RAF Welford

Royal Air Force station in Berkshire

RAF Welford
~~RAF Welford Park
USAAF Station AAF-474~~

Part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
Near Welford, Berkshire in England

RAF Welford

Site information
Type| Royal Air Force station
Code| WF
Owner| Ministry of Defence
Operator| Royal Air Force
(1943,1945–1948,1995-present)
United States Army Air Forces
(1943–1945)
United States Air Force
(1955—present)
Location

RAF Welford

Shown within Berkshire

Coordinates| 51°28′06″N 001°24′13″W﻿ / ﻿51.46833°N 1.40361°W﻿ / 51.46833; -1.40361
Site history
Built| 1943 (1943)
In use| 1943–1948, 1955—present
Garrison information
Garrison| 420th Munitions Squadron
Airfield information
Elevation| 147 metres (482 ft) AMSL
| Runways

Direction | Length and surface
~~00/00~~ |  Asphalt
~~00/00~~ |  Asphalt
~~00/00~~ |  Asphalt

Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England.[1] The station is located approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Newbury, and about 50 miles (80 km) west of London

Opened in 1943, it was used during the Second World War by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a transport airfield. After the war it was closed in 1946 and placed in reserve status. As a result of the Cold War, the station was reopened in 1955 as a munitions depot by the United States Air Force.

Today it is one of the largest ammunition compounds for the United States Air Force in Western Europe for heavy munitions.[2]

## Location

[edit]

RAF Welford is located in West Berkshire with a dedicated but rarely used access road leading to the station from the eastbound M4 motorway halfway between junctions 13 (A34, Newbury) and 14 (A338, Hungerford).[3] The access road from the M4 is signposted "Works Unit Only". The 1 mile marker sign has the distinctive red border of a defence establishment.[3][4]

## History

[edit]

RAF Welford, May 1944. The CG-4 Gliders and C-47s of the 435th Troop Carrier Group trying to find room with the aircraft being parked wherever space can be found, one month before the D-Day invasion of France. Horsa glider at Welford, May 1944.

### USAAF use

[edit]

In October 1943 the airfield was allocated to Ninth Air Force IX Troop Carrier Command (TCC). While under USAAF control, Welford was known as USAAF Station AAF-474.[5]

#### 315th Troop Carrier Group

[edit]

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:[6]

* 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. On 7 February 1944 the group was transferred to RAF Spanhoe.[6]

#### 435th Troop Carrier Group

[edit]

As part of the IX Troop Carrier Command'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 Group arrived at Welford on 25 January 1944 from RAF Langar flying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:[7]

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

The 435th TCG was assigned to the 53d Troop Carrier Wing. In early February 1945 the group was moved to an Advanced Landing Ground at Breigny France (A-48).[7]

### USAF ammunition store use

[edit]

USAF munitions being loaded into a container in 2012

After being placed on a care and maintenance basis after the war, the station re-opened as the home of the 7531st Ammunition Squadron in September 1955.[8] During April 1995 the base was handed back to the RAF, only for it to be returned to USAF control.[9] In 2009 USAF staffing at Welford was reduced as part of USAF-wide budgetary adjustments.[10][11] The munitions base's function is described as "at its busiest when the US government deploys bombers to a forward air station at RAF Fairford".[12] The bombers at RAF Fairford can include B-1, B-2 and B-52.[13][14]

In May 2019, the USAF moved 450,000 pounds (200 tonnes) of explosives to RAF Welford, then the second largest ammunition store in United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE).[15]

## The crash of Lancaster DV290

[edit]

On 31 March 1944, at 5.00am a Lancaster DV290, after returning from a flight to Nuremberg, Germany as part of an Airborne Cigar (ABC), electronic countermeasure mission, crashed on the airfield killing all eight occupants. A report says, "on their way back to Welford Airfield and having not responded to any air traffic controller's calls, [they] were considered the enemy. The runway lights were turned off and in the darkness the plane crashed on landing killing all on board".[16] The aircraft had also sustained, "severe battle damage".[17] The crew of this aircraft included an eighth airman - a German speaking radio-operator - who broadcast radio interference matching the German night-fighter, radio frequencies and also transmitted messages to send the fighters in different directions to clear a path for the Lancaster bombers.[16] An annual memorial service is held at the airbase to remember those airmen.[18][19]

## Based units

[edit]

Welford is now under the command of the 420th Munitions Squadron, and comes under the command of the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Fairford, which provides support to the Geographically Separated Units (GSUs) in the United Kingdom.[20]

## See also

[edit]

* List of Royal Air Force stations

## References

[edit]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ "RG20 7EX - Check My Postcode".
2. ^ Milmo, Cahal (25 January 2014). "Unknown territory: America's secret archipelago of UK bases". Independent. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
3. ^ a b "UK Secret Bases".
4. ^ "No exit". roads.org.uk. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
5. ^ "RAF Welford". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
6. ^ a b "315th Troop Carrier Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
7. ^ a b "435th Troop Carrier Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
8. ^ "RAF Welford". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
9. ^ March 1996, p. 79.
10. ^ Master Sgt. Kenneth C. Burnett (9 September 2009). "An end of an era – M117 bombs depart RAF Welford". U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
11. ^ "Fairford transition – Questions and Answers". U.S. Air Force. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2012. "RAF Welford has reached a steady state following a similar transformation process last year. Now aligned under the 422 ABG, its future is secure."
12. ^ "RAF Welford – RAF Fairford".
13. ^ "RAF Fairford maps, postcode, frequencies, flight tracker - UK Military Bases".
14. ^ "KINGDOM. SEPTEMBER. 23. Aerial photograph of RAF Welford ammunition..." Getty Images.
15. ^ Zima, Jennifer (29 May 2019). "501st Combat Support Wing orchestrates UK's largest munitions supply movement of the decade". USAFE. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
16. ^ a b "Traeger, Ernest Hugo". Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat.
17. ^ "Lancaster DV290 [Royal Air Force Aircraft Serial and Image Database]". RAFCommands.
18. ^ "Avro Lancaster DV290". Imperial War Museums.
19. ^ "We Remember the No. 101 Squadron Crew of Avro Lancaster DV290 | No. 101 Sqn and 101 Squadron Association are thankful to be able to attend in person today to remember the crew of Avro Lancaster DV290, 78 years after... | By RAF Brize Norton | Facebook". www.facebook.com.
20. ^ "RAF Croughton / RAF Welford / RAF Fairford". 501st Combat Support Wing. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK airfields of the Ninth: then and now, London, UK : Battle of Britain Prints International, ISBN 0-900913-80-0
* March, Peter R. (1996). Royal Air Force Yearbook 1996. Fairford, UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
* 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

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Welford.

* 420th Munitions Squadron
* \- History of RAF Welford

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United States Air Force in the United Kingdom

Bases|

| Active|

| USAFE|

* RAF Alconbury
* RAF Barford St John
* RAF Blenheim Crescent
* RAF Croughton
* RAF Fairford
* RAF Feltwell
* RAF Welford
* RAF Lakenheath
* RAF Molesworth
* RAF Mildenhall

|

Other|

* RAF Menwith Hill (AFISR)
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Inactive|

| USAFE|

* RAF Bentwaters
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|

SAC /
USAFE|

* RAF Bassingbourn
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* RAF Upper Heyford
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* RAF Little Rissington
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* RAF Sculthorpe
* RAF Waddington
* RAF Woodbridge
* RAF Wyton

Other|

* RAF Burtonwood (AFMC)
* RAF Chicksands (USAFSS)

Organizations|

| Active|

* United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
* 48th Fighter Wing
* 100th Air Refueling Wing
* 501st Combat Support Wing
* Headquarters Air Command Europe
* Third Air Force

|

Former|

* Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom
* Sixteenth Air Force

Part of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)

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United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA)

Air Forces|

* Third (Europe)

Bases|

* Aviano Air Base
* Incirlik Air Base
* RAF Lakenheath
* RAF Mildenhall
* Ramstein Air Base
* Spangdahlem Air Base

Support facilities|

* Ämari Air Base
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* Camp Lemonnier
* Câmpia Turzii Air Base
* Chabelley Airport
* Chièvres Air Base
* Ghedi Air Base
* Izmir Air Station
* Kleine Brogel Air Base
* Lajes Field
* Łask Air Base
* Morón Air Base
* RAF Akrotiri
* RAF Alconbury
* RAF Fairford
* RAF Menwith Hill
* RAF Molesworth
* RAF Welford
* Stuttgart Airport
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Major units|

* 31st Fighter Wing
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* 48th Fighter Wing
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USAAF Ninth Air Force in World War II

Stations|

| Palestine (Mand)|

* Lydda
* Muqueibile
* Ramat David
* St Jean

|

Egypt|

* Abu Sueir
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* Daba
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* * Landing Ground 174
* Payne
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Libya|

* Baheira
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* Lete
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Tunisia|

* Ben Gardane
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* Medenine
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United Kingdom|

* Aldermaston
* Andover
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* Barkston Heath
* Beaulieu
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* Boreham
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* Warmwell
* Welford
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* Wethersfield
* Winkton
* Woodchurch
* Wormingford

Europe|

* Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany too numerous.

Units|

| Commands|

* 9th Air Division (was IX Bomber Command)
* IX Air Defense
* IX Fighter
* IX Tactical Air
* IX Troop Carrier
* XIX Tactical Air
* XXIX Tactical Air

|

Wings|

| Bombardment|

* 97th Bombardment
* 98th Bombardment
* 99th Bombardment

|

Fighter|

* 8th Fighter
* 9th Fighter
* 70th Fighter
* 71st Fighter
* 84th Fighter
* 100th Fighter
* 303d Fighter

Troop carrier|

* 50th Troop Carrier
* 52d Troop Carrier
* 53d Troop Carrier

Groups|

| Bombardment|

* 12th Bombardment
* 98th Bombardment
* 322d Bombardment
* 323d Bombardment Group
* 340th Bombardment Group
* 344th Bombardment Group
* 376th Bombardment
* 386th Bombardment
* 387th Bombardment
* 391st Bombardment
* 394th Bombardment
* 397th Bombardment
* 409th Bombardment
* 410th Bombardment
* 416th Bombardment

|

Fighter|

* 36th Fighter
* 48th Fighter
* 50th Fighter
* 57th Fighter
* 79th Fighter
* 324th Fighter
* 354th Fighter
* 358th Fighter
* 365th Fighter
* 362d Fighter
* 363d Fighter
* 366th Fighter
* 367th Fighter
* 368th Fighter
* 370th Fighter
* 371st Fighter
* 373d Fighter
* 404th Fighter
* 405th Fighter
* 406th Fighter
* 474th Fighter

Troop carrier|

* 61st Troop Carrier
* 64th Troop Carrier
* 313th Troop Carrier
* 314th Troop Carrier
* 315th Troop Carrier
* 316th Troop Carrier
* 349th Troop Carrier
* 434th Troop Carrier
* 435th Troop Carrier
* 436th Troop Carrier
* 437th Troop Carrier
* 438th Troop Carrier
* 439th Troop Carrier
* 440th Troop Carrier
* 441st Troop Carrier
* 442d Troop Carrier
* IX Troop Carrier Pathfinder (Provisional)

Reconnaissance|

* 10th Reconnaissance
* 67th Reconnaissance
* 69th Reconnaissance

Squadrons|

| Liaison|

* 14th Liaison
* 47th Liaison

|

Night fighter|

* 422d Night Fighter
* 425th Night Fighter

* United States Army Air Forces

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Active Royal Air Force stations

United
Kingdom|

| Front-line flying|

* Benson
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* Coningsby
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* Waddington

|

Support and administrative|

* Barnham
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Training|

* Barkston Heath
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Air Surveillance & Control System|

* Boulmer
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Intelligence gathering|

* Digby
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Space surveillance|

* Fylingdales

US visiting forces|

* Alconbury
* Barford St John
* Blenheim Crescent
* Croughton
* Fairford
* Feltwell
* Lakenheath
* Menwith Hill
* Mildenhall
* Molesworth
* Welford

Overseas|

| Permanent joint operating bases|

* Akrotiri
* Ascension Island
* Gibraltar
* Mount Pleasant

|

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