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| RAF Abingdon
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| Abingdon, Oxfordshire in England | |||||||||
An aerial view of RAF Abingdon circa 1972.
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Proudly
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  RAF Abingdon Location in Oxfordshire | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°41′N 001°19′W / 51.683°N 1.317°W / 51.683; -1.317 | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||
| Code | AB[1] | ||||||||
| Area | 288 hectares | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Bomber Command[1] * No. 6 Group RAF * No. 91 (OTU) Group RAF RAF Transport Command | ||||||||
| Condition | Closed | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1931 (1931) | ||||||||
| In use | September 1932 – 31 July 1992 (1992) | ||||||||
| Fate | Transferred to the British Army and became Dalton Barracks. Airfield continued to be used as a satellite station for RAF helicopter training. | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II Cold War | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: ABB, ICAO: EGUD | ||||||||
| Elevation | 75 metres (246 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force Abingdon, or more simply RAF Abingdon, is a former Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps.
The airfield was opened in 1932, initially as a training station for RAF Bomber Command.
On 16 November 1933 HQ Central Area moved to RAF Abingdon.[2] It was disbanded by being renamed No. 1 (Bomber) Group RAF on 1 May 1936.
Orders arrived on 24–25 August 1939 to mobilise the squadrons at Abingdon prior to proceeding to France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF). On receipt of orders to move to France, Headquarters No. 1 Group became Headquarters AASF and the station headquarters and the two Fairey Battle squadrons (one of which was No. 15 Squadron) at Abingdon became No. 71 (Bomber) Wing RAF.[3] As noted in the table below, two Battle squadrons departed for France on 2 September.
No. 10 Operational Training Unit RAF was based at the airfield from April 1940 until 1946. From 1940 to 1942, Abingdon's station commander was Herbert Massey.[4]
After the Second World War RAF Abingdon became part of RAF Transport Command, and also became the home of No. 1 Parachute Training School RAF which is now stationed at RAF Brize Norton. The Parachute Training School, and RAF Abingdon generally, featured heavily in the 1953 Alan Ladd film The Red Beret (called Paratrooper in the USA), and the Parachute Training School was used as a location for some scenes for the films Carve Her Name With Pride (1958) and Operation Crossbow (1965) as well as the French comedy Babette s'en va-t-en guerre (1959) which starred Brigitte Bardot. On 14 June 1968 Queen Elizabeth II conducted a royal review at RAF Abingdon to mark the 50th anniversary of the RAF.
About 1948–49 Headquarters No. 47 Group RAF, Transport Command, was at RAF Abingdon. The station, its personnel and aircraft (Yorks and Hastings) were involved in the Berlin Airlift.[5]
In 1952 a ferry unit was based at RAF Abingdon. It moved Mosquito, Hornet, Meteor, Vampire and Spitfire aircraft. 15 Sabres were ferried from Canada but only 12 arrived. After checks and servicing the Sabres went to RAF Germany.
In 1953 all flying units dispersed to other units to make way for Nos. 24 and 47 Squadrons operating Handley Page Hastings Mks 1, 2 and 4. The three Mk 4 Hastings ("shiny fleet") belonged to 24 Squadron, serialled WD324, 326 and 500.
Also 1953, RAF Abingdon received the freedom of Abingdon.
On 22 April 1953 the spy George Blake arrived at RAF Abingdon, back from Korea via Moscow and Berlin.[6]
In 1955 47 Squadron changed its Hastings for the Blackburn Beverley. Later 24 Squadron moved to RAF Colerne. It was replaced by No. 53 Squadron RAF operating the Beverley.
In 1956 in support of the R.A.F. relief efforts to Hungarian Freedom Fighters, 47 Squadron Beverley's flew medical, canteen and bedding supplies to Vienna, Austria Nov.7th 1956.
Besides London University Air Squadron, the Oxford University Air Squadron was based at RAF Abingdon. Abingdon was also the home of No. 6 AEF (Air Experience Flight) operating between 6 and 8 DHC Chipmunks for ATC/CCF Air Cadet flight experience training. 6 AEF was one of a very few locations that offered air cadets the "Air Cadet Navigator" training course, leading to the award of Cadet Navigation Wings.
In the late 1960s the Blackburn Beverleys' hangars had dormer extensions put in the roof to take the extra height of the tailplane of the Short Belfasts of No. 47 Squadron. Once the nose of the Belfast was in the hangar the nose had to be lifted to get the tail fin under the lip of the roof. The nose was then lowered and the tail fin rose up into the dormer roof for that parking position. No. 46 Squadron was also at Abingdon at this time flying Hawker Siddeley Andovers, one of their roles being to support UK MAMS (United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements). A small Army Air Dispatch unit was also supported by the airfield at this time.
From 1975 through to the 1990s, Abingdon became a maintenance field, with the AMS (Aircraft Maintenance Squadron) servicing:
In the early 80s the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster bomber spent a couple of winters at RAF Abingdon to undergo major refurbishment. During this period, RAF Abingdon was also home to the Field Repair Squadron (later Repair & Salvage Squadron) which included Aircraft Repair Flight, Aircraft Salvage and Transportation Flight (formerly 71 MU "Crash & Smash") and Battle Damage Repair Flight.
From 1986 to 1988 RAF Abingdon became home to the Thames Valley Police Air Support Unit, flying a helicopter on police operations. It was also the home of the University of London Air Squadron in the seventies. An annual airshow took place at RAF Abingdon until the early nineties.
From 1981 many ex-airline Vickers VC10s were stored at the station following their purchase by the MoD. By the early 1990s, the aircraft were either converted to tankers or scrapped. It was intended that the 3 Air Maintenance Support (3 AMS) unit would move from RAF Brize Norton, only a few miles away, to undertake the major servicing of the VC10 military fleet. This would have involved the modification of a number of hangars to raise the roof to allow access for the VC10 high tail section at a cost of £5m, instead this work was moved to St. Athan.
In July 1992 a white paper to review defence requirements "Option for Change" recommended the closure of RAF Abingdon and that a new hangar, known as "Twin Peaks" be built at RAF St Athan with the reforming of 3 AMS, from RAF Brize Norton to 1 AMS at RAF St Athan in August 1992.
RAF Abingdon closed on 31 July 1992, with the Oxford and London University Air Squadron and No. 6 Air Experience Flight moving to RAF Benson.[10] The station was transferred to the British Army and it was renamed Dalton Barracks. RAF Benson continues to use Abingdon as a diversion airfield and for helicopter training.
| Squadron | Equipment | From | To | To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 15 Squadron RAF | Hawker Hart Hawker Hind Fairey Battle |
1 June 1934 | 2 September 1939 | Betheniville | Reformed here.[11] |
| No. 24 Squadron RAF | Handley Page Hastings C.1/C.2/C.4 | 6 May 1953 | 1 January 1957 | RAF Colerne | [12] |
| No. 27 Squadron RAF | No equipment | 1 November 1947 | 24 November 1947 | RAF Oakington | Reformed here.[13] |
| No. 30 Squadron RAF | No equipment | 1 November 1947 | 24 November 1947 | RAF Oakington | Reformed here.[14] |
| No. 30 Squadron RAF | Dakota | 27 November 1950 | 2 May 1952 | [14] | |
| No. 30 Squadron RAF | Vickers Valetta C.1 | 27 November 1950 | 2 May 1952 | RAF Benson | [14] |
| No. 40 Squadron RAF | Gordon Hart (Special) Hind Battle |
8 October 1932 | 2 September 1939 | Betheniville | Reformed here.[15] |
| No. 46 Squadron RAF | Dakota Hawker Siddeley Andover C.1 |
16 December 1946 1 September 1966 |
24 November 1947 9 September 1970 |
RAF Oakington RAF Thorney Island |
Reformed here.[16] |
| No. 47 Squadron RAF | Hastings C.2 Blackburn Beverley C.1 |
13 May 1953 | 31 October 1967 | Disbanded | [16] |
| No. 51 Squadron RAF | Avro York C.1 | 1 December 1947 | 25 June 1949 | RAF Bassingbourn | [17] |
| No. 52 Squadron RAF | Hind | 18 January 1937 | 1 March 1937 | RAF Upwood | Reformed here.[17] |
| No. 53 Squadron RAF | Hastings C.1/C.2 Beverley C.1 |
1 January 1957 | 30 June 1963 | Disbanded | [18] |
| No. 59 Squadron RAF | York C.1 | 1 December 1947 | 25 June 1949 | RAF Bassingbourn | Detachment at Wunstorf Air Base for the Berlin Airlift.[19] |
| No. 62 Squadron RAF | Hind | 3 May 1937 | 12 July 1937 | RAF Cranfield | Reformed here.[19] |
| No. 63 Squadron RAF | Battle Avro AnsonI |
9 September 1939 | 17 September 1939 | RAF Benson | [19] |
| No. 97 Squadron RAF | Anson I Armstrong Whitworth Whitley II/III |
17 September 1939 | 8 April 1940 | Disbanded | [20] |
| No. 98 Squadron RAF | Hind | 17 February 1936 | 21 August 1936 | RAF Hucknall | Reformed here.[20] |
| No. 103 Squadron RAF | Battle | 15 June 1940 | 18 June 1940 | RAF Honington | [21] |
| No. 104 Squadron RAF | Hind | 7 January 1936 | 21 August 1936 | RAF Hucknall | [21] |
| No. 106 Squadron RAF | Hind Battle |
1 June 1938 | 1 September 1938 | RAF Thornaby | Reformed here.[22] |
| No. 147 Squadron RAF | No equipment | 1 February 1953 | 16 April 1953 | RAF Benson | Reformed here.[23] |
| No. 166 Squadron RAF | Whitley I/III | 17 September 1939 | 6 April 1940 | Disbanded | Detachment at RAF Jurby.[24] |
| No. 167 Squadron RAF | No equipment | 1 February 1953 | 16 April 1953 | RAF Benson | Reformed here.[24] |
| No. 185 Squadron RAF | Hind Battle |
1 March 1938 | 1 September 1938 | RAF Thornaby | Detachment at RAF Thornaby.[25] |
| No. 238 Squadron RAF | Dakota | 1 December 1946 | 24 November 1947 | RAF Oakington | Detachment at Schwechat.[26] |
| No. 242 Squadron RAF | York C.1 | 1 December 1947 | 25 June 1949 | RAF Lyneham | Detachment at Wunstorf.[27] |
| No. 525 Squadron RAF | Dakota | 31 October 1946 | 1 December 1946 | Disbanded | Detachment at Schwecat.[28] |
The following units were also here at some point:[29]
The operational training unit at RAF Abingdon suffered numerous air crashes from 1939 to 1946.[60][61] Many of the crashes were close to the airfield.[62]
