RAF Down Ampney

Aerial photograph of Down Ampney airfield. The bomb dump is to the right (east) of the airfield, the technical site and barrack sites are to the left, 4 December 1943

IATA: none – ICAO: none

Summary

Owner

Air Ministry

Operator

Royal Air Force

Location

Down Ampney, Gloucestershire

Built

1943

In use

1944-1947

Elevation AMSL

270 ft / 82 m

Coordinates

51°40′01″N 01°50′22″W / 51.66694°N 1.83944°WCoordinates: 51°40′01″N 01°50′22″W / 51.66694°N 1.83944°W

Map

RAF Down Ampney

Location in Gloucestershire

Runways

Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
03/21	6,000	1,829	Asphalt
09/27	4,200	1,280	Asphalt
15/33	4,200	1,280	Asphalt

RAF Down Ampney was a Royal Air Force station located 1.8 miles (2.9 km) north east of Cricklade, Wiltshire and 3 miles (4.8 km) south west of RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. The airfield operated during World War II from February 1944 until February 1947.

Down Ampney was part of a group of 3 airfields with RAF Broadwell and RAF Blakehill Farm dedicated to air transportation.

Based units

No. 48 Squadron RAF and No. 271 Squadron RAF flew Douglas Dakotas on major missions. On D-Day they dropped the main elements of the 3rd Parachute Brigade in Normandy as well as towing Airspeed Horsa gliders across the English Channel. They were also active in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem) and the Rhine crossing.

Memorial

A memorial has been erected at the southern end of what was the main runway.^[1] which reads:

FROM THIS AIRFIELD IN 1944-5

DOUGLAS DAKOTAS FROM 48 AND
271 SQUADRONS RAF TRANSPORT
COMMAND CARRIED THE 1ST AND 6TH
AIRBORNE DIVISIONS UNITS OF
THE AIR DESPATCH REGIMENT
AND HORSA GLIDERS FLOWN BY
THE GLIDER PILOTS REGIMENT TO
NORMANDY - ARNHEM AND ON THE
CROSSING THE RHINE OPERATIONS
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

References

Citations

↑ RAF memorial

External links

Defunct airports and airfields in the United Kingdom

Civilian	Alexandra Park Bristol (Whitchurch) Bristol Filton Castle Bromwich Christchurch Cricklewood Croydon Derby Gravesend Great West Aerodrome Hatfield Hendon Heston Hounslow Heath Ipswich Leavesden London Air Park Lympne Maidstone Manchester (Wythenshawe) Marden Newhaven Penshurst Plymouth City Ramsgate Renfrew Samlesbury Sheffield City Stag Lane Stanley Park Trafford Park Walsall

RAF	Ansty Ashbourne Atherstone Bradwell Bay Castle Archdale Down Ampney Honiley Mepal Snitterfield

Royal Air Force

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Associated civil organizations	Air Training Corps RAF Association RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine RAF Football Association

Equipment	List of RAF aircraft List of RAF missiles

Personnel	Officer ranks Other ranks List of personnel

Appointments	Chief of Air Staff Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Air Secretary Air Member for Materiel Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer

Symbols and uniform	Ensign Badge Roundels Uniform

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This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.