RAF Upottery airfield - 506th PIR 'Band of Brothers'

Upottery
(Smeatharpe)

2052nd Aviation Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon at Upottery 14/08/1944 (© USAAF via Ted Heinbuch)

RAF Upottery airfield

Agriculture - airfield and control tower sold 17th May 2006, current owner not known

Watch Office for all commands 343/43, with medium size front windows

Other Buildings:

Many derelict buildings

26/04/44 to 08/09/44, 91st, 92nd, 93rd and 94th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 439th Troop Carrier Group, 50th Troop Carrier Wing, 9th Troop Carrier Command with C-47 and C-53s. US Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne were flown to Normandy 05/06/44 and the C-47s towed Horsa and Waco gliders to Normandy 06/06/44, 439th recieving a Distinguished Unit Citation for these missions. 91st, 92nd and 94th Sqns temporarily moved to Italy 07/44, unit then moved to France.
06/06/44, Upottery airfield made famous postwar by the publication of the book 'Band of Brothers' by Stephen Ambrose - this is the airfield from which Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division 'Screaming Eagles' flew to Normandy on D-Day.
10/44 to 11/44, Airfield used by RAF.
11/44 to 06/45, VPB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7, of the United States Navy moved here from Dunkeswell with PBY Liberators and Privateers while the Dunkeswell runways were repaired.
06/45 to 12/48, used by the RAF for storage.

Easy Company, 506th PIR - 'Band of Brothers'

1944-45 (© US Navy)
Superb wartime photo of a PBY Liberator at Upottery, (The King's Arms pub on the right) and below the same view in 2011 (© John Waite)

Upottery airfield - 439th TCG - USN VPB-103 -

USAAF Troop Carrier, US Navy

3x - concrete, tarmac

6 miles N of Honiton

Photographs © copyright as stated

Easy Company, 506th PIR - 'Band of Brothers'

Upottery control tower 29/07/1944 (© 439th TCG, USAAF via Simon Dunham)

Smeatharpe - Upottery airfield - 439th TCG - 506 PIR - USN VPB-103 -

Easy Company, 506th PIR - 'Band of Brothers'

Smeatharpe - Upottery airfield - 439th TCG - 506 PIR - USN VPB-103 -

Upottery airfield - 439th TCG - USN VPB-103 -
Airfield:		USAAF Troop Carrier, US Navy
Opened:		17/02/1944
Closed:		/1948
ID Code:		UO
USAAF Station:		462
Runways:		3x - concrete, tarmac
Hangars:		2x - T2
County:		Devon
Location:		6 miles N of Honiton
OS Ref:		ST184104
Links:		www.firetrucks-atwar.com
©:		Photographs © copyright as stated

RAF Upottery airfield
Airfield Today:	Agriculture - airfield and control tower sold 17th May 2006, current owner not known
Tower Type:	Watch Office for all commands 343/43, with medium size front windows
Tower:	Derelict
Other Buildings:	Many derelict buildings
History:	26/04/44 to 08/09/44, 91st, 92nd, 93rd and 94th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 439th Troop Carrier Group, 50th Troop Carrier Wing, 9th Troop Carrier Command with C-47 and C-53s. US Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne were flown to Normandy 05/06/44 and the C-47s towed Horsa and Waco gliders to Normandy 06/06/44, 439th recieving a Distinguished Unit Citation for these missions. 91st, 92nd and 94th Sqns temporarily moved to Italy 07/44, unit then moved to France. 06/06/44, Upottery airfield made famous postwar by the publication of the book 'Band of Brothers' by Stephen Ambrose - this is the airfield from which Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division 'Screaming Eagles' flew to Normandy on D-Day. 10/44 to 11/44, Airfield used by RAF. 11/44 to 06/45, VPB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7, of the United States Navy moved here from Dunkeswell with PBY Liberators and Privateers while the Dunkeswell runways were repaired. 06/45 to 12/48, used by the RAF for storage.
Easy Company, 506th PIR - 'Band of Brothers'


2006 (© Robert Truman)