RAF Atcham

Infobox Military Structure
name= Royal Air Force Station Atcham
USAAF Station 342
location= Located Near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
coordinates=coord|52|42|50.23|N|002|33|56.91|W|


caption= Atcham Airfield - 9 May 1946
type= Military Airfield
code=AP
built=1941
builder=
materials=
height=
used=1941-1946
demolished=
condition=
ownership=
controlledby=United States Army Air Forces
Royal Air Force
garrison=Eighth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
RAF Flying Training Command
commanders=
occupants=
battles= European Theatre of World War II
Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 Location map|Shropshire
caption= RAF Atcham, shown within Shropshire
lat= 52.686
long= -2.638
float = left
background = white
width = 200 RAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire. The airfield was opened in 1941 and was initially used by the Royal Air Force 74 Sqn, 131 Sqn, 232 Sqn and 350 Sqn.

USAAF use

Atcham was transferred to the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force on 15 June 1942. It was designated as Station 342 (AP). Located some distance away from the other Eighth AF bases in East Anglia, at first Atcham was used as an operational fighter base, however beginning late 1942 its primary use became operational training of fighter pilots for both Eighth and Ninth Air Force units.

31st Fighter Group

The first American use of Atcham was the 31st Fighter Group, consisting of the 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons. The ground echelon of the 31st arrived from New Orleans AAF, Louisiana on 11 June 1942, with the pilots following later in the month, and was assigned to the Eighth Air Force. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
* 307th Fighter Squadron (MX)
* 308th Fighter Squadron (HL)
* 309th Fighter Squadron (WZ)

Note: The 309th Fighter Squadron was based at RAF High Ercall.

The group arrived without assigned aircraft as its P-39s were found unsuitable for long-distance formation ferry flights. Provided with British Supermarine Spitfire Vbs by the RAF, the 31st FG entered combat in August and supported a raid made by Canadian, British, American, and French forces at Dieppe on 19 August. The group also escorted bombers and flew patrol and diversionary missions.

In August 1942, the 31st moved to RAF Westhampnett in Sussex before moving into Tafaraoui, Algeria on 8 November 1942 as part of Twelfth Air Force.

14th Fighter Group

The 14th Fighter Group moved to Atcham on 18 August 1942 from Hamilton AAF California and was assigned to the Eighth Air Force. The group consisted of the following squadrons:

* 48th Fighter Squadron (ES)
* 49th Fighter Squadron (QU)

Equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, the 14th escorted B-17 and B-24 bombers to targets in France. In addition, fourteen P-38s of the 48th Squadron were sent on detached service to RAF West Hampnett and RAF Ford in southern England, where in coordination with British squadrons, the pilots engaged in a number of practice sweeps across the English Channel.

After flying sweep sorties during which there was no contact with the Luftwaffe, in November 1942 the 14th was moved to Tafaraoui, Algeria as part of Twelfth Air Force.

1st Provisional Gunnery Flight

From 2 January until 3 March 1943 the 1st Provisional Gunnery Flight used Atcham for target towing using Westland Lysander and Miles Masters. The unit then moved to RAF Llanbedr.

495th Fighter Training Group

From November 1942 to October 1943 Atcham was host to 6th Fighter Wing, as a Combat Crew Replacement Centre, flying Spitfires and Bell P-39 Airacobras, these being replaced with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts.

In October 1943 6th Fighter Wing was renamed the 2906th Observation Training Group, then renamed again as 495th Fighter Training Group. Operational squadrons of the 495th TFG were:

* 551st Fighter Training Squadron (VM)
* 552nd Fighter training Squadron (DQ)

The 495th FTG stayed until February 1945, moving to RAF Cheddington. From August 1944 the Ninth AF P-38s from the 496th FTG/554th FTS from RAF Goxhill used Atcham as a training field.

RAF use

Atcham was returned to the RAF Flying Training Command on 14 March 1945 becoming a satellite of RAF Ternhill. No. 5 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit and No. 6 Service Flying Training School. 577 Sqn target towing with Oxford, Spitfire and Vengeance used the airfield until the end of the war.

Atcham was abandoned on 22 October 1946 and disposed of on 20 January 1958.

Civil Use

With the end of military control, Atcham airfield was returned to farmland with the runways being broken up and removed and the control tower demolished.

Today there is little evidence of Atcham airfield. Some minor agricultural roads which were part of the perimiter track remain as access to farm fields, and the B4394 uses part of the former North-South main runway. The three T-2 hangars of the former technical site remain together in use with all the administration buildings, the whole complex forming the Atcham Industrial Estate northwest of the former airfield area.

ee also

* List of RAF stations
* USAAF Eighth Air Force - World War II

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
* Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/A/Atcham.htm www.controltowers.co.uk Atcham]
* [http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/php/1Loc.php?Base=Atcham mighty8thaf.preller.us Atcham]

External links

* [http://www.31stfightergroup.com 31st Fighter Group website]
* [http://www.48thfs.org 48th Fighter Squadron website]
* [http://creativefatcat.com/lobdell/page2.html 495th Fighter Training Group website]

* [http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=357000&Y=310000&scale=25000&width=700&height=400&gride=357200&gridn=310300&lang=&db=hcgaz&coordsys=gb Modern-day aerial photo of RAF Atcham from multimap.com]