Welford
WELFORD: Military aerodrome
Note:Picture by the author:
Military users: WW2: 9th USAAF
53rd Troop Carrier Wing
435th Troop Carrier Group
US First Army Division HQ artillery, glider and parachute battalions
74, 76, 77 & 78 Sqdns (C.46 Commandos & C.47 Skytrains)
Location: NE of B4000, 5nm NW of Newbury (some records say 7nm NW of Newbury)
Period of operation: 1943 to at least 1985? Used by the USAFE as a logistics base. Closed from 1952 to 1955
Runways: WW2: 15/33 1829x46 hard 02/20 1280x46 hard
09/27 1400x46 hard
NOTES: The US Army based several Piper L-4 Grasshoppers and one Stinson L-5 Sentinel here. In one major reference source the runway heading for the third runway I have listed was given as being 370º! I assume this should be 270º as I’ve yet to find 370º on any compass!
Elliotts of Newbury used this aerodrome to develop their only powered aircraft, the ‘Newbury Eon’ G-AKBC, the first flight was on the 8th August 1947.
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