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RAF Ibsley

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Airport type
  
Military

In use
  
1940-1947 (1947)

02/20
  
3,283

Owner
  
Air Ministry

Location
  
Elevation AMSL
  
164 ft / 50 m

Year built
  
1940

RAF Ibsley RAF Ibsley The Real New Forest Guide

Operator
  
Royal Air ForceUnited States Army Air Forces

the first of the few raf ibsley


Royal Air Force Station 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 and about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of London.

Contents

Opened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. In the Second World War it was used primarily as a fighter airfield. After the war it was closed in 1947.

Today the remains of the airfield are mostly quarry lakes, with an abandoned control tower overlooking the water.

Raf ibsley hampshire


United States Army Air Forces use

RAF Ibsley Still watching over Ibsley

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. It's USAAF Station Code was "IB".

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Ibsley were:

  • 327th Service Group
  • 329th and 79th Service Squadrons; HHS 327th Service Group
    RAF Ibsley RAF Hurn RAF Ibsley

  • 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:

    RAF Ibsley Atlantikwallcouk

  • 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

    RAF Ibsley httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

    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:

  • 27th Fighter Squadron (HV)
  • 71st Fighter Squadron (LM)
  • 94th Fighter Squadron (UN)
  • 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

    With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the Ninth Air Force 48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina (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:

  • 492d Fighter Squadron (F4)
  • 493d Fighter Squadron (I7)
  • 494th Fighter Squadron (6M)
  • 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

    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:

  • 392d Fighter Squadron (H5)
  • 393d Fighter Squadron (8L)
  • 394th Fighter Squadron (4N)
  • 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 former RAF Ibsley is unrecognizable. The airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake being overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drive 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.

    References

    RAF Ibsley Wikipedia


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