RAF Shellingford

RAF Shellingford was a British Royal Air Force station located approximately 4 miles east of the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It occupied land adjacent to the A417 road, between the villages of Shellingford and Stanford-in-the Vale.

Much of the former aerodrome has now been given over to quarrying activities, where significant sand and gravel deposits continue to be extracted to this day. Some of the original technical buildings still exist, and can be seen from the road. Other parts of the aerodrome are given over to agricultural use, and a small industrial estate occupies the remainder of the site.

Military use

RAF Shellingford was opened for use as a practice landing field for Elementary Flying Training in 1931, the aerodrome being of grass construction. It opened for night flying on September 25 1941.

No3 EFTS were based at Shellingford with some 56 Tiger Moths and a communal site was established for all ranks at nearby Stanford in the Vale. British Army pilots trained here as glider pilots from 1943, the base being one of many assisting in the training of Horsa Glider pilots in preparation for the D-Day landings of 1944.

Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots also received training at Shellingford in 1946.

No3 EFTS departed in 1948, the Aerodrome closing on 31 March 1948 as the RAF gradually wound down following the Second World War. However, the base was re-opened briefly for use by the United States Air Force in the 1950s.

USAF 7568 Material Squadron provided radar maintenance for the 32nd Brigade whose task was to provide the air defence for all USAF SAC bases in the UK.

Shellingford closed to the USAF in early 1957 with 7568 MS moving to Denham Studios, near Uxbridge, as the 7500 Air Base Group.

External links

* [http://www.pixture.co.uk/Airfields/Pages/Shellingford.htm World War II Airfields of Oxfordshire]
* [http://www.worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c225276.html World War II Airfield Pictures - Shellingford]
* [http://www.stanford-in-the-vale.co.uk/history_ww2.shtml Stanford in the Vale Website]