RAF CHEDWORTH summer video 😀

passing the area.

heres some history fresh of the internet....

Located on a plateau ( OS Landranger 162 reference 042 131 ) a mile from Chedworth Village, RAF Chedworth was built during the winter of 1941/2 after the minor road that still runs through the site was closed. To fit the available space, two runways were built at almost right angles to each other with a taxiway running all around the airfield and giving access to 25 dispersal sites. The longer of the runways was 1 400 yards ( or 1292 metres compared to Staverton's longest at 1419 metres ) and the other 1 300 yards. Also constructed were two blister hangars, a control tower, flight office, armoury and stores.

Opening as a satellite airfield of RAF Aston Down in April 1942, Chedworth's first use was as a training location for the Supermarine Spitfire Vbs and Miles Masters of 52 Operational Training Unit. Two of 52 OTU's flights moved in permanently in August 1942 and towards the end of the year a Fighter Leaders School was set up as a sub organisation within 52 OTU to teach combat tactics to aspiring fighter unit commanders. The first FLS course began on 15 January 1943 but as Chedworth proved too cramped a teaching environment the FLS was moved to Charmy Down, Somerset on 9 February 1943.

On 19 February 1943 Chedworth became a satellite of RAF South Cerney and became a training ground for Numbers 3 and 6 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Units and their twin engined Airspeed Oxfords until RAF Honiley ( Warwickshire ) became the parent station on 18 October 1943. This allowed the air gunnery squadrons of Honiley's 63 OTU and RAF High Ercall ( Shropshire ) to combine at Chedworth where they flew De Havilland Mosquitos, Bristol Beaufighters and Miles Martinets until January 1944.

The Airspeed Oxfords of 3 (P) AFU began to revisit Chedworth in March 1944 as the RAF stations at South Cerney, Fairford, Down Ampney, Blakehill Farm and Broadwell were becoming increasingly busy with preparations for the invasion of Europe. Between 19 June and 9 July 1944 Chedworth was home of the USAAF's 125th Liason Squadron's Cessna L-4 Cubs and Stinson L-5 Sentinels while on 17 July RAF Aston Down once again assumed control with North American Mustangs of C Squadron 3 Tactical Exercise Unit landing on the plateau. 3TEU was renamed 55 OTU on 18 December 1944 with Gloster built Hawker Typhoons joining the Mustangs.

With the end of the war in Europe, flying training at Chedworth ceased on 29 May 1945 and the Admiralty used the site for storage in December 1945. Chedworth was later used by the Central Flying School at Little Rissington to practice emergency landings and a gliding club was established there in the late 1960s. During the 1970s Westland Wessex helicopters occasionally arrived for tactical exercises but by the mid 1980s RAF Chedworth had returned to agriculture.

............."30 of us were then posted to UK to fly Typhoons.

When at Chedworth we flew over the Winchester area and I used to shoot up the Service Station owned by the people who had been so good to me. We were then sent to Lasham to do final training before being sent to a Squadron. While there I found that I could borrow the squadron Auster for the cost of £1.

I saw the CO take off from the taxy strip a few times so I looked forward to doing the same.

On 20 March 1945 I took off for Chedworth in an Auster I had never flown before. On the way I did a few aerobatics and when looping all the debris that had accumulated on the floor came raining down all over me. I then noticed a sign printed above the instrument panel "This Aircraft is Non-Aerobatic". I flew straight and level thereafter! On arriving at Chedworth I looked up my mate from Australia, Eddie Baker. We sailed Cadet Dinghies together. He joined me to fly to Aston Down to refuel, as Chedworth only had Typhoon fuel. ‪@ParkinsonsWalks‬ ‪@Somersetmanwalking‬ ‪@stuierich‬ ‪@westcountrywanderings‬ #fypviral #tunnel #urbanexplorationgroups #abandonedplaces
#urbanexplorers

On returning to Chedworth I let Eddie take over as he hadn't flown since leaving Australia. He seemed OK so I let him land the plane. Disaster! He hopped across the airfield and narrowly missed a Radar unit, I took over a#fypviral #tunnel #urbanexplorers #abandoned #RAF #airforce #ww2 #history
nd taxied in, not a good arrival. I told Eddie I was going to land at a paddock near Winchester and look up a friend who was so good to me last year. I took off from the taxi strip and proceeded to Winchester".......



WAAF site, with a water tower boiler room & showers, WAAF site is situated between the tech site and the communal. RAF Chedworth had a complement of 68 WAAF's and 606 men.2