RAF Blakehill Farm

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RAF Blakehill Farm
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Cricklade, Wiltshire in England
Douglas Dakotas of No. 233 Squadron RAF lined up on the perimeter track at Blakehill Farm, Wiltshire, for an exercise with the 6th Airborne Division, 20 April 1944. CH12833.jpg
Dakotas of No. 233 Squadron RAF lined up on the perimeter track at RAF Blakehill Farm, for an exercise with the 6th Airborne Division, 20 April 1944
Site information
Owner Air Ministry
Operator Royal Air Force
Controlled by RAF Transport Command
Location
Wiltshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Blakehill Farm
Shown within Wiltshire
Coordinates 51°37′20″N1°53′20″W / 51.62222°N 1.88889°W / 51.62222; -1.88889
Site history
Built1943 (1943)
In use1944–1952 (1952)
Battles/warsSecond World War
Airfield information
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00 Concrete
00/00 Concrete
00/00 Concrete
Aerial photograph of RAF Blakehill Farm, 17 July 1943. The technical and barrack sites are to the right (east) of the airfield. RAF Blakehill Farm - 17 Jul 1943.jpg
Aerial photograph of RAF Blakehill Farm, 17 July 1943. The technical and barrack sites are to the right (east) of the airfield.

Royal Air Force Blakehill Farm or more simply RAF Blakehill Farm is a former Royal Air Force station southwest of Cricklade in Wiltshire, England, operational between 1944 and 1952.

Contents

History

The station was originally allocated to the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force but not used. [1] It opened in 1944 and was home for transport aircraft of No. 46 Group RAF Transport Command. In 1948 the airfield was a satellite of RAF South Cerney, and was used by training aircraft until the airfield closed in 1952 and was returned to agricultural use. The site is now a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve. [2]

Units and aircraft

UnitFromToAircraftVariantNotes
No. 233 Squadron RAF 5 March 1948 June 1945 Douglas Dakota [3]
No. 271 Squadron RAF 26 February 194410 August 1945Douglas Dakota
Harrow		Detachment from RAF Down Ampney [4]
No. 437 Squadron RCAF 1 September 19447 May 1945Douglas DakotaFormed here [5]
No. 575 Squadron RAF 24 November 194531 January 1946Douglas Dakota [6]
No. 22 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit RAF 19451945 Waco Hadrian I [7]
No. 2 Flying Training School RAF [8]
No. 109 (Transport) OTU RAF [8]
No. 1528 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF [8] Became No. 1555 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF
No. 1555 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF [8]

The following units were also here at some point: [8]

Post-war intelligence role

In 1967, GCHQ set up an "experimental radio station", a secret research facility, on the site. The site was still active in some capacity until the mid-1990s, [9] and traces of the former communications mast bases can still be seen on aerial photographs. [10] The most remarkable object of the facility was a 240-foot (73 m) tall wooden lattice tower, which was one of the tallest objects in the United Kingdom built of wood. It is possible that this tower was a relic of the wartime Chain Home network, although its lattice pattern is of another type. [10] The tower was demolished on 26 January 2000. [11]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ American Museum in Britain – Blakehill Farm
  2. ↑ "Blakehill Farm including Stoke Common Meadow, Cricklade". Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  4. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 82.
  5. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 92.
  6. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 97.
  7. ↑ Lake 1999, p. 129.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Blakehill Farm (Cricklade)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust . Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  9. ↑ McLachlan, Richard (27 November 1998). "Cricklade Radio Site". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  10. 1 2 Povey, Vincent. "The AN/FLR-9 Type Antenna". RAF Station Blakehall Farm. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "The Radio Mast". RAF Station Blakehill Farm. Retrieved 15 November 2022.

Bibliography

Commons-logo.svg Media related to RAF Blakehill Farm at Wikimedia Commons

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