LASHAM
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MAZL,later EGHL
:Lat/Long 51 11 00N/01 01 45W .Grid ref SU 675435.618 feet ASL.6 miles SSE of Basingstoke.IDENT "LQ",1944 RT Callsign"Moonbeam",HF/DF "6NQ"

RUNWAYS ,Concrete:10/28 1900x50 yds.18/36 1200x50 yds.06/24 1400x50 yds.Grass 10/28.

lasham map
Lasham - present day.The main E/W runway is the only serviceable runway.Gliders use the grass.On the map "A" is the site of the Staravia scrapyard that existed in the sixties.B" is the glider area."C" is the aircraft maintenance and airliner storage area."D" is the RAE area.

Lasham opened for business on 9/11/42 as part of 38 Wing,Army Co-operation Command.Later,in 1943 ,the airfield was transferred to Fighter Commandand to 2TAF. In March 45,just before the end of the war,the first(nominally) civilian occupants arrived in the form of General Aircraft Ltd,who were to carry out Mosquito overhauls and glider experiments.Lasham eventually closed on 26/10/48,and the site was listed as inactive under the care of RAF Odiham.

Early in the 50s gliding started at Lasham.In addition,Dan Air Engineering arrived and set up a maintenance base in 1955.On 15/7/61.the airfield passed from Air Ministry control to the Ministry of Aviation.Gliding has continued to prosper here and Lasham is probably the busiest gliding field in the UK.The airline overhaul business, now in the hands of ATC Lasham Ltd also continues with aircraft from many minor airlines showing up here from time to time.The RAE (now the DRA) at Farnborough maintain a radio installation here on the south side of the field.

Also worthy of a mention is the large scrapyard that existed here in the late 50s and 60s.Operated by Staravia in the hangars and dispersal area(all now removed) to the north of the field,this scrapyard contained dozens of aircraft,mostly military.In particular ,many ex RCAF F-86s finished their days here.

Lasham Air Shot
Lasham from the air,1942.The aircraft dispersals at the extreme top of the picture above were the site of the famous Staravia scrapyard.There were 2 hangars in that area.Below is a recent airshot of Lasham.
RAF UNITS
33 Sq,Spitfire LFIXE,arr 15.12.44,dep 15/12/44
107 Sq,Mosquito VI, arr 1/2/44,dep 23/10/44
175 Sq,Hurricane IIB arr 11/3/43,dep 13/3/43.
175 Sq,Typhoon IB,arr 29/5/43,dep 2/6/43.
181 Sq,yphoon IB,arr 5/4/43,dep 2/6/43.
182 SQ,Typhoon IB,arr 29/4/43,dep 2/6/43.
183 Sq,Typhoon IB,arr 3/5/43,dep 30/5/43.
239 Sq,Mustang I,arr 11/3/43,dep 12/3/43.
305 Sq,Mitchell II/Mosquito VI,arr 18/11/43,dep 23/10/44
305 Sq,Mosquito VI,arr 25/10/44,dep 30/1/44
320(Dutch) SqMitchell II,arr 30/8/43,dep 18/2/44.
412 Sq,Spitfire VB,arr 7/3/43,dep 8/4/43.
451 Sq,Spitfire XIV/XVI,arr 12/6/45,dep 15/9/45.
453 Sq,Spitfire LFXVI/XIV,arr 14/6/45,dep 14/9/45
602 Sq,Spitfire VB,arr 14/4/43,dep 29/4/43.
609 Sq,Typhoon IB,arr 2/6/45,dep 4/6/45
613 Sq Mosquito VI,arr 12/10/43,dep 12/4/44
613 SQ,Mosquito VI,arr 24/4/44,dep 23/10/44.
613 Sq,Mosquito VI,arr 25/10/44,dep 30/10/44.
83 GSU arr 24/10/45
84 GSU arr 27/11/44
49 MU arr 2/45.dep 7/6/48
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