RAF Castle Combe explained

RAF Castle Combe
Ensign:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Ensign Size:90px
Nearest Town:Castle Combe, Wiltshire
Country:England
Pushpin Map:Wiltshire
Pushpin Label:RAF Castle Combe
Pushpin Map Caption:Shown within Wiltshire
Type:Royal Air Force station
Ownership:Air Ministry
Operator:Royal Air Force
Controlledby:RAF Flying Training Command
Used:1941-
Battles:Second World War
Elevation:130m (430feet)
R1-Number:00/00
R1-Surface:Sommerfeld Tracking
R2-Number:00/00
R2-Surface:Sommerfeld Tracking

Royal Air Force Castle Combe or more simply RAF Castle Combe is a former Royal Air Force satellite airfield located southeast of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England.

History

The Castle Combe airfield opened in May 1941. The land which the airfield occupied belonged to the Castle Combe estate, which was owned by the Gorst family.

It was used as a practice landing ground by nearby RAF Hullavington, home of No. 9 Service Flying Training School RAF. Flying training expanded considerably and the facilities were upgraded. Waterlogging was a frequent problem for the grass surface, so two runways of Sommerfeld Tracking were laid and a tarmac perimeter track constructed around the field. There were five hangars on the eastern and south-eastern side of the site; the control tower is still extant.

No. 15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF and No. 3 Flying Instructors School RAF was also present at some point.[1]

The airfield functioned for seven years before being decommissioned on 18 October 1948.[1]

Current use

The perimeter track of the airfield was opened to motor racing in 1950 as Castle Combe Circuit.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Castle Combe . Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. 21 November 2014.