RAF Northleach

 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, historical layer / disappeared object

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RAF Northleach was a Royal Air Force airfield near the Cotswold town of Northleach, Gloucestershire. Though named after the nearby town the land the airfield occupied was located in the nearby parishes of Hampnett and Turkdean. The site had been de-requisitioned and wholly abandoned by the RAF in May 1946.

Relief Landing Ground (RLG) for RAF Stoke Orchard from 2nd November 1942 with a flight of Miles Master II GT tug aircraft and Hotspur II gliders arriving on 16th November 1942.
During the winter of 1942 the flying surface of the airfield became so waterlogged that the airfield was unusable and all flying training returned to Stoke Orchard until February 1943. Flying continued at Northleach through the middle of 1943 but water-logging again became a problem resulting in an additional detachment being sent to RAF Wanborough, Wiltshire to maintain the level of training.
In May 1944 RAF Northleach was re-classified in status as a full satellite airfield but the planned upgrade to add additional hangars and services was not carried out.
The winter of 1944 saw Northleach and Stoke Orchard yet again suffer from water-logging which resulted in the cessation of flying at Northleach and relocation to RAF Zeals, Wiltshire on 21st October 1944. This would be the last time the airfield was used for flying.[4]