RAF Welford

Infobox Military Structure
name= Royal Air Force Station Welford
Royal Air Force Station Welford Park
USAAF Station 474
partof=United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
location= Located near Welford, Berkshire, England
coordinates=coord|51|28|04|N|1|23|50|W|


caption= 501st Combat Support Wing
type= Royal Air Force Station
code=WF
built=1943
builder=
materials=
height=
used= 1943-1948,1955-Present
demolished=
condition=
ownership=Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
controlledby= Royal Air Force (1943,1945-1948)
United States Army Air Forces (1943-1945)
United States Air Force (1955-Present)
garrison= 420th Munitions Squadron
commanders=
occupants=Royal Air Force
Eighth Air Force
United States Air Forces In Europe
battles= European Theatre of World War II
Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945
events=Location map|Berkshire
caption= RAF Welford, shown within Berkshire
lat= 51.455817
long= -1.411684
width= 200

RAF Welford is a UK Royal Air Force station which is presently utilized by the United States Air Force. It is one of the largest ammunition compounds for the United States Air Force in Western Europe for heavy munitions.

Units

Welford is now under the command of the 420 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 (GSU)s in the United Kingdom.

Its location on the Berkshire / Wiltshire border can be identified today by an access road enigmatically signposted "Works Unit Only", leading to the station from the eastbound M4 motorway to the west of the A34 junction with the M4. There is no access from the westbound motorway, so traffic leaving the station for the west must first travel east to the A34 junction before heading west. It is usually at its busiest when the US government deploys bombers to a forward air station at RAF Fairford.

History

Welford airfield (also called Welford Park) was built as one of the many Operational Training Unit airfields for the Southern Counties and was intended originally as a base for No 92 group Bomber Command. The original design called for a standard RAF 3 runway layout with the main runway of 2000ft aligned NW/SE to be a satellite airfield for the nearby RAF Membury due to the high risk of Luftwaffe attack. By 1942 the plan had been modified to bring the dispersed accommodation site closer to the airfield .

RAF use

By April 1943 when the airfield was nearing completion, No 70 group assumed responsibility and the opening up party arrived on 10 June and used the WAAF site situated in a copse to the north of the site as the headquarters until construction work was finished and the 2 T-2 hangers complete. Additional hard standings for 50 dispersed aircraft was also provided.

USAAF use

With the need to find bases for the newly arriving USAAF forces, Welford was selected and the first contingent of Americans arrived on 6 September 1943, when the VIII Air Support Command took charge of the airfield. In October 1943 the airfield was allocated to Ninth Air Force IX Troop Carrier Command (TCC).

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:

* 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.

At Welford, the 315th served as a transport unit for supplies within the UK, as most of its air echelon has been transferred to North Africa as part of the Operation Torch invasion.

On 7 February 1944 the group was transferred to RAF Spanhoe to re-form the group before transferring it to Sicily as part of Fifteenth Air Force.

435th Troop Carrier Group

As part of the IX TCC'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 Wing arrived at Welford on 25 January 1944 from RAF Langar flying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:

* 75th Troop Carrier Squadron (SH)
* 76th Troop Carrier Squadron (CW)
* 77th Troop Carrier Squadron (IB)
* 78th Troop Carrier Squadron (CM)

The 435th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing.

At Welford, the group began training for participation in the airborne operation over Normandy. On 6 February the 435th took part in the first joint airborne exercise when British and U.S. paratroops were dropped at Winterbourne Stoke. Intensive training activities continued, dropping paratroops and towing CG-4A Waco assault gliders.

The group entered combat on D-Day by dropping paratroops of 101st Airborne Division near Cherbourg in the early hours of 6 June, losing three aircraft. Later that same day, the group towed 12 Waco and 38 Horsa gliders carrying reinforcements to that area on the afternoon of D-Day and on the following morning. For these actions, the 435th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its part in the Battle of Normandy.

In support of ground forces on the continent, the group carried out transport services following the landings in France and intermittently engaged in missions of this type until V-E Day. It hauled supplies such as serum, blood plasma, radar sets, clothing, rations, and ammunition, and evacuated wounded personnel to Allied hospitals.

The group interrupted supply and evacuation missions to train for and participate in three major airborne assaults. On 20 July, about half of the crews and aircraft were sent to Tarquinia Italy to prepare for the the invasion of Southern France on 15 August. They were replaced temporarily at Welford by the 90th TCS/438th TGG until 23 August. During the invasion, the group dropped paratroops over the assault area on and released gliders carrying troops and equipment such as jeeps, guns, and ammunition. It flew a resupply mission over France on 16 August and then transported supplies to bases in Italy before returning to England at the end of the month.

On 17 September 1944 the group participated in the air attack on Holland, dropping paratroops of 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and releasing gliders carrying reinforcements. Heavy flak knocked down and damaged 10 C-47s dropping the 82d, and damaged another eight in the 101st drop. Two squadrons of 30 C-47s each towing gliders were sent out with reinforcements on 18 September and although 17 were damaged, all managed to return. On 19 September more missions were flown with gliders and three aircraft were lost.The 435th TCG moved to its Advanced Landing Ground at Bretigny, France on 13 February 1945 for the airborne assault across the Rhine River on 24 March.

After the Market-Garden activities, the 435th returned to the task of hauling supplies and equipment to and from the Continent. This continued until early February when the group was moved to an Advanced Landing Ground at Breigny France (A-48). From France the group supported the advance across Germany delivering supplies to the ground forces.

After V-E Day the group transported supplies to occupation forces in Germany and evacuated Allied prisoners of war.

The group returned to Baer AAF, Indiana on 5 August and was inactivated on 15 November 1945.

Postwar use

With the end of hostilities, Welford was taken over by RAF Transport Command on the 30 June 1945 and No 1336 conversion unit was formed . By late August flying once more commenced using Dakotas, Horsas and a few Oxfords for navigation and instrument training. By March 1946 a number of courses had been completed when the base was closed and placed under care and maintenance.

In October 1946 the base was transferred to No 90 (Signals Group) eventually becoming Headquarters Southern Signals Area and renamed HQ Radio navigation Aids. The unit stayed until 1948 before the base was once again placed under care and maintenance.

USAF Use

On 1 September 1955 RAF Welford was again re-opened as a logistics site attached to the Third Air Force and was to remain in that role for the next 40 years. The 7531st Ammunition Squadron was the principal unit at Welford until it was replaced in 1959 by the 3115th Ammunition Squadron.

From about 1954 the site was rail connected via the Lambourn Valley Railway to the main line at Newbury. Rail traffic lasted into the 1970s, bombs being transported in open wooden-bodied wagons sheeted with tarpaulins.

On 1 November 1962 the 7234th Ammunition Supply Squadron (ASUPS) arrived at Welford as the host unit and until it was re-designated 7551st ASUPS in 1972 and in January 1993 became a direct reporting unit of the 3rd Air Force.

With the deactivation of 3rd Air Force on 26 May 2004, the unit reported to the 38th Combat Support Wing at Sembach Annex, Germany. The 38 CSW was in-turn deactivated and replaced by the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury.

ee also

* United States Air Forces in Europe
* United States Air Force in the United Kingdom
* Ninth Air Force in World War II
* 315th Airlift Wing
* 435th Air Base Wing

References

*Freeman, Roger A. (1994) "UK airfields of the Ninth: then and now", London : Battle of Britain Prints International, ISBN 0-900913-80-0
*Maurer, Maurer (1983) "Air Force combat units of World War II", Washington, D.C. : Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1

External links

* [http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/rafwelfordinphotos RAF Welford in photos]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan-turnbull/secret3.htm#welford Pilot's Eye Views of RAF Welford] - Aerial photos (April 2007) on Part 3 of [http://www.secret-bases.co.uk UK Secret Bases] website
* [http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=440000&Y=172500&width=700&height=400&gride=440000&gridn=175000&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&pc=&zm=0&scale=50000&multimap.x=506&multimap.y=54 Aerial Photo of RAF Welford from Multimap.com]