ODIHAM

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MAYO later EGVOLat/Long 51 14 00N/00 56 45W.Grid ref SU 738492.402 feet ASL.1 mile SW of ODIHAM.Ident "OI"(1944 RT callsign"Brawler")

RUNWAYS.Asphalt.10/28 200x50 yds.05/23 1400x50 yds.

Odiham as it is today .

The site at Odiham was first used by the RAF,from 1926,as a Summer Camp landing ground.aircraft from 13 Sq(at Andover) and 4 Sq(at Farnborough)used the LG for several years for exercises.

The above photo (kindly provided by Brian James Funnell) shows the result an incident involving Atlas 1 J8782, at Odiham sometime in 1929. The reverse of the photo states the cause of the accident as "misjudgement of distance".

In 1934 work began to create a permanent airfield(with grass runways),and Odiham officially opened as part of 22 Group on 3/12/36.Due to waterlogging,hard runways were laid in the winter of 1938/39.In the early 50s the main(10/28) runway was extended to the east by 300 yds,and additional hardstandings and a new hangar were built on the south side of the field.Apart from these changes ,the airfield remains today much the same as it was in 1939.It continues in use by the RAF,the last remaining RAF base in the county.

In 1953 Odiham was the site of the RAF Coronation Review with over 300 aircraft on the ground and another 600 in the flypast .

Bill Boon ,who was stationed at RAF Odiham in 1955/57 recently contacted me with some memories of his times there.Part of his letter is reproduced below.If you can add anything concerning the incidents mentioned there please E-mail me!.

"I was a member of 46Sqd. stationed at Odiham 1955/57 working on the a/c 
(Javelin) acceptance phase for the Air Ministry and witnessed several mishaps
 
46sqd.Accidents.
 
(1)The CO and his nav. were killed on night approach landing. 1956. a/c Javelin .
(2)Belly landing by Javelin. Undercarriage locked up. Perfect landing,
 plenty of sparks and smoke. Pilot and Nav beat all records for the 
100yd. dash after plane came to a stand still. 
Bottom of a/c completely rubbed away by concrete runway.1956.
(3)A"two point landing" by Javelin, port wheel locked up. 
Another perfect landing. 
Only damage was to the wing tip, a/c back in commission in a couple of days.1956.
 
Other incidences witnessed at Odiham.
 
(1) US Sabre fighters port tyre burst into flames on landing.1955.
(2)Hunter of 247sqd. caught fire on start-up, complete write-off. 
This was the day that 46 and 247 sqds. changed over hangers so that 
46 could receive delivery of the Javelins.1956.
 The CO of 247ordered a mass start-up of all his aircraft in one go.
 Very impressive. Was good practice for the station fire brigade
(3)A friend, Flying Officer  Mike Crooks 54Sqd. Hunter's, killed during training 
flight. Crashed IOW. not wearing anti-G suit.1956.
(4) Hunter 247Sqd. Crashed on take-off. Pilot believed to be Frank Whittle's son."

ODIHAM as seen from the air .

RAF UNITS 2 SQ,Mustang I,arr 7/8/43,dep 22/9/43. 2 SQ,Mustang 1,arr 6/10/43,dep 14/11/43. 2 Sq,Mustang II,arr 27/6/44,dep 29/7/44. 4 Sq,Audax/Hector/Lysander.arr 16/2/37,dep 24/9/39 4 SQ,Mustang I,arr 7/8/43,dep 15/7/43. 4 Sq,Mustang I,arr 6/10/43,dep 14/11/43. 4 Sq,Spitfire XI,arr 27/6/44,dep 16/8/44. 7 SQ,Chinook HC1,reformed 1/9/82 13 ,Audax/Hector/Lysander,arr 16/2/37,dep 24/9/39. 13 Sq,Lysander III,arr 17/7/41,dep 1/8/42. 13 Sq,BlenheimIV/V,arr 10/8/42,dep 15/11/42. 18 Sq,Wessex HC2,reformed 27/1/64,dep 1/1/65 18 Sq,Wessex HC2,arr 8/8/69,dep 1/9/70. 18 Sq,Chinook HC1,reformed 4/8/81,dep 6/8/83. 18 Sq,Chinook HC1,arr 1/8/97. 26 Sq,Lysander III,detachment arr 8//40. 27 Sq,Puma/Chinook HC2,formed from 240 OCU 1/10/93. 33 Sq,Puma HC1,reformed 14/6/71,dep 1/4/97 46 Sq,Meteor NF12/NF14/Javelin FAW1/2,reformed 15/8/54,dep 17/7/59. 53 Sq,Hector/Blenheim V,arr 8/3/38,dep 20/9/39. 54 Sq Tempest F.II,arr 28/6/46,dep 9/8/46. 54 Sq,Tempest F.II,arr 27/8/46,dep 5/9/46. 54 SQ,Tempest F.II/Vampire F1,arr 1/10/46,dep 6/10/47. 54 SQ,Vampire F1/F3/FB5/Meteor F8/Hunter F1/F4/F6,arr 27/11/47,dep17/7/59. 59 Sq,Blenheim IV,arr 6/6/40,dep 3/7/40 63 Sq,Mustang I,detachment 12/42 66 Sq,Belvedere HC1,reformed 15/9/61,dep 26/5/62 72 Sq,Vampiere F1 Reformed from 130 Sq 1/2/47,dep 6/10/47. 72 Sq,Vampire F1/F3/FB5,arr 28/11/47,dep 22/3/50. 72 Sq,Belvedere HC1/Wessex HC2,reformed15/11/61,dep 16/4/81. 82 Sq, Blenheim IV,detachment.arr 8/39,dep ?. 96 Sq, Mosquito XIII,arr 24/9/44,disbanded 12/12/44 114 Sq,Blenheim IV,detachment arr 7/41. 130 SQ,Spitfire IXB/Vampire F1,arr 23/7/46,dep 31/1/47. 168 Sq,Tomahawk II/Mustang I,arr 18/11/42,dep 1/3/43. 168 Sq,Mustang I/IA,arr 17/3/43,dep 20/9/43. 168 Sq,Mustang I,arr 21/2/44,dep 6/3/44. 168 Sq,Mustang 1,arr 31/3/44,dep29/6/44. 170 Sq,Mustang I/IA,arr 26/6/43,dep 20/9/43. 171 Sq,Tomahawk I,arr 12/7/42,dep 25/8/42. 174 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 6/12/42,dep 1/3/43. 174 Sq,Hurricane IIB, detachment arr 12/3/43 175 Sq,HurricaneIIB,arr 14/1/43,dep 1/3/43. 175 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 11/3/43,dep 19/3/43. 181 Sq,Typhoon IB,arr 31/12/43,dep 13/1/44. 182 Sq,Typhoon IB ,arr 31/12/43,dep 5/1/44. 184 Sq,Spitfire VB/Typhoon IB,arr 6/3/44,dep 11/3/44. 184 Sq,Typhoon IB,arr 3/4/44,dep 23/4/44. 225 Sq,Lysander II,arr 9/10/39,dep 9/6/40. 225 Sq,Sycamore HC4/Whirlwind HC2/HC10,arr 17/5/60,dep 15/11/63. 230 Sq, Twin Pioneer 1?2/Whirlwind HC10,arr 30/5/60,dep 15/1/63 230 Sq,Whirlwind HC10,arr 31/12/64,dep 10/3/65. 230 Sq,Whirlwind HC10,arr 25/11/66,dep 10/3/69. 230 Sq,Puma HC1,training as 230 SQ(Puma Echelon)1/10/71,reformed 1/1/72,dep 14/10/80. 233 Sq,Dakota,arr 8/6/45,dep15/8/45. 239 Sq,Mustang I,arr 18/11/42,dep 6/12/42. 247 Sq,Typhoon IB,arr 31/12/43,dep 13/1/44. 247 SQ,Vampire F1,arr 27/6/46.dep 7/9/46. 247 Sq,Vampire Fi,arr 16/9/46,dep 7/10/47. 247 Sq,Vampire FI/F3/FB5/Meteor F8/HunterF4/F6,arr 27/11/47,disbanded 31/12/57 264 Sq,Mosquito XIII,arr 1/12/44,dep 9/1/45. 268 Sq,Mustang IA,arr 9/10/43,dep 15/10/43. 268 Sq,Mustang IA/Typhoon FR.1B,arr 27/6/44,dep 10/8/44. 271 Sq,Dakota,arr 10/8/45,dep 5/10/45. 400 Sq,Lysander III,Formed from 110 SQ RCAF1/3/41,dep 18/6/41. 400 Sq,TomahawkI/II/Mustang I,arr 25/6/41,dep 4/12/42 400 Sq,Spitfire XI,arr 18/2/44,dep 1/7/44. 412 Sq,Spitfire VB,arr 6/3/43,dep 7/3/43. 414 Sq,Mustang I,arr 20/2/44,dep 29/2/44. 414 Sq,Spitfire IX,arr 1/4/44,dep 15/8/44 430 Sq RCAF,Mustang I,arr 1/4/44,dep 29/6/44. 436 Sq Dakota,arr 4/4/46,disbanded 22/6/46. 437 Sq,Dakota,arr 15/11/45,disbanded 15/6/46. 605 Sq,MosquitoXIII,arr 5/12/44,dep 31/12/44. 613 Sq Hind/LysanderII/Hector,arr 2/10/39,dep 30/6/40. 613 Sq Tomahawk II,detachment 10/41. 613 Sq,Mustang I,detachment 8/42. 614 Sq,Hector/Lysander II,arr2/10/39,dep 8/6/40. 614 Sq,Lysander III/Blenheim IV,detachment 7/41. 614 Sq,Blenheim V,arr 26/8/42,dep16/11/42. 657 SQ ,Lynx,arr /00. Wessex Intensive Flying Unit,Wessex HC2,formed 1/7/63,became 18 Sq 1/64. Short Range Conv Unit ,formed 1964. Helicopter Operational Conversion Flight,formed 7/67 from the Short Range Conversion Unit Air Training Sq,formed from above 5/71. 240 OCU,Wessex /Puma/Chinook ,formed from above 1/1/72 Chinook.

Chinook

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