USAFE).[15]

The crash of Lancaster DV290

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On 31 March 1944, at 5.00am aLancasterDV290, after returning from a flight toNuremberg,Germany as part of anAirborne Cigar (ABC),electronic countermeasuremission, crashed on the airfield killing all eight occupants. A report says, "on their way back to Welford Airfield and having not responded to any air traffic controller's calls, [they] were considered the enemy. The runway lights were turned off and in the darkness the plane crashed on landing killing all on board".[16]The aircraft had also sustained, "severe battle damage".[17]The crew of this aircraft included an eighth airman - a German speaking radio-operator - who broadcastradio interferencematching the German night-fighter, radio frequencies and also transmitted messages to send the fighters in different directions to clear a path for the Lancaster bombers.[16]An annual memorial service is held at the airbase to remember those airmen.[18][19]

Based units

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Welford is now under the command of the420th Munitions Squadron,and comes under the command of the501st Combat Support Wing,with headquarters atRAF Fairford,which provides support to the Geographically Separated Units (GSUs) in the United Kingdom.[20]

See also

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References

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Public DomainThis article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency

Citations

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  1. ^"RG20 7EX - Check My Postcode".
  2. ^Milmo, Cahal (25 January 2014)."Unknown territory: America's secret archipelago of UK bases".Independent.Retrieved17 February2016.
  3. ^ab"UK Secret Bases".
  4. ^"No exit".roads.org.uk. 5 April 2018.Retrieved29 January2019.
  5. ^"RAF Welford".Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.Retrieved27 November2021.
  6. ^ab"315th Troop Carrier Group".American Air Museum in Britain.Retrieved27 November2021.
  7. ^ab"435th Troop Carrier Group".American Air Museum in Britain.Retrieved27 November2021.
  8. ^"RAF Welford".Heritage Gateway.Retrieved27 November2021.
  9. ^March 1996,p. 79.
  10. ^Master Sgt. Kenneth C. Burnett (9 September 2009)."An end of an era – M117 bombs depart RAF Welford".U.S. Air Force.Retrieved20 August2012.
  11. ^"Fairford transition – Questions and Answers".U.S. Air Force. 6 January 2010.Retrieved20 August2012.RAF Welford has reached a steady state following a similar transformation process last year. Now aligned under the 422 ABG, its future is secure.
  12. ^"RAF Welford – RAF Fairford".
  13. ^"RAF Fairford maps, postcode, frequencies, flight tracker - UK Military Bases".
  14. ^"KINGDOM. SEPTEMBER. 23. Aerial photograph of RAF Welford ammunition..."Getty Images.
  15. ^Zima, Jennifer (29 May 2019)."501st Combat Support Wing orchestrates UK's largest munitions supply movement of the decade".USAFE.Retrieved9 November2022.
  16. ^ab"Traeger, Ernest Hugo".Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat.
  17. ^"Lancaster DV290 [Royal Air Force Aircraft Serial and Image Database]".RAFCommands.
  18. ^"Avro Lancaster DV290".Imperial War Museums.
  19. ^"We Remember the No. 101 Squadron Crew of Avro Lancaster DV290 | No. 101 Sqn and 101 Squadron Association are thankful to be able to attend in person today to remember the crew of Avro Lancaster DV290, 78 years after... | By RAF Brize Norton | Facebook".facebook.
  20. ^"RAF Croughton / RAF Welford / RAF Fairford".501st Combat Support Wing.Retrieved27 November2021.

Bibliography

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  • Freeman, Roger A. (1994)UK airfields of the Ninth: then and now,London, UK: Battle of Britain Prints International,ISBN0-900913-80-0
  • March, Peter R. (1996).Royal Air Force Yearbook 1996.Fairford,UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
  • Maurer, Maurer (1983)Air Force combat units of World War II,Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History,ISBN0-912799-02-1
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