Tarrant Rushton
TARRANT RUSHTON: Military aerodrome later with limited civil use
Note: Pictures taken by the author unless specified.
Military users: WW2: RAF 38 (Airborne Forces) Group
298 & 644 Sqdns (Handley Page Halifaxs)
Shorter term ops by 38 Group: 190, 196 & 620 Sqdns (Short Stirlings)
Note: There appears to be a question here. Was 190 Squadron operating Stirlings? It seems more likely that by the time they reached here they were flying the Halifax.
14 & 15 Glider Servicing Echelons (Hamilcars)
Army GPR Sqdns (Horsas)
Post WW2: 190 Sqdn (Halifaxs)
Flying Club: Flight Refuelling Sports and Social Club (Flying Section)
Note: The existence of this flying club was found in a 1957 edition of The Aeroplane directory, kindly loaned by a very good friend. Can anybody offer advice on the aircraft used? If so this will be most welcome.
Gliding: Civil: Dorset Gliding Club. Late 1965 or early 1966 till 1980
Operated by: 1948 to 1983: Flight Refuelling
Location: E of Tarrant Rushton, SSW of Hogstock, 4nm E of Blandford
Period of operation: 1939 to 1983? Some records say 1943 to 1980 and I think the latter dates are correct?
Runways: WW2: 01/19 1829x46 hard 08/26 1280x46 hard
13/31 1280x46 hard
NOTES: I found a detail which to me at least poses at least one big question bearing in mind that in late 1944 this aerodrome was under RAF Fighter Command control, (if I can rely on the records found so far that is). As I now understand it, it does indeed seem that for some strange reason 38 Group did come under Fighter Command during most of WW2 whereas Bomber Command would have seemed a more sensible option? Towards the end 38 Group became part of Transport Command.
The runway layout however is typical of a standard bomber base. But not only is this of interest it seems that some of the runways also had grass runway extensions or ‘overshoot’ areas provided and this seems to be most unusual. On runway 08/26 these were at each end and for runway 01/19 there are figures of 182 mtrs at the N end and 366 mtrs at the S end giving a total usable length of 2377 mtrs which is exceptionally long at that time. Does anybody now know the reason why this was done? 298 & 644 Squadrons flew glider tug duties from here in 1943/44 using Handley Page Halifaxs and Short Stirlings from 38 Group squadrons were regularly positioned here for similar duties. This airfield was also a key launching point for the D-Day operations so could it be that the runway extensions were installed to allow these heavily laden tugs with fully freighted gliders, especially those towing Hamilcars, to get safely airborne?
POST WW2
It appears that Flight Refuelling originally arrived in 1948 with a fleet of Avro Lancastrians converted as tankers to assist in the Berlin Airlift which commenced on the 28th June 1948. Much of Flight Refuelling’s development work and flight testing for air-to-air refuelling took place here during the 1940s and 1950s although only the military forces adopted the method which is still much used today of course. Later on Flight Refuelling operated several classic RAF types including De Havilland Mosquitos and Avro Lancasters.
'V' BOMBERS ARRIVE
It came as quite a surprise to me to learn that 'V' bombers, Vickers Valiants of 148 Squadron at least, and based at RAF MARHAM (NORFOLK), were dispersed here during the mid to late 1950s and early 60s. This information came from the excellent book Valiant Boys by Tony Blackman and Anthony Wright and they include an account by Graeme Kerr who flew them during the 'Cold War'. "To maintain the fifteen-minute, dropping to five-minute readiness states, it was obviously not possible to meet this target with more than a handful of aircraft airborne in five minutes."
"As a result, each squadron had two dispersal fields to which they would deploy at times of heightening tension. In the case of 148 Squadron our dispersal fields were Manston in Kent and Tarrant Rushton in Dorset. The latter was in a very rural setting, owned by Sir Alan Cobham, who also owned a firm called Flight Refuelling Ltd. From memory, Sir Alan got his runway resurfaced by Air Ministry, to meet the Valiant requirement, so he presumably had some friends there."
SPOTTERS NOTES
When Peter Amos visited TARRANT RUSHTON in 1949 he saw the red and silver Hornet Moth G-AESE in a hangar. Was it based here?
In 1977 the following four aircraft were listed as being based here: D.H.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAWO, Auster J/1N Alpha G-AJAJ, Auster 5-150 G-ALXZ and Piper PA-E23 Aztec 250 of Flight Refuelling Ltd.
A PERSONAL MEMORY
I visited TARRANT RUSHTON in April 2009. Quite a bit of evidence remains, most of the perimeter track and at least two large WW2 hangars. Adjacent to the road near the hangar on the eastern side a couple of small monuments have been placed celebrating those stationed here in WW2.
Very oddly it seems to me, is that no mention (apparently) is to be found around this site that the real significance of TARRANT RUSHTON to aviation history is that it was from here that the principle work in developing modern (post WW2) air-to-air refuelling technology and methodology took place! Without which most aerial wars in recent decades could not have been pursued.
Nigel Brabham
This comment was written on: 2018-05-06 15:55:26Ref the grass runway extensions; my parents neighbour, Paddy Northmore, flew Halifaxes during WW11 out of Tarrant Rushton as well as flying a Horsa glider for the D-Day landings. He explained to me that when loaded to maximum, and possibly in excess of, gross take-off weight, the only reason the Halifax became airborne was that Tarrant was on a slight hill ie the Halifax continued horizontally but the ground fell away!
Michael Rose
This comment was written on: 2020-04-23 21:47:26Given the significance of the airfield in WW2 (Arnhem in particular), I strongly believe that a much better memorial is merited than is currently the case .On a positive note, the vast hangar and the taxiways are a remarkable testament to what took place in August 1944
Michael Dolphin
This comment was written on: 2020-07-07 12:29:03Footnote to 190 Sqn. - 190 was renumbered as 295 Sqn.on 21st Jan 1946, continuing the use of Halifax a/c as part of transport use. 295 Sqn. was then disbanded on 31st Mar 46 and merged with 297 Sqn. at Tarrant Rushton
Marjorie Lazaro
This comment was written on: 2020-09-21 12:30:31I too was surprised to read (on the Wikipedia Aerial refueling site) that no mention was made of Tarrant Rushton. I lived in Wimborne from birth (1930) till I was 16 (1957) and clearly remember talk of, first the aeroplane/glider duos flying to France to support the French Resistance with men and weapons, and later how the technology of in-flight refueling was developed there - and we would see the pairs of planes in action. To me as a teenager (a term not invented until later) this was only hearsay, but I certainly did not imagine it!
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
