CHILBOLTON

The site was occasionally used during the 30s by private light aircraft.In 1936 the Ministry of Works marked out the site of a prospective airfield.The airfield was listed as under construction by 1938,though little appears to have been done at that time.In fact when the first aircraft to arrive(Harvard I P5818) landed on 3rd May 1940,no actual runways were ready

At this stage the surface was grass.Hard runways were to come later.The airfield was used by RAF 11 group Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain ,and the RAF continued to use the airfield until it was allocated to the USAAF in November 1942.

REBUILDING 1943

CHILBOLTON Airfield plan 1945

Commencing on 8th May 1943 the airfield was rebuilt with hard runways and dispersals to the plan shown above.The airfield reopened on December 6th as U.S.Air Station 404 and the USAAF moved in over the next few weeksThe airfield returned to RAF control in March 1945 and stayed in use until November 1946 when it was abandoned.

CHILBOLTON from the air.

POST WAR YEARS

In February 1947 Vicker-Supermarine arrived,moving their flight test centre in from High Post airfield.In1953 they were joined by Folland Aircraft Ltd who established a Flight Development Unit for flight trials with the Gnat.Supermarine departed in 1957 with Folland staying on until 1961

In 1963 work started on building a radio telescope on the airfield.This remains in use today.The rest of the airfield was sold ,and in 1979 a small site was put to use as a light aircraft and helicopter airstrip.At the present time this is still in use.

CHILBOLTON in the new century.The radio telescope is just to the left and above centre.Stonefield Park ( the light aircraft strip) is at the bottom right- a short NE-SW grass runway.The image below shows the Stonefield Park area with several light aircraft visible.

RAF Units

26 Sq,Mustang I/Spitfire XIV,arr 23/5/45,dep 20/8/45. 54 Sq,Tempest F2,arr 15/11/45,dep 28/6/46. 174 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 1/3/43,dep 11/3/43. 183 Sq,Spitfire IX,arr 17/6/45,dep 8/10/45. 183 Sq Tempest II,arr 15/11/45,Disbanded 15/11/45. 184 Sq,Hurricane IID,arr 1/3/43,dep 11/3/43. 222 Sq,Tempest V,arr 10/9/45,dep n15/9/45. 238 Sq,Hurricane I,arr 30/9/40,dep 1/41. 238 Sq,Hurricane IIA,arr 1/2/41,dep 1/4/41, 238 Sq,Hurricane I,arr 16/4/41,dep 20/5/41. 245 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 1/9/41,dep 17/11/41. 245 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 23/11/41,dep 19/12/41. 247 Sq,Tempest F2/Typhoon Ib,arr 20/8/45,dep 7/1/46. 247 Sq,Tempest F2/Vampire F1,arr 16/2/46,dep 1/6/46 247 Sq,Vampire F1,arr 12/6/46,dep 27/6/46. 308 Sq,Spitfire IIA,arr 31/5/41,dep 24/6/41. 501 Sq,Spitfire IIA,arr 25/6/41,dep 5/8/41. 504 Sq Hurricane IIB,arr 11/8/41,dep26/8/41. 41 OTU,Hurricane/Spitfire/Master/Martinet arr 3/45,disbanded 26/6/45 Glider Pilots Exercise Unit,Tiger Moth/Master/Hotspur. arr Dec-Jan 1941

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USAAF UNITS

368 FG/395-396-397 FS,P-47D,(Aircraft Codes:A7/C2/D3)arr 15/3/44,dep 19/6/44 395 FS................396FS................ 397FS. 442 TCG/303-304-305 TCS,C-47,(Aircraft codes:J7/V4/4J)arr 11/9/44,dep 10/44. The 434TCG/72TCS C-47 above was at Chilbolton to transport men & equipment to France when the 368FG moved in June '44.

Photos of Chilbolton today may be found on theAtlantik Wall website site

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