Ramsbury flying sites
RAMSBURY see also DARRELL’S FARM
RAMSBURY: Military aerodrome
Military user: 9th USAAF 53rd Troop Carrier Wing 437th Troop Carrier Group
83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th & 93rd* Sqdns (Curtiss C-46 Commandos & Douglas C-47 Skytrains)
Note: The 93rd Troop Carrier Squadron stay was short - from the 7th to the 16th August 1944.
Location: NNW of Rudge village, 4nm WNW of Hungerford, 4nm E of Marlborough
Period of operation: 1942 to 1946
Runways: 08/26 1829x46 hard 02/20 1006x46 hard
14/32 1006x46 hard
NOTES: There has been a lot written about the ‘inter-action’ of US military personnel with the civilian female population especially in England during WW2. Most of it not too complimentaryin many respects although I suspect a fair degree of jealousy - and quite understandable this was too. To be honest I’d never thought about this aspect of wartime life before researching this Guide but it soon became clear why this was an issue, at least in one respect where the Air Forces were involved.
The British relied heavily in WW2 on women participating at nearly all levels of war effort from agriculture, manufacturing and of course in military service. The US only brought men. At RAMSBURY for example, although having less than a typical bomber base, even so 2368 USAAF personnel were based here at the end of 1944. Stuck out here in the middle of nowhere so to speak, (as was so often the case for US aerodromes), is it now so surprising these relatively affluent young American men had a pretty devastating effect on the local womenfolk?
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