| RAF Ibsley USAAF Station AAF-347 | |
| Location: | Ibsley, Hampshire |
| Country: | England |
| Type: | Satellite Station |
| Coordinates: | 50.8794°N -1.7806°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Hampshire |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Shown within Hampshire |
| Pushpin Label: | RAF Ibsley |
| Ownership: | Air Ministry |
| Operator: | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces 1942 & 1944 |
| Controlledby: | RAF Fighter Command 1941-42 & 1942-44 & 1944-45 RAF Transport Command 1945-47 |
| Code: | IB |
| Built: | /41 |
| Used: | February 1941 - |
| Battles: | European theatre of World War II |
| Elevation: | 24m (79feet) |
| R1-Number: | 01/19 |
| R1-Length: | 1320m (4,330feet) |
| R1-Surface: | Grass |
| R2-Number: | 05/23 |
| R2-Length: | 1140m (3,740feet) |
| R2-Surface: | Grass |
| R3-Number: | 14/32 |
| R3-Length: | 1000m (3,000feet) |
| R3-Surface: | Grass |
Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about 2miles north of Ringwood and about southwest of London.
A perimeter track with three runways were laid out and 18 fighter pens allowing 46 fighters to stand in relative safety. Twelve Blister, and two Bellman hangars, were built and ten dispersed accommodation sites were laid out to the north for the airmen and women. A double cupola Battle Head Quarters, two Control Towers (one small and one large).[1]
Ibsley was built between 1940 and early 1941 (opening in February of 1941), and was north of Ringwood. Parts of the base had been built on Ibsley Common, including blast walls, a bunker and some accommodation blocks.[2] The airfield was initially used by No. 32 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes, followed by No. 118 Squadron RAF with Supermarine Spitfires.[3]
In 1941 it was used as a location for the film The First of the Few.[4]
The following units were here at some point:[5] Ibsley was also used, for short periods, in 1942 and 1944, by the United States Army Air Forces.
Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "IB".
USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Ibsley were:[6]
329th and 79th Service Squadrons; HHS 327th Service Group
Regular Army Station Units included:
The first USAAF unit to use Ibsley was the Eighth Air Force 1st Fighter Group, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived from RAF Goxhill on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
The stay of the 1st FG was short, being assigned to Twelfth Air Force for duty in the Mediterranean theater in support of the Operation Torch North African landings. On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the Ninth Air Force.
With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the Ninth Air Force 48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina . The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:
The 48th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel left.
Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the 367th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
The 367th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.
Today the airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake is overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower, although plans for The Landmark Trust to restore and repurpose this building as holiday accommodation were revealed by The Guardian newspaper in July 2023. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drove at the southern part of the airfield.
A small memorial is located near the control tower .