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RAF Ibsley

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Coordinates: 50°52′46″N 001°46′50″W / 50.87944°N 1.78056°W / 50.87944; -1.78056
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RAF Ibsley
USAAF Station AAF-347
Ibsley, Hampshire in England
Aerial Photo of Ibsley Airfield, January 1944. Note the runway extension to the 01 runway at the south side of the airfield, with the perimeter track extension.
RAF Ibsley is located in Hampshire
RAF Ibsley
RAF Ibsley
Shown within Hampshire
RAF Ibsley is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Ibsley
RAF Ibsley
RAF Ibsley (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates50°52′46″N 001°46′50″W / 50.87944°N 1.78056°W / 50.87944; -1.78056
TypeRoyal Air Force station
CodeIB[1]
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
1942 & 1944
Controlled byRAF Fighter Command
1941-42 & 1942-44 & 1944-45
* No. 10 Group RAF
* No. 11 Group RAF
RAF Transport Command
1945-47
* No. 46 Group RAF
Site history
Built1940 (1940)/41
In useFebruary 1941 - 1947 (1947)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation24 metres (79 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
01/19 1,320 metres (4,331 ft) Grass
05/23 1,140 metres (3,740 ft) Grass
14/32 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) Grass

Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about 2 miles (3 km) north of Ringwood.

A perimeter track with three runways were laid out and 18 fighter pens allowing 46 fighters to stand in relative safety. Twelve Blister, and two Bellman hangars, were built and ten dispersed accommodation sites were laid out to the north for the airmen and women. A double cupola Battle Head Quarters, two Control Towers (one small and one large).[2]

History

RAF Ibsley on a target dossier of the German Luftwaffe, 1942

Royal Air Force

Ibsley was built between 1940 and early 1941 (opening in February of 1941), and was 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Ringwood.[3] Parts of the base had been built on Ibsley Common, including blast walls, a bunker and some accommodation blocks.[4] The airfield was initially used by No. 32 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes, followed by No. 118 Squadron RAF with Supermarine Spitfires.[5]

In 1941 it was used as a location for the film The First of the Few.[6]

The following units were here at some point:[7]

Ibsley was also used, for short periods, in 1942 and 1944, by the United States Army Air Forces.[8]

United States Army Air Forces use

Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "IB".

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Ibsley were:[9]

  • 327th Service Group[10]
329th and 79th Service Squadrons; HHS 327th Service Group
  • 21st Weather Squadron
  • 32nd Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron
  • 3rd Radio Squadron
  • 40th Mobile Communications Squadron
  • 83rd Airdrome Squadron
  • 98th Station Complement Squadron
  • Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (70th Fighter Wing)

Regular Army Station Units included:

  • 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion
  • 692nd Quartermaster Battalion
  • 926th Signal Battalion
  • 1113th Signal Company
  • 1180th Quartermaster Company
  • 1292nd Military Police Company
  • 1829th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company
  • 2200th Quartermaster Truck Company
  • 332nd Signal Company
  • 807th Chemical Company (Air Operations)
  • 878th Signal Depot Company
  • 900th Signal Depot Company

1st Fighter Group

The first USAAF unit to use Ibsley was the Eighth Air Force 1st Fighter Group, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived from RAF Goxhill on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:

The stay of the 1st FG was short, being assigned to Twelfth Air Force for duty in the Mediterranean theater in support of the Operation Torch North African landings.

On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the Ninth Air Force.

48th Fighter Group

Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt Serial 44-33204 of the 493d Fighter Squadron
P-47Ds of the 48th Fighter Group at an advanced landing ground

With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the Ninth Air Force 48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina (32°55′19″N 80°38′00″W / 32.921817°N 80.633297°W / 32.921817; -80.633297 (Waterboro AAF)). The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:

The 48th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel left.

367th Fighter Group

Lockheed P-38 Lightning of the 394th Fighter Squadron wearing D-Day invasion markings, June 1944

Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the 367th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:

The 367th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.

Current use

Today the airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake is overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower, although plans for The Landmark Trust to restore and repurpose this building as holiday accommodation were revealed by The Guardian newspaper in July 2023. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drove at the southern part of the airfield.

A small memorial is located near the control tower 50°52′45″N 001°46′34.00″W / 50.87917°N 1.7761111°W / 50.87917; -1.7761111.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Citations

  1. ^ a b Falconer 2012, p. 117.
  2. ^ "RAF Ibsley, Hampshire Airfield Site". atlantikwall.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  3. ^ Delve 2005, p. 145.
  4. ^ Winchester, Angus J. L. (2022). Common land in Britain: a history from the Middle Ages to the present day. Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press. p. 261. ISBN 978-1-78327-743-8.
  5. ^ "RAF Ibsley – Real New Forest Guide". 14 April 2020.
  6. ^ "RAF Ibsley – Real New Forest Guide". 14 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Ibsley". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. ^ Delve 2005, p. 144.
  9. ^ "Ibsley Airfield". americanairmuseum.com. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  10. ^ "327th Service Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 16 March 2015.

Bibliography

  • Delve, Ken (2005). The Military Airfields of Britain: Southern Britain. Marlborough: Crowood. ISBN 1861267290.
  • Falconer, Jonathan (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0-900913-80-0
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1-85409-272-3
  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  • www.controltowers.co.uk RAF Ibsley
  • British Automobile Association (AA), (1978), Complete Atlas of Britain, ISBN 0-86145-005-1
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