RAF Windrush

RAF Windrush

Landing Strip, Windrush Airfield
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Royal Air Force
Location Windrush, Gloucestershire
Built 1940 (Initial)
1942 Main buildings
In use 1940-1945
Coordinates 51°48′16″N 001°44′09″W / 51.80444°N 1.73583°W / 51.80444; -1.73583Coordinates: 51°48′16″N 001°44′09″W / 51.80444°N 1.73583°W / 51.80444; -1.73583
Map
RAF Windrush

Location in Gloucestershire

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
00/00 0 0 Sommerfeld Tracking
00/00 0 0 Sommerfeld Tracking

RAF Windrush was a Royal Air Force station near Windrush, Gloucestershire. It was opened in 1940 and closed on 12 July 1945. Initially it was a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Chipping Norton, later coming under the control of RAF Little Rissington.

History

The airfield consisted of two Sommerfeld Tracking runways, a concrete perimeter track, 1 T1 building and 8 Blister Hangars. Most of this infrastructure was added in 1942. Some of the original buildings remain in situ though the site has been returned to agricultural use. The control tower has been preserved.

Memorial

A memorial at the church in Windrush village describes Sgt Pilot Bruce Hancock RAFVR who died on 18 August 1940 when downing a German Heinkel bomber by ramming it with his unarmed training Avro Anson aircraft.[1]

Post war

Following closure in 1945 the airfield remained active with a local flying club and for parachuting until 1997.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Memorial to Sgt Pilot Bruce Hancock
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.