Former RAF Langar

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, RAF - Royal Air Force, interesting place, draw only border, closed / former military

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The airfield was opened in September 1942 and during World War II it was used by the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force. It was also known as USAAF Station 490, Station Code: LA.

Langar airfield was built during the early months of 1942 to Class A bomber airfield specifications. The three concrete runways were a main of 6,000ft at 01-19, and two secondaries of 4,200 ft at 07-25 and 4,200 ft at 13-31. The original 36 hardstandings were of the pan type but in the summer of 1943 14 loops were added to bring the total to 50. The original specification required the usual two T-2 hangars but an additional two were added when the airfield was required to hold 32 Horsa gliders in store. Accommodation was mainly Nissen type buildings which catered for 2.253 persons.

The frist flying unit arrived in September 1942 when No. 207 Squadron arrived with Lancaster bombers from RAF Bottesford. 207 Squadron was a major RAF Bomber Command unit and participated in major raids on occupied Europe.

Also, in September 1942, A.V. Roe Ltd prepared to use a large hangar complex on the west side of the Langgar/Harby road to carry out major repair and maintenance of Lancasters.

The RAF remained until October 1943 when it moved to RAF Spilsby.

In November 1943 Langar was transferred to the USAAF Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base. The airfield was used as a reception base for troop carrier groups flying in from the United States. The 10th Service Group and 27th Mobile Repair Maintenance Squadron was established to support these transitory groups before they moved onto their permanent airfields.

435th Troop Carrier Group
The 435th Troop Carrier Group arrived at Langar on 3 November 1943 from Baer AAF Indiana with four squadrons of 56 C-47s. Operational squadrons of the group were:

75th Troop Carrier Squadron (SH)
76th Troop Carrier Squadron (CW)
77th Troop Carrier Squadron (IB)
78th Troop Carrier Squadron (CM)
The 435th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing.

The group began operational training at the airfield, however it was moved on 25 January 1944 to RAF Welford to train alongside the 101st Airborne Division.

438th Troop Carrier Group
Langar remained vacant for about a month until the 438th Troop Carrier Wing arrived in early February 1944 from Baer AAF, Indiana. Operational squadrons of the group were:

87th Troop Carrier Squadron (3X)
88th Troop Carrier Squadron (M2)
89th Troop Carrier Squadron (4U)
90th Troop Carrier Squadron (Q7)
The 438th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing. Like its predecessor, the group was moved south after a month to a new station at RAF Greenham Common.

441st Troop Carrier Group
The 441st Troop Carrier Group arrived at Langar on 17 March Baer AAF Indiana with four squadrons of 56 C-47s. Those being:

99th Troop Carrier Squadron (3J)
100th Troop Carrier Squadron (8C)
301st Troop Carrier Squadron (Z4)
302d Troop Carrier Squadron (2L)
The 441st was a group of Ninth Air Force's 50th Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command. It was scheduled to be assigned to Langar, however it only remained until 25 April until being moved to RAF Merryfield.

IX Troop Carrier Command depot
Although no further flying combat units were stationed at Langar, the airfield became a major maintenance and supply depot for the IX Troop Carrier Command. In addition, Langar became a center for assembly and modification of CG-4A Waco Gliders, primarily the fitting of reinforced noses for better crew protection in rough landings. During this time several hundred gliders were assembled there.

In August 1944 Langar was released to RAF control for operational use, however the need for forward operating bases in connection with Operation Market-Garden, the 441st Troop Carrier Group using the airfield as part of the operation.

On 17 September 45 C-47s of the 441st TCG dropped paratroops of the 82d Airborne near Nimegen Holland. Five aircraft were lost to Flak. On 18 September, 40 C-47s, all towing CG-4A gliders carried out a reinforcement mission without loss or casualties.

No further missions were flown until 23 September when 90 C-47s, all towing gliders to Holland encountered flak that brought down one C-47. This was the last operational mission by the USAAF from Langar, and ended the association of the Ninth Air Force with the airfield

D-Day use
In October 1944, RAF Bomber Command returned to Langar moving in with No. 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit with 32 Lanasters which used the station until March 1945. Although retained by the Ministry of Defence, the airfield was deserted until 1952 when the Royal Canadian Air Force took up residence.

Postwar NATO use
After the war, the field was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force as RCAF Langar as part of NATO, the only Canadian base in the UK. The 137th (Transport) Flight operated five Bristol Freighters and a Beech C-45. A major unit was the 312th Supply Depot handling spares for F-86 Sabres.

The base was closed in 1963 which ended RAF Langar's military use.

Civilian use
Today the airfield is the base for the British Parachute Schools, who use the original control tower for their headquarters. The former Avro industrial complex is used by private industry.

The airfield is relatively intact, with most of its wartime facilities still in use.