The 1950s
Day Month Year  
7 Jul 1950 The United States Air Force's 7507th Air Base Squadron was formed at RAF Fairford under the command of Major Flood and USAFE.
 
29 Jul 1950 The 817th Engineering Aviation Battalion arrived.
 
18 Aug 1950 Construction plans to build an 8000'x150' runway with two 1000' overruns were agreed upon.
 
22 Sep 1950 An RAF Anson aircraft, UP513, had its tail unit collapse on landing at RAF Fairford when officers from HQ 3 Grp visited.
 
  Oct 1950 A Tiger Moth aircraft was delivered to the RAF Fairford Station Flight for flying practice use.
 
30 Dec 1950 Nine B-50s of the 93rd Bomb Wing based at RAF Marham arrived at RAF Fairford, with air traffic control operating out of a C-47.  They returned to RAF Marham on 4th January.
 
21 Apr 1951 A Company of the 804th EAB arrived at RAF Fairford to help with construction work.
 
3 May 1951 The 7th Air Division became part of the new 3rd Air Force while Fairford was being improved to handle B-29 and B-50 bombers. 
 
18 May 1951 The 7507th ABS became the 7507th Air Base Group.
 
19 May 1951 A new unit, the 2nd Aviation Field Depot Squadron were formed at RAF Fairford to handle munitions.
 
25 May 1951 The 7507th Air Police Sqn, Food Services Sqn, Installations Sqn, Medical Sqn, Motor Vehicle Sqn, Operations Sqn and Supply Sqn were formed at RAF Fairford.
 
1 Jul 1951 RAF Fairford was transferred to the USAF with just 3 RAF officers remaining for liaison duties.
 
10 Mar 1952 The 7522nd Air Base Sqn were assigned to RAF Fairford.
 
1 Jul 1952 The 7582nd Air Base Sqn were assigned to RAF Fairford.
 
1 Aug 1952 The 7582nd Air Base Sqn left RAF Fairford.
 
26 Aug 1952 A Prentice trainer, VS394, crashed during formation practice while over RAF Fairford.
 
16 Oct 1952 The base was transferred to the Strategic Air Command and the 7507th renamed the 3919th ABG.
 
10 Nov 1952 The 7522nd Air Base Sqn left RAF Fairford.
 
7 Feb 1953 The first residents arrived, seventeen B-36 bombers from Carswell AFB.
 
7 Feb 1953 A B-36 flew for 30 miles after its crew baled out before crashing near Chippenham.
 
7 Apr 1953 The first two B-47s arrived at RAF Fairford for a short stay on a proving flight.
 
2 Jun 1953 The first deployment of forty-five B-47s arrived from 306th Bomb Wing in the US with an Atlantic crossing of less than six hours.
 
28 Jul 1953 A 305th BW B-47 flew from Maine, USA to RAF Fairford in 4h45m 
 
4 Sep 1953 Forty-five B-47s of the 305th BW flew from Florida to Fairford to replace the forty-five from the 306th BW who flew back home to Florida.
 
Nov 1953 The first B-47E deployment to the UK arrived at RAF Fairford.
 
28 Apr 1954 The 303rd Air Refueling Sqn, 303rd Armament and Electrical Maint Sqn, 303rd Bomb Wing, 303rd Field Maint Sqn, 303rd Periodic Maint Sqn, 303rd Tactical Hospital, 358th Bomb Sqn, 359th Bomb Sqn and 360th Bomb Sqn arrived at RAF Fairford.
 
8 May 1954 Three RB-47E aircraft leave RAF Fairford for a secret mission over the Soviet Union.
 
5 Jun 1954 The 303rd Air Refueling Sqn, 303rd Armament and Electrical Maint Sqn, 303rd Bomb Wing, 303rd Field Maint Sqn, 303rd Periodic Maint Sqn, 303rd Tactical Hospital, 358th Bomb Sqn, 359th Bomb Sqn and 360th Bomb Sqn left RAF Fairford.
 
19 Jun 1954 The 68th Field Maint Sqn arrived at RAF Fairford.
 
Jul 1954 Reconnaissance aircraft RB-47Fs from the 5th SRW visited RAF Fairford.
 
  Jul 1954 Also in July three squadrons of B-47Es from the 43rd BW came to Fairford for a three month deployment.
 
20 Jul 1954 A B-47E, 51-1738, from the 68th Bomb Wing crashed on take off.
 
4 Aug 1954 The 68th Field Maint Sqn left RAF Fairford.
 
6 Aug 1954 Another B-47E, 51-2382, crashed after stalling on take off 2 miles from Fairford, all four onboard were killed.
 
18 Sep 1954 The 43rd Air Refueling Sqn, 43rd Armament and Electrical Maint Sqn, 43rd Bomb Wing, 43rd Field Maint Sqn, 43rd Periodic Maint Sqn, 43rd Tactical Hospital, 63rd Bomb Sqn, 64th Bomb Sqn and 65 Bomb Sqn arrived at RAF Fairford
 
  Dec 1954 A Fairford based B-47 flew for 47 hours 35 minutes covering 21,000 miles to test the potential range of the aircraft.
 
9 Dec 1954 The 43rd Air Refueling Sqn, 43rd Armament and Electrical Maint Sqn, 43rd Bomb Wing, 43rd Field Maint Sqn, 43rd Periodic Maint Sqn, 43rd Tactical Hospital, 63rd Bomb Sqn, 64th Bomb Sqn and 65 Bomb Sqn left RAF Fairford.
 
Apr 1955 Exercise Boiler Maker saw sixty B-47s recover to Fairford.
 
1 May 1955 The Provisional Fairford Task Force was formed, all other details unknown.
 
22 May 1955 The 1st Bomb Sqn, 9th Field Maint Sqn and 99th Bomb Sqn arrived at Fairford.
 
24 May 1955 The 9th Armament and Electrical Maint Sqn and 9th Periodic Maint Sqn arrived.
 
8 Jul 1955 The 1st Bomb Sqn left Fairford.
 
9 Jul 1955 The 9th Armament and Electrical Maint Sqn, 9th Periodic Maint Sqn, 9th Field Maint Sqn and 99th Bomb Sqn left.
 
15 Oct 1955 The 3919th ABG was renamed the 3919th Support Squadron.
 
15 Oct 1955 The 3919th (7507th) Air Police Sqn, Food Services Sqn, Medical Sqn and Motor Vehicles Sqn left.
 
1 May 1955 A B-47E, 52-0386, crashed on take off from RAF Fairford.
 
15 Jun 1956 The 2nd Aviation (Field) Depot Squadron left RAF Fairford.
 
  Dec 1956 Forty-four British air traffic controllers were trained at Fairford by the United States Military Air Transport Service to support USAF air traffic control operations in the UK.
 
1 Jan 1958 RAF Fairford was assigned the additional peace-war responsibility of supporting aircraft of the "Reflex Action" force on continuous alert.  This included the operational control of the visiting aircraft.
1 Jan 1959 The 3919th Air Base Squadron was re-designated the 3919th Combat Support Group, in accordance with SAC General Order 67, dated October 1958.  The 3919th CSG was assigned to the 3920th CSG at RAF Brize Norton.
  April 1959 In April there were fifteen Reflex redeployments of the six B-47s from the 68th BW, Chennault AFB, Louisiana.  An annual 7th Air Division also took place and the base was given a satisfactory rating.
  May 1959 In the month of May, the 3919th supported six B-47s on Reflex Alert at RAF Fairford.  Throughout the month twelve different aircraft arrived and departed.  All of the aircraft were from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB.
  May 1959 The authorised manning figures for the 3919th CSG for the month of May was 800 military personnel.
May 1959 Thirty-one bomber alerts were held this month, twenty-one Alpha, eight Bravo and two Cocoa.
 
  Jun 1959 Six Reflex B-47 bomber aircraft from the 68th Bomb Wing were supported by the base, with fifteen different aircraft arriving and twelve departing that month.  
 
Jun 1959 Seven Bravo alerts and one Cocoa alert were held in June.
 
  Aug 1959 Six Reflex B-47 bomber aircraft from the 68th Bomb Wing were supported by the base, with twelve different aircraft arriving and departing that month.  
 
5 Aug 1959 Colonel Bender, the 68th BW Commander, visited RAF Fairford.
 
20 Aug 1959 Colonel Strauss, the 806th Division Commander, visited.
 
Aug 1959 Five Alpha alerts and ten Bravo alerts were held in August.
 
  Sep 1959 Six Reflex B-47 bomber aircraft from the 68th Bomb Wing were supported by the base, with twelve different aircraft arriving and departing that month.  
 
Sep 1959 Fifteen different aircraft arrived and twenty departed in September.
 
Sep 1959 Twenty-three Alpha alerts, nine Bravo alerts and one Cocoa alert were held.
 
15 Sep 1959 Colonel Keyes, Director of Operations for the 806th Air Division visited.
 
  Oct 1959 Six Reflex B-47 bomber aircraft from the 68th Bomb Wing were supported by the base, with eighteen different aircraft arriving and 18 departing that month.  
 
Oct 1959 Twenty-two Alpha alerts, ten Bravo alerts and two Cocoa alerts were held.
 
  Nov 1959 Six Reflex B-47 bomber aircraft from the 68th Bomb Wing were supported by the base, with twelve different aircraft arriving and departing that month. 
 
Nov 1959 Twenty-two Alpha alerts, nine Bravo alerts and two Cocoa alerts were held.
 
  Dec 1959 Six Reflex B-47 bomber aircraft from the 68th Bomb Wing were supported by the base, with fifteen different aircraft arriving and departing that month
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Dec 1959 Twenty-two Alpha alerts, nine Bravo alerts and one Cocoa alert were held.
 



 

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