Former RAF Down Ampney

United Kingdom / England / Cricklade /
 airport, Second World War 1939-1945, historic ruins
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RAF Down Ampney was a Royal Air Force station during World War II. In September 1944 Douglas Dakotas towing Horsa gliders took off from here as part of Operation Market Garden to take the Arnhem Bridges (“A Bridge Too Far”). On D-Day, planes from here dropped the main elements of the 3rd Parachute Brigade in Normandy as well as towing gliders across the English Channel. Between operations aircrew flying from RAF Down Ampney provided an ongoing service of delivering personnel, petrol, ammunition, food, clothing, and tyres, earning themselves the nickname "the Removal Men". They also brought back over 100,000 casualties from Europe, and after VE Day brought thousands of servicemen back to Britain from the Far and Middle East. -Adapted from Geograph.

The site is now home to the Co-operative Farm and the Airfield Farm owned by the Ampney Estate.

There is a monument to the fallen who flew from here.

Photos: www.geograph.org.uk/of/Down+Ampney
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Down_Ampney
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   51°40'1"N   1°50'27"W

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This article was last modified 10 years ago