Royal Air Force Aldermaston, or more simply RAF Aldermaston, is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Newbury, Berkshire and southwest of Reading, Berkshire, England.
Originally built as an RAF Bomber Command airfield during 1941-1942, Aldermaston was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces in August 1942. Placed under the jurisdiction of Eighth Air Force, it was home to several Douglas C-47 Skytrain Troop Carrier Groups. It was transferred to Ninth Air Force in 1943 primarily as a Troop Carrier Command base. Returned to RAF Control at the end of 1945, it was used by Technical Training Command before being placed on Care and Maintenance. In 1946, it was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and used by BOAC aircraft for training.
Also used by the Ministry of Aircraft Production for Supermarine Spitfire assembly and flight testing, the airfield closed in 1950 and the site became home of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (later the Atomic Weapons Establishment) from 1950.
History
Aldermaston was initially planned as an RAF Bomber Command airfield, being constructed in 1941-1942. RAF 92 Group was programmed to occupy the facility with Vickers Wellington bombers. The facility was constructed as a "Class A" bomber airfield with three concrete runways. The main was 1,830m aligned 06/24, with two crosswind secondary runways of 1,280m aligned 11-29 and 17-35. The airfield had an encircling perimeter track with both the pan and loop-type aircraft hardstands for aircraft parking. The technical site was on the south side of the airfield, consisting of various administrative buildings, maintenance shops and four large T-2 hangars.
United States Army Air Forces use
However, to support the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force in August 1942, jurisdiction of Aldermaston was transferred from RAF Bomber Command to the USAAF. The USAAF assigned station No. 467 to the facility. USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Aldermaston were: 318th Service Group (53d Troop Carrier Wing) 458th, 459th Service Squadron; HHS 318th Service Group 21st Weather Squadron 40th Mobile Communications Squadron 819th Medical Air Evacuation Transportation Squadron (53d Troop Carrier Wing) 97th Station Complement Squadron Regular Army Station Units included: 1052nd Quartermaster Company 1068th Quartermaster Company 1075th Signal Company 1229th Military Police Company 1465th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company 2249th Quartermaster Truck Company 2142nd Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon Detachment ZB (40th Mobile Communications Squadron) Weather Detachment ZB
Aldermaston Court
A non-flying facility located about one-half mine north of the airfield. It is a large country house which was purchased from the Keyser family by the British Government at the outbreak of World War II. Taken over by the USAAF, it became the headquarters of the XIX Tactical Air Command (formerly XIX Air Support Command). It was given the designation of AAF-476.
Eighth Air Force
60th Troop Carrier Group
Due to Aldermaston's location in Berkshire, Eighth Air Force decided to use the base to station as a C-47 Troop Carrier base. Upon completion of construction in August, the 60th Troop Carrier Group (60th TCG) was transferred from its temporary locations at RAF Chelveston and RAF Podington in East Anglia, which became heavy bomber bases. The operational squadrons of the 60th TCG were: 10th Troop Carrier Squadron (S6) (Arrived 7 August from Chelveston) 11th Troop Carrier Squadron (7D) (Arrived 15 August from Chelveston) 12th Troop Carrier Squadron (U5) (Arrived 15 August from Podington) 28th Troop Carrier Squadron (3D) (Arrived 7 August from Podington)
The unit trained with Army paratroop units during the fall of 1942, preparing for combat operations in North Africa as part of the Operation Torch invasion of French North Africa. It flew its only combat mission on 8 November 1942 when it transported airborne paratroopers from Aldermaston, and dropping them at Oran, Algeria during the early hours of the invasion.
With the successful operation, the group moved to Relizane Airfield, Algeria on 8 November 1942. There, it was transferred to the new Twelfth Air Force where it continued combat operations as part of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations until the end of the war.