RAF Chelveston Airfield

The wartime USAAF control tower 1943 (© via Steve Ward)

Chelveston airfield

1. Watch Office with Met Section 518/40 (anyone have a better photo?)
2. Post-war skeletal Tower with VCR, 5589/58

Other Buildings:

J Type hangar now demolished, few, if any buildings now remain

12/41, Central Gunnery School here temporarily.
5/42 to 7/42, Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment testing gliders.
6/42 to 8/42, 10th, 11th, 12th and 28th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 60th Troop Carrier Group with C-47s, moved to Aldermaston.
8/42 to 11/42, 32nd, 352nd, 353rd and 419th Bombardment Squadrons of the 301st Bombardment Group (H) with B-17F, moved to North Africa.
12/42 to 7/45, 364th, 365th, 366th and 422nd Bombardment Sqns of the 305th BG 'Can Do', commanded by Colonel Curtiss Le May, moved here from Grafton Underwood. 9/43 to 10/43, 422nd BS flew the first 8th USAAF night missions. Equipped with B-17s the305th BG flew a total of 330 (337 in total) missions from Chelveston, losing 154 aircraft. 20/2/44, 1st Lt W.R. Lawley Jnr and 11/4/44, 1st Lt E.S. Michael both won the Medal of Honor. Moved to Belgium, then Germany and disbanded 1946.
10/45 to /52, RAF No. 25 Maintenance Unit.
/52, Transferred to USAF and rebuilt with a single runway of 11,000'.
12/52 to , /55, used by Third Air Force ground units.
1/11/55 to /67, Transferred to Seventh Air Division, Strategic Air Command as a stand-by base. /58 to 9/59, used by RB-47s of the 'Reflex Force'. 8/59 to 3/62, used by RB-66C's of the 42nd Tactical Reconnaissance Sqn, 10th TR Wing. Then used by RAF and USAF units until final closure.

The post-war USAF control tower 1974 (© via Paul Francis)

RAF USAAF USAF Station

Operational Bomber

Final closure date not known

3, concrete, tarmac

1x - J Type, 2x - T2

Northamptonshire

6 miles S of Thrapston

Photographs © as stated

Chelveston airfield

RAF Chelveston airfield - 60th TCG - 301st BG - 305th BG 'Can Do' -

Chelveston airfield
Airfield Today:		Agriculture
Tower Type:		1. Watch Office with Met Section 518/40 (anyone have a better photo?) 2. Post-war skeletal Tower with VCR, 5589/58
Tower:		Both demolished
Other Buildings:		J Type hangar now demolished, few, if any buildings now remain
History:		12/41, Central Gunnery School here temporarily. 5/42 to 7/42, Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment testing gliders. 6/42 to 8/42, 10th, 11th, 12th and 28th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 60th Troop Carrier Group with C-47s, moved to Aldermaston. 8/42 to 11/42, 32nd, 352nd, 353rd and 419th Bombardment Squadrons of the 301st Bombardment Group (H) with B-17F, moved to North Africa. 12/42 to 7/45, 364th, 365th, 366th and 422nd Bombardment Sqns of the 305th BG 'Can Do', commanded by Colonel Curtiss Le May, moved here from Grafton Underwood. 9/43 to 10/43, 422nd BS flew the first 8th USAAF night missions. Equipped with B-17s the305th BG flew a total of 330 (337 in total) missions from Chelveston, losing 154 aircraft. 20/2/44, 1st Lt W.R. Lawley Jnr and 11/4/44, 1st Lt E.S. Michael both won the Medal of Honor. Moved to Belgium, then Germany and disbanded 1946. 10/45 to /52, RAF No. 25 Maintenance Unit. /52, Transferred to USAF and rebuilt with a single runway of 11,000'. 12/52 to , /55, used by Third Air Force ground units. 1/11/55 to /67, Transferred to Seventh Air Division, Strategic Air Command as a stand-by base. /58 to 9/59, used by RB-47s of the 'Reflex Force'. 8/59 to 3/62, used by RB-66C's of the 42nd Tactical Reconnaissance Sqn, 10th TR Wing. Then used by RAF and USAF units until final closure.
RAF Chelveston

RAF USAAF USAF Station
Airfield:		Operational Bomber
Opened:		8/1941
Closed:		Final closure date not known
ID Code:		CV
USAAF Station:		105
Runways:		3, concrete, tarmac
Hangars:		1x - J Type, 2x - T2
County:		Northamptonshire
Location:		6 miles S of Thrapston
OS Ref:		TL006685
Links:
©:		Photographs © as stated
Chelveston airfield