Former RAF Chelveston

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 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, Army Air Field US, historical layer / disappeared object, former air force base
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RAF Chelveston was a military air base located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom.

USAAF Station 105
During World War II the base was occupied by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force. It was given USAAF designation Station 105.

The station became host to the following principle wartime USAAF units :

60th Troop Carrier Group
In early 1942, Chelveston was turned over to the American Eighth Air Force. The first USAAF unit to occupy Chelveston was the 60th Troop Carrier Group. The 60th consisted of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 26th squadrons, equipped with 53 C-47 aircraft.

301st Bombardment Group (Heavy)
On 9 August 1942, the 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) took up residence on the station. The 301st was assigned to the 1st Combat Wing at RAF Brampton. It's operational squadrons were the 32d, 352d, 353d, 354th and 415th Bomb Squadrons, each equipped with B-17Fs.

305th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The next group to use Chelveston was the 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moving in from RAF Grafton Underwood in December 1942. The 305th BG was assigned to the 40th Combat Wing at RAF Thurleigh. The group tail code was a "Triangle G". It's operational squadrons (and fuselage codes) were the 364th(WF), 365th (XK), 366th (KY) and 422d (JJ) Bomb Squadrons, each initially equipped with B-17Fs, then upgraded to the B-17G in 1944.

Post War period
During the Cold War, Chelveston housed some flying units, however its main role was that of a readiness station to receive USAF units from the United States in case of an emergency.

In the mid-1970s, the majority of the base was sold by the Ministry of Defence to private landholders, with the exception of a military housing area currently occupied by American servicemembers assigned to RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth. However, a part of the site was developed into a radio station during the 1970's. It was part of the UK STCICS (Strike Command Integrated Communications System ) and transmitted RAF Volmet on several frequencies. It probably also carried RAF strike command (callsign Architect) and HF communications to aircraft on exercise.

The microwave tower linked the station into the MOD network. Following the award of the DHFCS contract to VT Communications, Chelveston was identified as being surplus to requirements and the station closed in 2005. The STCICS function (or TASSCOM as it appears to be called now) passed to St Eval near Newquay in Cornwall.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Chelveston
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°18'22"N   -0°31'18"E

Comments

  • My father flew missions from here in 1943 on the B-17 "Southern Comfort".
  • Another exception was the microwave radio relay facility. This was installed approximately 1960 and continued operational through about 2004. There were several equipment changes and one mast change. I was posted to this location twice in my service time.
  • I installed and commissioned a number of these microwave relay stations when working with the Marconi Company in the early 1960s
This article was last modified 13 years ago