Airport type Military In use 1944–1952 | ||
 | ||
Similar Weston Big Wood, Friends of Biss Meadows, RAF Bassingbourn, Coate Water Country P, Joint Helicopter Comman | ||
Raf blakehill farm tribute
RAF Blakehill Farm was an RAF airfield southwest of Cricklade in Wiltshire, England, operational between 1944 and 1952.
Contents
History
The station was originally allocated to the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force but not used. It opened in 1944 and was home for transport aircraft of No. 46 Group Transport Command. In 1948 the airfield was a satellite of RAF South Cerney, and was used by training aircraft until the airfield closed in 1952 and was returned to agricultural use. The site is now a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve.
Units and aircraft
The following units were here at some point:
Post-war intelligence role
After the Second World War, GCHQ set up an "experimental radio station", a top secret research facility, on the site. It consisted of huge communications masts arranged in mysterious patterns in the middle of the old airfield. The site was still active in some capacity until the mid-1990s and traces of the former aerial mast bases can still be seen on satellite photographs.
