Code AP Battles/wars Second World War Year built 1941 | In use 1941–1946 Elevation 61 m Owner Air Ministry | |
 | ||
Operator United States Army Air Forces
Royal Air Force Controlled by RAF Fighter Command (1941-1942)
Eighth Air Force (1942-1944)
Ninth Air Force (1944-1945)
RAF Flying Training Command (1945-1946) 05/23 1,825 metres (5,988 ft) Asphalt | ||
Royal Air Force Atcham or more simply RAF Atcham is a former Royal Air Force station located 5.0 miles (8.0 km) east of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park.
Contents
- Royal Air Force
- United States Army Air Forces use
- 495th Fighter Training Group
- Back to Royal Air Force control
- Current use
- Major units assigned
- References
Initially built for RAF Fighter Command, during the Second World War its primary use was by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force. It was mainly the home of the 495th Fighter Training Group, where pilots were trained to fly Republic P-47 Thunderbolts although a few also were trained to fly twin-engined Lockheed P-38 Lightnings for both Eighth and Ninth Air Force units. Atcham continued to see use as a training base until it was returned to the RAF in March 1945.
Royal Air Force
The airfield was opened in 1941 and was initially used by the Royal Air Force to house two squadrons of RAF Fighter Command with the first to arrive being 131 Squadron on 27 September 1941 with Supermarine Spitfires
It was planned to open RAF Condover as a satellite station but when it opened in 1942 the RAF had decided to hand over the Atcham for American use.
United States Army Air Forces use
To support the USAAF, jurisdiction of Atcham Airfield was transferred from RAF Fighter Command to the USAAF on 15 June 1942 when a number of RAF stations were turned over to the Americans. It was designated as Station 342 (AP).
USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Atcham were:
Regular Army Station Units included:
495th Fighter Training Group
The 495th Fighter Training Group was an Eighth Air Force Operational Training Unit (OTU) which was formed in England to train newly formed deployed fighter groups which arrived from the United States.
The unit was initially organized as the 6th Fighter Wing on 27 August 1942, under the control of VIII Fighter Command. During 1942 and early 1943, it trained pilots in combat operations as well as air-to-air-gunnery with the attached 1st Gunnery & Tow Target Flight. The training was conducted using Supermarine Spitfies and pilots drawn from the 67th Observation Group at RAF Membury (AAF-466) and RAF Middle Wallop (AAF-449).
The 6th Fighter Wing provided training to the following groups:
When the 14th Fighter Group moved out, the wing organization was discontinued and on 16 August the unit was re-designated as the 2906th Observation Training Group, and further was re-designated the 495th Fighter Training Group on 26 October 1943. The 495th switched its mission to a Replacement Training Group (RTU) and was assigned two RTU squadrons:
As a Combat Crew Replacement Centre, the squadrons flew a mixture of hand-me-down aircraft, primarily planes which were considered not combat-ready to high hours and being "war weary". It flew P-47 Thunderbolts, some P-38H Lightnings, and A-20 Havocs. Pilots trained were then assigned to both VIII Fighter Command and IX Fighter Command after completion of training for subsequent assignment to units as needed.
The 495 FTG stayed until February 1945, moving to RAF Cheddington. From August 1944 the Ninth AF P-38s from the 496 FTG/554 FTS from RAF Goxhill used Atcham as a training field.
Back to Royal Air Force control
Atcham was returned to the RAF Flying Training Command on 14 March 1945 becoming a satellite of RAF Ternhill. No. 5 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit ((P)AFU) and No. 6 Service Flying Training School (SFTS). No. 577 Squadron RAF target towing with Airspeed Oxfords, Spitfires and Vultee A-31 Vengeances used the airfield until the end of the war.
Atcham was abandoned on 22 October 1946 and disposed of on 20 January 1958.
Current use
With the end of military control, Atcham airfield was returned to farmland with the runways being broken up and removed and the control tower demolished.
Today there is little evidence of Atcham airfield. Some minor agricultural roads which were part of the perimeter track remain as access to farm fields, and the B4394 uses part of the former South West to North East runway. The three Callendar Hamilton hangars of the former technical site remain together in use with all the administration buildings, the whole complex forming the Atcham Industrial Estate northwest of the former airfield area.