Yatesbury was an ancient parish and in the 19th century became a civil parish, which was absorbed by cherhill parish in 1934. Wiltshire council wiltshire community history get community. Cherhill does not appear in the domesday book but is believed to have. The centre is owned and run by twice european hang gliding champion and exraf pilot tony hughes. Two camps were established either side of the minor road from the a4 to the village itself. It appress that not a lot has happened to it for a long time. It is intended to bring together the various sources of information at events, squadrons, aircraft and personnel that have been involved in the site.
Betty has lived part of each year with one of her three aunts, rotating among them every few months. They in turn were replaced in june 1945 by 61 operation training unit converting newly qualified pilots on to spitfires and, later, on to mustangs. In the 19th century yatesbury was described as one of the smallest, humblest and most retired parishes on the wiltshire downs rev a. Property details for yatesbury manor north yatesbury calne. Thus im looking to visit the usual research spots raf museum, tna. Jan 01, 1999 airfield, by jeanette ingold takes place in muddy springs, texas during times of the depression.
This ww1 history blog is based on gregs log book and war diary. Yatesbury resident gordon chivers, who is part of the village history group, said many people travelled down to attend the service. Yatesbury airfield airport ag1563 located in malborough, england, united kingdom. Hundreds of thousands have worked in the industry and today the south wests aerospace industry employs over 43,000 people in upwards of 700 companies. Also extant on site is the main officers mess and airfield admin building. The airfield was home to 15mu and 76mu as opposed to be being an operational flying base.
Gregs war is the home of an onthisday world war 1 blog about a first world war pilots life 100 years ago. The volumes are divided between general and topographical with volumes one to five covering subjects such as prehistory, ecclesiastical. Veterans met for a service at all saints, yatesbury, on sunday august 18, where 30 servicemen of different nationalities are buried. Yatesbury is situated at about the centrepoint of the towns of swindon, chippenham, devizes and marlborough. The 23 groups of circles in the yatesbury field spiral can be shown in this order, with the central group indicated as 2 1 2 3 1 5 1 4 2 1 1 7 2 2 1 1 3 9 2 1 1 3 3 1. As mentioned previously, there are 11 groups on either side of the central group of 2. This page is about two little known world war two sites.
Yatesbury airfield was first established in october 1916 as the site of two royal flying corps rfc training aerodromes specialising in corps reconnaissance training. Blog a visit to the derelict former raf yatesbury air base. Raf yatesbury is a former royal air force airfield well known to many airmen who served in the second world war. Acaster malbis airfields of britain conservation trust uk. See why it was listed, view it on a map, see visitor comments and photos and share your own comments and photos of this building. Though ive written a few books about cold war aviation i have recently been bitten by the ww1 bug whilst researching my local airfield at yatesbury. Media in category airfields in england the following 200 files are in this category, out of 391 total. I thought how brave they were, and how much we owe to them. The association is for those who served at raf camps in yatesbury, compton bassett, townsend and cherhill during the two world wars. Location map for yatesbury airfield car boot in calne, wiltshire, sn11 8ya. Welcome to forces reunited the place where you can find information and friends from raf yatesbury we are the largest and fastest growing community of uk forces veterans on the web with over 500,000 members.
Combined officers mess and offices, yatesbury airfield. A zoomable, contemporary os map of yatesbury and the site of its former airfield marked. Location map for yatesbury airfield car boot, calne, sn11 8ya. The victoria history of wiltshire opens in new window is a partnership between local authorities and the institute of historical research at london university. Yatesbury field is a grass strip in a lovely setting in wiltshire and is the home of the wiltshire microlight centre. There are around 80 local military aviation museums across the uk, the majority run by volunteers as trusts. A book on military airfield architecture written by paul francis was published by haynes in 1996 which was based on the 1994 research carried out for english heritage, although at the time and. The yatesbury site began as a royal flying corps airfield in the first world war and was used as a civilian flying school from 1935 to 1936. Yatesbury was built on the cherhillyatesbury boundary southeast of the airfield, and a signals school was built southwest of windmill hill and in yatesbury parish. Yatesbury airfield, in use in the first world war and from 1936, lay southwest of yatesbury village and mainly in cherhill and compton bassett parishes. The following organisations are either based at, use andor have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield as at 01092011.
Books manston specific history of manston airfield. In 1916, the royal flying corps rfc developed two airfields at yatesbury specialising in training corps reconnaissance pilots. One of the few remaining airfields constructed during ww1. Another littleknown aspect of raf yatesbury, rather like raf townsend. I went back to the car and drove on to yatesbury, where i parked opposite what i now knew to be the main guardroom for the west camp. No 15 pilots advanced flying unit arrived at acaster malbis shortly after and flew airspeed oxfords from the airfield but these aircraft had left by 25 january 1943 due to the poor conditions at the airfield. It is noted for raf yatesbury, which was an important training centre during world war ii.
Yatesbury calne cherhill compton bassett airfields. The airfields were established in two main areas or camps. Whilst having no shops or amenities, the village is on national cycle route 403. The squadron moved to yatesbury, wiltshire, in the following year. Combined officers mess and offices, yatesbury airfield is a grade ii listed building in cherhill, wiltshire, england. The site is being restored and redeveloped in to 41 flats, 9 livework units and 12 new homes. At the end of the second world war it became a mjor radion and radar school tntil its closure in 1965. Yatesbury airfield united kingdom world airport codes. Surprisingly, three concrete runways were constructed in 1943 as part of the process of converting the airfield into a heavy bomber. I work on wroughton airfield, which is about 34 mile away from the hospital site and this would have served the airfield as well. It was taken over by the raf as a training base during the second world war and remained with the raf until 1965, when the buildings were abandoned. Over 1,400 views wef 4 oct 2017 this is me at 15 years old with most of our billet, as those wooden huts are called.
On 24 march 1943 617 squadron officially came into being at raf scampton, lincolnshire. The raf yatesbury site consists of a number of buildings of various ages. It was an important training establishment in the first and second world wars, and until its closure in 1965. For a time in the 1950s, part of the site became raf cherhill. Aviation incidents and accidents, airports and more. They represent a class of military airfield that is poorly protected and one with many conservation challenges. Victoria county history wiltshire vol 17 pp172181 yatesbury. A visit to the derelict former raf yatesbury air base. For a period in the 1950s, part of the site got to be raf cherhill. Airfield motors uses the former gymnasium all saints church, yatesbury. On 15 march 1943 wing commander guy penrose gibson transferred from 106 squadron to the headquarters of bomber commands 5 group in order to lead a new squadron formed especially to attack the ruhr dams.
Raf yatesbury association remembers veterans of two world. Blog a visit to the derelict former raf yatesbury air. When starting the research for this guide i hadnt heard of port meadow. Rfcraf training squadron station and training depot station 1916 to 1919. Raf yatesbury is a former royal air force airfield near the village of yatesbury, wiltshire, england, about 4 miles east of the town of calne. Were against beaurocracy and anything ending in a y john lydon johnny rotten more quotes.
Despite this, their contribution to the regions industrial heritage has no focal point. Three hangars, all built in the 1920s are the largest structres on the site. A book on military airfield architecture written by me was published by haynes in 1996 which was based on the 1994 research carried out for english heritage, although at the time and outside of arg there was still very little interest in airfield architecture and history so accordingly the book was quickly remaindered. In april 1969 the raf abandoned yatesbury completely. Rendered brick with steelframed windows and flat roofs.
I have selected this airfield to give a detailed account pretty much at random, on a whim really, but also because the main history wasnt too long winded. Yatesbury is a village adjacent to cherhill on the a4 road between calne and marlborough in wiltshire, england. Yatesbury field is a grass strip in a lovely setting in wiltshire and is the home of the. Today few are aware that stonehenge had an aerodrome nearby between 1917 and 1921. Over a few years of research id got wind of it but didnt accord it too much attention. Raf yatesbury first opened as an aerodrome in world war i, raf yatesbury continued operations in the interwar years before again taking on a major role in world war ii.
Su07se compton bassett jugglers lane yatesbury 851010010 combined officers mess and offices, yatesbury airfield gv ii combined officers mess and offices. Although the raf found little further use for the airfield, other than by visiting light aircraft, or aircraft flown in for ground instructional training, civilian aircraft clubs used it for another ten years, but no exact date can be found as to when flying actually ceased. Just because your home sits within an area of outstanding natural beauty, listed, conservation or historic it does not mean that you will miss out on todays technologies and luxuries. They are undergoing conversion into industrial units.
In 1939 the airfield was taken over by the air ministry and brought up to wartime standards, which included the construction of the bellman and blister hangars, the stanton air raid shelters, and a sommerfield track of steel mesh matting which was laid on the two runways. Raf yatesbury is a former royal air force airfield near the village of yatesbury, wiltshire, england, about 4 miles 6 km east of the town of calne. Airfield, by jeanette ingold takes place in muddy springs, texas during times of the depression. Yatesbury was built on the cherhill yatesbury boundary southeast of the airfield, and a signals school was built southwest of windmill hill and in. First world war stonehenge aerodrome english heritage. This site is dedicated to the history of manston airfield, in kent from its first official usage back in 1916. Historical context of the second world war gun emplacement. O the drive homes at yatesbury will set the future bench mark for new and existing homes and other developments. The former raf yatesbury airfield dating to 1912 it served as airforce pilot training camp during world war one and two. There are a few people locally who have ties with the airfield.
Manchesters barrage balloon centre which was number ten at bowlee in middleton and raf heywood 35mu a huge storage and maintenance depot. Camp 1 and camp 2, both of which had their own technical and domestic sites and landing grounds. Raf yatesbury 52 photos in su0571 geograph britain and. Housing plans for yatesbury airfield the wiltshire gazette. With only 410m according to the website and a very restricted final approach on runway 10, due i think to noise plus the hill to the south and no radio its essential to get a ppr briefing and keep your wits about you in the circuit. First opened as an air base in world war i, like raf yatesbury it continued operations in the interwar years before again taking on a major role in world war 2. The airfield was first established in the first world war and was developed into a permanent camp in the interwar years especially from 1936 onwards before finally closing in the 1960s. A book on military airfield architecture written by me was published by haynes in 1996 which was based on the 1994 research carried out for english heritage, although at the time and outside of arg there was still very little interest in airfield architecture and history so accordingly the book. Raf yatesbury 52 photos in su0571 geograph britain.
During ww2 this airfield was home to no2 radio school who trained radio operators for bomber command. Yatesbury airfield defence site, cherhill, wiltshire. I looked in the other direction over the modern yatesbury airfield, and as if to make my imaginings real, a small plane took off, banked around and flew over the knoll. Military aerodrome aka raf cherhill much later microlight strip, see seperate entry below military users.
Yatesbury calne cherhill compton bassett airfields of. Please use the upload option for uploading airport images only. Raf yatesbury is a previous royal air force landing strip close to the town of yatesbury, wiltshire, england, around 4 miles 6 km east of the town of calne. Guy gibsons log book 617 squadron and the dams raid.
If you feel that any of these airfields are incorrectly listed or that there might be omissions, please let us know. Airport information including flight arrivals, flight departures, instrument approach procedures, weather, location, runways, diagrams, sectional charts, navaids, radio communication frequencies, fbo and fuel prices, hotels, car rentals, sunrise and sunset times, aerial photos, terminal maps, and destination. Im new to this forum and in fact new to wwi aviation in general. The history of wiltshire is now the largest county history in the country and is still growing.
Before redevelopment its important to understand the history and inherited character of these places. Wiltshire microlight centre is a british microlight aircraft association bmaa registered school operating from its own registered airstrip. Housing plans for yatesbury airfield the wiltshire. It was a sad day when the hospital was closed, as the new hospital built for swindon was too small right from the start. There were in fact two airfields at yatesbury for the last two years of the first world war.
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