ANDOVER(Weyhill).
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Photos of the 402FS at Andover in 1944
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Updated 8 November 2014

MAZA, later EGWA..
Lat/Long 51 12 30N/01 31 30W .
Grid ref SU 329459 .
260 feet ASL.
Ident "AV".2.5 miles west of Andover.
USAAF Station No.406.
1944- RT Callsign was"Manhours",HF/DF was S7Z.

RUNWAYS: Grass. Maximum run (ENE-WSW) = 1300 yds. NE>SW = 1000 yds. SE>NW= 900 yds. N>S= 830 yds.


andover crash
Photo above comes via Terry Crawford:On September 6, 1912, Captain R C W Alston, a pupil on the first course at CFS Upavon, was flying from Upavon to Farnborough in an Avro 500 . His machine suffered engine trouble and he landed badly in a field at Bagsbury Farm, Weyhill, ploughing up the ground for eight to ten yards. The plane turned over, its propeller snapping, the engine buckling and the tail and planes crumpling. Alston crawled out of the wreckage with a few scratches, to be met by workers running from the nearby railway line.
andover map
RAF ANDOVER (Weyhill) shown before the building of dual-carriageway along the north side of the airfield
RAF ANDOVER (Weyhill) - this photo(sent by Tony Dewey) shows Andover at the time when the large Belfast Truss hangars were being built(1917/18) .Several HP 0/400s and two DH9s from No.2 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping are visible in the foreground.
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Above is a postcard showing a group of RNAS officers from RNAS Fort Tregantle(near Plymouth) on arrival at the Andover School of Navigation & Bomb Dropping in 1918.

Andover opened in August 1917 for use by the RFC - later to become the RAF.The airfield remained in RAF hands until 3rd March 1944,when it was transferred to the 9th AF /USAAF(See Photo Page 402FS) .The airfield was returned to the RAF on 29th July 1944 after the american units left for France.
The RAF continued to use Andover until its closure at the end of March 1976.Thereafter the Army took over at Andover for use by the Army Logistic Executive.Aircraft from Middle Wallop continued to use the field until early in the new millenium although none were based there.By 2010 the airfield was starting to be covered by building work.

In the recent view below,(Circa2014) although many of the buildings and hangars have gone, the airfield is still relatively complete.

andover now
Although not actually at Andover - this picture of an FE2 at Andover Down ( near Hurstbourne Priors) is well worth including. The picture comes via Terry Crawford who said " I think it's the FE2 mentioned in Bruce, Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps, which on April 27, 1912 was flown by Geoffrey de Havilland to Fleet Pond for a centre-float undercarriage to be (temporarily)? fitted."
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RAF Units
2 SQ .F.26.arr 17/9/23,dep 31/3/24.
9 Sq Virginia X,arr 15/10/35,dep15/1/36.
11 Sq DH-9A,arr 15/1/23,dep 16/9/23.
12 Sq DH-9A/Fawn/Fox/Hart,arr 24/3/24,dep 4/10/35
12 Sq Hart/Hind/Battle arr 29/8/36,dep 9/5/39
13 Sq F.26/Atlas arr 30/5/24,dep23/9/29
16 Sq Mustang I/Tomahawk II/Spitfire V,arr 1/1/43,dep 26/2/43.
16 Sq Mustang I/Tomahawk II,arr 13/3/43,dep 6/4/43.
16 Sq Tomahawk II,arr 9/4/43,dep 16/5/43.
16 Sq Tomahawk II,arr 22/5/43,dep 1/6/43.
21 Sq Devon C2/Pembroke C1,arr 3/2/69 disbanded 31/1/76
44 Sq Hind,arr 18/3/37,dep 16/6/37
53 Sq Blenheim IV arr 21/5/40,dep 1/6/40
59 Sq Blenheim IV/Hector I,arr 11/5/39,dep 5/10/39.
59 Sq Blenheim IV,arr 21/5/40,dep 31/5/40.
63 Sq Hind,formed 15/2/37,dep 3/3/37.
82 Sq Hind,formed 14/6/37,dep 8/7/37
101 SQ Sidestrand,arr 12/10/29,dep 1/12/34.
104 Sq DH.9,arr 16/9/17,dep 19/5/18.
105 Sq R.E.8,arr 3/10/17,dep 16/5/18.
106 Sq R.E.8,arr 3/10/17,dep 21/5/18.
107 Sq Hart, Reformed 10/8/36,dep 16/2/37.
116 Sq (various types) Formed 1/12/17,dep 31/3/18.
119 SQ (various types) Formed 1/1/18,dep 1/3/18.
142 Sq Hind/Battle,arr 3/12/36,dep 9/5/39.
148 Sq ,arr 12/10/18,dep 1/3/18.
169 Sq Mustang I,arr 26/3/43,dep 21/6/43.
170 Sq Mustang I,arr 25/10/42,dep 28/2/43.
170 Sq Mustang I,arr 13/3/43,dep 26/3/43.
214 Sq Virginia X,arr 15/10/35,dep 1/10/36.
215 Sq HP.0/400,arr 13/5/18,dep 4/7/18.
225 Sq Sycamore HC14/Whirlwind HC2,arr 1/1/60,dep 17/5/60.
285 Sq Hurricane IV,arr 19/11/44,dep 5/1/45.
289 Sq Vengeance IV,arr 5/6/45,disbanded 26/6/45.
296 Sq Whitley V,arr 25/10/42,dep 19/12/42.
613 Sq Tomahawk II,arr 26/9/41,dep 6/10/41
657 Sq (1900 and 1901 Flts) AOP 4/AOP 6/Hoverfly 2,arr 20/1/46,dep 19/1/48.
660 Sq Auster III arr 21/9/43,dep 20/11/43.
661 Sq Auster III,arr 127/11/43,dep 19/2/44.
665 Sq Auster V,Formed 22/1/45,dep 17/3/45.
666 Sq Auster V,Formed 5/3/45,dep 18/4/45.
808 SQ(FAA) Seafire 6/42 to 7/42 and 9/43 to 712/43
809 SQ(FAA) as above
879 SQ(FAA) as above.These 3 Sqs formed 4 Naval Fighter Wing.
Andover Comms Sq Formed 1948
Western Comms Sq Pembroke C1/Bassett C1,formed 1964,became 21 Sq 3/2/69
1913 Flt/AAC AOP.6,arr 11/55,dep 4/57.

OTHER UNITS

No.2 School of Air Navigation and Bomb Dropping ,Formed 1/5/18.
Air Pilotage School,formed 9/19 from above.
RAF Staff College,Opened 3/4/22,closed Sept 39,Returned 1948 ,departed 12/69.
Air Navigation School Formed 1/35,Left in 1936.
HQ Maintenance Command arr 7/38,reformed as Support Command 8/73,dep 31/3/73
2 School of Army Co-operation,Formed 21/10/39 ,dep 7?41.
42 OTU,moved out 10/42.
16(P)AFU Oxford,arr 42 dep 11/42
15(P)AFU Oxford,arr 3/7/43.
43 OTU Auster ,arr 7/44,dep 1/48.
USAAF Units.
370FG(401/402/485 FS:aircraft codes 7F,E6,9D)P-38 Lightning,arr 29/2/44 ,dep 20/7/44
485FS
Photos of the 402FS at Andover in 1944
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71 Fighter Wing HQ arr 1/3/44,dep 7/44
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