see www.hants.gov.uk for what is on in Hampshire
Pictures of Chilbolton taken by Doreen Rowles, Alan Crisp and others at various other times of the year
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| An aeriel photo showing the field around 1944 | |
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"The hour of our greatest efforts and actions is approaching...The flashing eyes of all our soldiers, sailors and airmen must be fixed upon the enemy" Winston Churchill, broadcast, March 1944.
This section is principally about Chilbolton Airfield situated around what is now the Stonefields Estate and the part it played in World War 11. However, we should not forget the eighteen men who were killed in the First War.
Many thanks must go to Eleanor M.Lockyer who has written extensively on the airfield in her books English Airfields 1941-1945 and a follow up book English Airfields 1945-62. These books are available at the Village Shop or at the Army Air force Museum at Middle Wallop. I have also dipped into HAMPSHIRE AIRFIELDS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Robin Brooks
Mr Lockyer tells that her father who ran the village shop and Post Office in the village received a telephone call from the Ministry of Defence. He was asked if he had a car and could he collect a surveyor they were sending to Fullerton Station (now defunct but it was just North of the Mayfly). Mr Hunt was to take the surveyor to Chilbolton Downs and assist him in setting out the position of the runways and the location of buildings, which were to be built on the site. Therefore, the airfield was born. From this site, the first pilots over the Normandy beaches were from Chilbolton. Chilbolton Squadrons were the first to land in France and from Chilbolton came the first man to shake the hand of the first Russian at the Elbe so cutting Germany in half. So, Chilbolton Down went from a field, bounded by ancient drover’s road, where sheep grazed and wild flowers grew to being an important part of the allied invasion plans.
Eleanor’s book contain all that you would want to know so this introduction gives the web sites where more information can be found and a potted history of some of the planes which flew from Chilbolton. I would be happy to receive details of any other web sites, which exist about the men, and machines, which flew from here.
www.controltowers.co.uk www.rememberseptember44.com
www.wartimememories.co.uk www.democracyonline.org
www.arnheim1944.com www.326airborneclan.com
Work began in 1939 on levelling 145 acres of land belonging to Manor Farm. Chilbolton was intended as a dispersal and satellite airfield for Middle Wallop. On the 30th September 1940 238 Squadron equipped with Hurricane 1s flew the short distance to Chilbolton and the base was opened for business. In later years many squadrons were based here including 308 (Krakow) the Polish airmen to be replaced with the 502 Squadron flying Spitfire 11A’s. Other Squadrons would follow, some just for a few weeks.
As with many of the early war time airfields this was a grass field and subject to water logging. This was fine with light aircraft but when the field was taken over in March 1944 by the 9th Air Force of the US AAF with heavy P47 Thunderbirds of the 395th, 396th and 397th the surface had to be improved as the planes were taking off covered in mud.
In June 1944 Thunderbirds from Chilbolton attacked enemy installation in France as a preparation to the D-Day landings. The USAAF used the field to bring back injured men from France to be tended in the temporary hospital in Stockbridge. The 442nd Troup Carrier Group were used for this exercise.
Operation Market garden, the ill-fated air borne landing in Holland was assisted by 45 C47’s from Chilbolton out of 1,200 planes that took part.
The War over Chilbolton was returned to the RAF when a variety of units were based here. IN February 1946 concrete runways were laid so that the 247 squadron could fly the RAF’s new jet Vampires. When these planes left for West Malling on the 1st June 1946 the base was left to be returned to care and maintenance but was to embark on a new career of experimental and test flying for Vickers and Super marine. The work on the Swift, a plane built by Folland and later the Gnat and the Midge were centred here.
The site had been used occasionally during the 30s by private light aircraft. In 1936 the Ministry of Works marked out the site of a prospective airfield.The airfield was listed as under construction by 1938,though little appears to have been done at that time.At this stage the surface was grass.Hard runways were to come later.The airfield was used by RAF 11 group Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain ,and the RAF continued to use the airfield until it was allocated to the USAAF in November 1942.This is a schedule of the RAF & US squadrons who used the field.
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| Tempest fighter | |
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26 Sq,Mustang I/Spitfire XIV,arr 23/5/45,dep 20/8/45.
54 Sq,Tempest F2,arr 15/11/45,dep 28/6/46.
174 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 1/3/43,dep 11/3/43.
183 Sq,Spitfire IX,arr 17/6/45,dep 8/10/45.
183 Sq Tempest II,arr 15/11/45,Disbanded 15/11/45.
184 Sq,Hurricane IID,arr 1/3/43,dep 11/3/43.
222 Sq,Tempest V,arr 10/9/45,dep n15/9/45.
238 Sq,Hurricane I,arr 30/9/40,dep 1/41.
238 Sq,Hurricane IIA,arr 1/2/41,dep 1/4/41,
238 Sq,Hurricane I,arr 16/4/41,dep 20/5/41.
245 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 1/9/41,dep 17/11/41.
245 Sq,Hurricane IIB,arr 23/11/41,dep 19/12/41.
247 Sq,Tempest F2/Typhoon Ib,arr 20/8/45,dep 7/1/46.
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| A Squadron of Vampires | |
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247 Sq,Tempest F2/Vampire F1,arr 16/2/46,dep 1/6/46
247 Sq,Vampire F1,arr 12/6/46,dep 27/6/46.
308 Sq,Spitfire IIA,arr 31/5/41,dep 24/6/41.
501 Sq,Spitfire IIA,arr 25/6/41,dep 5/8/41.
504 Sq Hurricane IIB,arr 11/8/41,dep26/8/41.
41 OTU,Hurricane/Spitfire/Master/Martinet arr 3/45,disbanded 26/6/45
Glider Pilots Exercise Unit,Tiger Moth/Master/Hotspur. arr Dec-Jan 1941
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| A P-47D, there is a better photo a little further down | |
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368 FG/395-396-397 FS,P-47D,(Aircraft Codes:A7/C2/D3)arr 15/3/44,dep 19/6/44
442 TCG/303-304-305 TCS,C-47,(Aircraft codes:J7/V4/4J)arr 11/9/44,dep 10/44
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The first plane to be featured is the Hawker Hurricane which was a simple rugged fighter, easy to fly and capable of taking punishment. Hawker Hurricane was the first operational R.A.F. aircraft capable of a top speed in excess of 300 m.p.h. The design of the Hurricane, directed by Sydney Camm, was the outcome of discussions with the Directorate of Technical Development towards the end of 1933, aimed at breaking the deadlocked biplane formula. In these discussions Camm proposed a monoplane, based otherwise on his Fury biplane, using the proposed new Rolls-Royce P.V.12 engine (later to become the Merlin), and in time incorporating a retractable undercarriage. Originally his Fury biplane, using the proposed new Rolls-Royce P.V.12 engine (later to become the Merlin), and in time incorporating a retractable undercarriage. Originally, in concert with current armament requirements, a four-gun battery was proposed; but in 1934, with successful negotiations to licence-build the reliable Colt machine gun, it was deemed possible to mount an eight-gun battery in the wings, unrestricted by the propeller arc and thus dispensing with synchronising gear.
The first Fighter Command squadron to receive Hurricanes was No. 111, commanded by Sqdn. Ldr. John Gillan, based at Northolt before Christmas 1937; and it was the squadron's C.O. who flew one of the new fighters from Turnhouse, Edinburgh to Northolt, London at an average ground speed of 408.75 mph (659.27km/h) - a feat which earned the pilot the nickname "Downwind Gillan" for all time. Nos. 3 and 56 Squadrons took delivery during 1938, though the latter was not operational at the time of the Munich Crisis in September of that year. By the outbreak of war a year, later 497 Hurricanes had been completed from an order book totalling no less than 3,500. At about this time the Gloster Aircraft Company started sub-contract manufacture of the standard Mark 1, which was now emerging from the factories with metal wings and three-blade variable-pitch propellers. One final refinement was adopted between the outbreak of war and the opening of the Battle of Britain; this was the Rotol constant-speed propeller, which, apart from enabling the pilot to select an optimum pitches, for take-off, climb, cruise and combat (thus bestowing a better performance under some of these conditions) prevented the engine from overheating in a dive.
1,715 Hurricanes flew with Fighter Command during the period of the Battle, far in excess of all other British fighters combined. Having entered service a year before the Spitfire, the Hurricane was "half-a-generation" older, and was markedly inferior in terms of speed and climb. However, the Hurricane was a robust, manoeuvrable aircraft capable of sustaining fearsome combat damage before write-off; and unlike the Spitfire, it was a wholly operational, go-anywhere do-anything fighter by July 1940. It is estimated that its pilots were credited with four-fifths of all enemy aircraft destroyed in the period July-October 1940. 238 Fighter Squadron was the first squadron to be stationed at Chilbolton and they were equipped with Hurricanes.
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The ancestry of the Spitfire can be traced back to the failed Supermarine Type 224, designed to meet the Air Ministry specification F.7/30 by Reginald J. Mitchell, creator of the magnificent Supermarine seaplanes which won three successive Schneider Trophy contests. The Type 224 was a gull-winged monoplane with a fixed "trousered" undercarriage, powered by a 600-h.p. Rolls-Royce engine, and Mitchell was dissatisfied with it even before it flew. He began to design a new aircraft as a private venture; the conception was revised twice, to incorporate the new P.V.12 (Merlin) engine and an eight-gun battery and the final design was accepted by the Air Ministry in January 1935, the new specification F.37/34 being "written around it" for contract purposes. The prototype first flew on 5th March 1936.
The first order for 310 machines was placed three months later, followed by a further 200 the following year shortly before the tragic death of its designer at the age of 42. In April 1938 the Nuffield Organisation was awarded an order for 1,000 Spitfires to be built at a shadow plant planned for Castle Bromwich near Birmingham, and further orders in 1939 brought the number of aircraft on the order book to a total of 2,143 by. A total of 1,583 Spitfire Is were built. Deliveries of the Mk. II (basically a Mk. I powered by a 1,175-h.p. Merlin XII) began in June 1940, but widespread re-equipment with the new version did not commence until the following winter, and it was the Mk. 1 which bore the brunt of the fighting during the Battle of Britain; by July 7th nineteen Fighter Command Squadrons were operational with the type. The 308th Squadron landed at Chilbolton with their new Spitfires on 1st June 1941, it was a Polish Squadron commanded by Group Captain Elliott.
The Spitfire has always attracted more attention than the Hurricane, and is undoubtedly one of the most famous aircraft ever built. Its graceful lines combined with outstanding handling qualities to produce a "dream plane" extremely fast, and in comparison to contemporary types was second to none. German airmen also said they had been shoot down by a Spitfire rather than by a Hurricane.
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| Airspeed Horsa Glider and its Dakota tug leaving Chilbolton | |
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"Flasks of hot tea and jam sandwiches were collected for use on the flight" Private Ron Gregory, paratrooper who dropped over France on D-Day.
Chilbolton's main success was as a base for gliders. Its location high on a hill and close to Normandy, in a straight line, made it a natural place to locate a glider station. Netheravon in Wiltshire was the main base for training airborne troups for D-Day and Chilbolton became a satellite station.The Army's development of troop-carrying gliders began in 1941, with experimental contracts for a series of prototypes to meet two separate specifications. The first requirement was for an 8-9 seat transport, and contracts were placed for single prototypes of the Frankfort Model TCC-4l as the XCG-1 (41-2961 5); the Waco NYQ-3 as XCG-3 (41-29617); the St. Louis XCG-5 (41-29619) and the Bowlus XCG-7 (41-29621). The second type was to be a larger, I 5-seat glider, and the same fout companies each received contracts for a single prototype of this type as follows: Frankfort TCC-21 as XCG-2 (41-29616); Waco XCG-4 (41-29618); St. Louis XCG-6 (41-29620) and the Bowlus XCG-8 (41-29622).
Of the eight prototypes ordered, all but the XCG-l, XCG-2 and XCG-6 were completed and test-flown but no further development of the St. Louis or Bowlus designs occurred, only the two Waco types reaching quantity production. The CG-4which had the ability to carry Jeeps became the first and most-widely used US and British. troop glider; these were widely used from Chilbolton.
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| Mustang's protecting a flight of B17 bombers | |
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A saying came about in WWII that describes the Mustang well: "The Mustang won't do what a Spitfire does, but it does it over Berlin". P51s Mustang had a staggering amount of fuel capacity hidden in their sleek lines, and with the addition of disposable external fuel tanks could range upwards of 2,000 miles - full operational distance for most bombers. They weren't the best turning planes in the air, but by the time they were widely in use pilots understood that turning was a very limited performance characteristic in combat - what was required of newer fighters was speed. And the P51 had it in droves; it was faster than almost everything in the air, climbed reasonably well, and suffered much less high speed maneuverability loss than most of its opponents, due to the wing design. When it came to high speed fights the P51 was very much in its element - it had flaps specifically designed to deploy at almost any speed, an airframe with tolerances that reached into high G range, good dive acceleration, and steady horsepower even at very high altitude. Their range of 2,000 miles took them deep into Germany and the losses on the bomber raids were cut dramatically when the Mustang's were riding shot-gun.
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As the war drew to a close more and different fighter planes were delivered to Chilbolton. In March 1944 the first P-47 Thunderbolts arrived with the 388th Fighter Group.These tough little planes were used with great effect over the beaches of Normandy. On the cover of Eleanor's book Chilbolton Memories 1941-45 there is a great picture of the P-47s over the beaches.Affectionately nicknamed "Jug," the P-47 was one of the most famous AAF fighter planes of WW II. Although originally conceived as a lightweight interceptor, the P-47 developed as a heavyweight fighter and made its first flight on May 6, 1941. The first production model was delivered to the AAF in March 1942, and in April 1943 the Thunderbolt flew its first combat mission--a sweep over Western Europe. Used as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber, the P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness. Its sturdy construction and air-cooled radial engine enabled the Thunderbolt to absorb severe battle damage and keep flying. During WW II, the P-47 served in almost every active war theater and in the forces of several Allied nations. By the end of WW II, more than 15,600 Thunderbolts had been built.
To learn how to fly a P-47 go to <http://airpowerstock.moorecastsites.com/upload_user/P47.wmv>
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| The flight paths, Chilbolton gliders had quite a distance to fly | |
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Operation Market Garden
Chilbolton airmen and members of the airborne were to take part in a final major assult upon occupied Europe. The operation was an airborne attack deep in the enemy's rear areas to be launched in mid-September 1944 in conjunction with a ground attack by the British Second Army. The two attacks were known collectively as Operation MARKET-GARDEN. The airborne attack was designed to lay a carpet of airborne troops along a narrow corridor extending approximately eighty miles into Holland from Eindhoven northward to Arnhem. The airborne troops were to secure bridges across a number of canals as well as across three major water barriers-the Maas, the Waal (the main downstream branch of the Rhine). Early in the hectic week of planning, from September 10 to September 17, Lt. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, made one bold decision that changed the whole character of the operation. It would be a daylight jump. That was a gamble on Allied superiority in the air. The objective area was northeast of the major Belgian seaport of Antwerp. The airborne effort was designed to assist the advance of the British Second Army into Holland so it could attack eastward over the Neder Rhine River into Germany. It was essential that the British armor advance rapidly. The British would drop their 1st Airborne Division, assisted by a brigade of Polish paratroopers, at Arnhem on the other side of the Rhine. The decision on H-hour was to be made 72 hours after receipt of photographic intelligence shortly before the launch of the airborne operation a Spitfire from a photo-recce-squadron clearly showed modern Mark III and Mark IV tanks close to Arnhem. But Lt. General Browning Commander Airborne Corps Headquarters, did not trust the information and didn't want to cancel the operation just two days before its launch.
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| The Rhine bridge, a big target to take and hold | |
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The major advantage to be gained from the Market Garden operation was apparent. A thrust north across the Rhine River would flank the Siegfried Line and allow the Allies to launch armored assaults across the Westphalia Plain.The 326th/101st Airborne from Chilbolton were to land on Sunday 17th September in 65 gliders in an area east of Best and hold the Wilhelmin bridge and take the city of Eindhoven.The gliders brought in 252 men, 32 jeeps and 32 trailers with platoons of the 326th, the engineers.
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| One of the many C47s who flew troops and gliders to Arnhem | |
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The battle for the bridge has been the subject of many books and a great film. Chilbolton and those who flew and were dropped from here played an important part in this great tragic battle. Unfortunately this jump to freedom did not reach far enough; the capture of the bridge at Arnhem failed. On September 25th only 2,164 of the 10,000 men were able to cross the Rhine. This brought to an end the battle for Arnhem. More than 1.200 had been killed and 6.642 were missing, wounded or had been taken prisoner. From the allied side, the Operation Market Garden had made 17,000 victims and on German side between 13.00 and 15,000. It was hoped that Operation Market Garden would shorten the war, but the largest airborne operation of World War II failed in its main objectives. It would be 14th April 1945 before the Allies returned to Arnhem.
In Stonefields Estate there is a simple memorial to all those members of the Airborne forces who did not return. Every year a memorial service is held.
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This is a poem I found written by a Mr Scott, no further details yet, who served, or so it seems, at Chilbolton.
Chilbolton Airfield
Old airfield acres, could you know,
That I lived upon years ago,
I come now to relive the days,
When fighters sped, where sheep now graze.
And as I pass the river flows,
Rippling softly as it goes,
Here we swam, we splashed about,
Now only the swims the quick brown trout.
High up, where the contrails bloomed,
Where fighting aircraft dived and zoomed,
The vanquished swiftly realized then,
That there never were immortal men.
I well recall a big air fight,
How a bomber slid into my sight,
The brain alert, but my heart was numb,
Then death by the pressing of my thumb.
Here in the lane where lovers met,
Do tiny echoes linger yet,
Do I hear whispers, or the breeze,
Sighing softly through the wayside trees?
Soft music drifts to where I stand,
Old gramophone, an old time band,
A crooner sings, and tells a tale,
Of a bird that sang in a London square.
The old tune fades, like a soft echo,
The time-trap closes, and I turn to go,
I am released from nostalgia’s spell,
To Chilbolton now, a last farewell.
Website by Tony Blighe at 123Live (updatable websites)
Email: aii@lineone.net Website: www.123live.co.uk