RAF Welford

Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England.[1] The station is located approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Newbury; about 50 miles (80 km) west of London

RAF Welford
RAF Welford Park
USAAF Station AAF-474
Part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
Near Welford, Berkshire in England
RAF Welford
RAF Welford is located in Berkshire
RAF Welford
RAF Welford
Shown within Berkshire
Coordinates51°28′06″N 001°24′13″W
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

Opened in 1943, it was used during the Second World War by both the Royal Air Force and United 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 the Cold War, the station was reopened in 1955 as a munitions depot by the United States Air Force.

Today it is one of the largest ammunition compounds for the United States Air Force in Western Europe for heavy munitions.[2]

Location

RAF Welford is located in West Berkshire with a dedicated but rarely used access road leading to the station from the eastbound M4 motorway halfway 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 distinctive red border of a defence establishment.[3][4]

History
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

In October 1943 the airfield was allocated to Ninth Air Force IX Troop Carrier Command (TCC). While under USAAF control, Welford was known as USAAF Station AAF-474.[5]

315th Troop Carrier Group

The 315th Troop Carrier Group arrived at Welford on 6 November 1943 from RAF Aldermaston flying 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 to RAF Spanhoe.[6]

435th Troop Carrier Group

As part of the IX Troop Carrier Command's desire to have its C-47 groups commence training with paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division deployed in the Salisbury Plain area, the squadrons of the 435th Troop Carrier Group arrived at Welford on 25 January 1944 from RAF Langar flying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:[7]

The 435th TCG was assigned to the 53d 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
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 in United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE).[15]

The crash of Lancaster DV290

On 31 March 1944, at 5.00am a Lancaster DV290, after returning from a flight to Nuremberg, Germany as part of an Airborne Cigar (ABC), electronic countermeasure mission, 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 broadcast radio interference matching 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

Welford is now under the command of the 420th Munitions Squadron, and comes under the command of the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, which provides support to the Geographically Separated Units (GSUs) in the United Kingdom.[20]

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Citations
  1. "RG20 7EX - Check My Postcode".
  2. Milmo, Cahal (25 January 2014). "Unknown territory: America's secret archipelago of UK bases". Independent. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  3. "UK Secret Bases".
  4. "No exit". roads.org.uk. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  5. "RAF Welford". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  6. "315th Troop Carrier Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  7. "435th Troop Carrier Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  8. "RAF Welford". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  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. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  11. "Fairford transition – Questions and Answers". U.S. Air Force. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2012. 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. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  16. "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". www.facebook.com.
  20. "RAF Croughton / RAF Welford / RAF Fairford". 501st Combat Support Wing. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

Bibliography
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK airfields of the Ninth: then and now, London, UK : Battle of Britain Prints International, ISBN 0-900913-80-0
  • 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, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
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