The 1940s


 
Day Month Year Event
    1943 Construction of the station began by the McAlpine company and was to consist of a 2000 yard runway, two T2 hangars and 50 loop dispersals.
 
16th Sep 1943 The US 32nd General Field Hospital moved to the Fairford town area.
 
  Dec 1943 Before the station opened and while still under construction Airspeed Oxford training aircraft from No 3 (P) Advanced Flying Unit based at South Cerney used Fairford for flying training.
 
17th Jan 1944 A station opening party arrived in preparation for the official opening the next day.
 
18th Jan 1944 The RAF station opened as part of Number 38 (Airborne Forces) Group, RAF.
 
13th Feb 1944 Senior officers from No 38 Group HQ visited RAF Fairford by air, the station's first official aircraft movement.
18th Mar 1944 620 Squadron, RAF arrived  from RAF Leicester East with 50 Stirling aircraft and 100 Horsa gliders and immediately begun flying Special Operations Executive (SOE) support missions.  Most SOE missions saw aircraft from RAF Fairford stop at Tarrant Rushton airfield before heading off to Europe.
 
25th Mar 1944 190 Squadron, RAF arrived also with 50 Stirling IV aircraft and 25 Horsa gliders.
 
30th Mar 1944 190 and 620 Sqns were split into 9, 10, 23 and 24 Flights.  
 
29th Apr 1944 RAF Fairford lost its first Horsa glider when it crashed in the local Fairford area.
 
1st May 1944 The US 32nd Field Hospital left Fairford town and later became the first hospital to be setup in occupied France.
 
17th Apr 1944 A Horsa glider, LJ263, crashed into the RAF Fairford control tower.
 
22nd May 1944 The final exercise for D-Day took place, Exercise Turnaround.
 
2nd Jun 1944 The station was sealed in preparation for D Day.
 
5th Jun 1944 As part of D-Day RAF Fairford supported Operation Tonga when 45 Stirlings with 900 paratroopers from the 6th Airborne departed to secure bridges on the River Orne in France.
6th Jun 1944 Missions for Operation Mallard were flown as support for the previous day's Operation Tonga.  25 Stirlings supported D-Day+1 by transporting the 6th Airborne Landing Brigade to France as re-enforcements.
18th Jun 1944 190 Sqn took part in Op Townhall VIII, a large re-supply mission in Europe.
 
19th Jun 1944 4 Waco gliders arrived at RAF Fairford for trials with the Stirling tow aircraft.
 
29th Jun 1944 2886 Squadron of the RAF Regiment who were previously at RAF Fairford moved to the Hawkhinge area.
27th Jul 1944 A P-47D, 42-75863, crashed while taxiing at RAF Fairford.
 
  Jul 1944 Missions flown to support SOE and SAS operations over Europe increased to the rate of 20 a night.
22nd Jul 1944 RAF Fairford's aircraft continued to suffer losses, on this day two Stirlings, LJ 882 and LJ684, went missing while on missions over Europe.
 
28th Jul 1944 Two Dakotas ferried SAS troops from RAF Fairford to a landing site in Normandy, France.
  Aug 1944 With the D-Day invasion missions over RAF Fairford returned to flying SOE and SAS support missions each night.
 
6th Sep 1944 A Stirling aircraft, EF296, crashed on landing due to a burst tyre.
 
16 Sep 1944 190 and 620 Sqns towed 32 Horsa gliders to Rome/Crompton, Italy as part of Operation Molton to retrieve survivors.
 
16th Sep 1944 Operation Market Garden missions were launched in support of Arneham.  Pathfinders from 21 Landing Company left RAF Fairford in 12 Stirlings.
 
5th Oct 1944 An advanced party moved to RAF Great Dunmow, Essex to prepare for the moving of 190 and 620 Sqns there.
 
14th Oct 1944 190 Sqn left RAF Fairford for RAF Great Dunmow as the front line moved from France to Holland. 
16th Oct 1944 620 Sqn and the station HQ left Fairford for RAF Great Dunmow.  RAF Fairford became a satellite station of RAF Keevil.
 
20th Oct 1944 Albemarle aircraft with Waco and Horsa gliders from Flights C, D and F of the 22nd Heavy Glider Conversion Unit moved to RAF Fairford.
 
12th Dec 1944 Ninety-seven C-47s from the 50th Troop Carrier Wing stopped at RAF Fairford for 3 days before returning to their base in France when their exercise was cancelled.
 
21st Oct 1945 The Flights from 22 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit moved from RAF Fairford to their parent station RAF Blakehill Farm.
 
27th Jan 1946 1529 Radio Aids Training Flight with Oxfords moved to RAF Fairford until mid 1946.
 
Jan 1946 1556 Radio Aids Training Flight came to RAF Fairford until July.
 
  Feb 1946 1555 Radio Aids Training Flight came to RAF Fairford, staying longer than the others until August 1947.
  Sep 1946 47 Squadron arrived with Halifax Mk7 aircraft and carried out exercises with airborne forces before moving to Dishforth in Sept 1948.
 
  Apr 1947 It was approved for RAF Fairford to accept in the near future up to 24 aircraft, 2 Squadrons and 283 Wing.
14th Apr 1947 283 Wing RAF and 113 Squadron arrived at RAF Fairford with the task of providing the 6th Airborne Division with transport training.  283 Wing HQ moved to RAF Fairford from Palestine.
21st Aug 1947 297 Squadron moved to RAF Fairford from RAF Brize Norton with Halifax aircraft.
 
19th Sep 1947 295 Squadron was reformed with Halifax aircraft but disbanded in Oct 1948.
 
22nd Oct 1947 By this time RAF Fairford was home to 24 Halifax, 5 Hamilcar gliders, 1 Oxford and 1 Tiger Moth aircraft.
7th Aug 1948 The UK government approved a request by the United States to operate heavy bombers from airfields in England.
 
Sep 1948 As part of a reduction in forces 295 and 297 Sqns were reduced to 12 Halifax aircraft.
 
15th Sep 1948 113 Sqn was disbanded at RAF Fairford, while 47 Sqn moved to Dishforth.
 
1st Oct 1948 295 Sqn was disbanded and became part of 297 Sqn.
 
1st Nov 1948 297 Sqn left Fairford for Dishforth.
 
13th Dec 1948 A Harvard, FT224, crashed close to Fairford.
 
Dec 1948 Wartime station RAF Fairford was closed.
 
  Aug 1949 Until June 1950 RAF Fairford's runway was used by 204 Advanced Flying School based at nearby RAF Brize Norton who flew Mosquito training aircraft.



 

To the 1950s - Click Here
Back to the History Index - Click Here