RAF Shellingford

RAF Shellingford
Active	25 September 1941 - 31 March 1948
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Aerodrome
Royal Air Force Ensign

RAF Shellingford was a Royal Air Force station located approximately 4 miles east of the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It occupied land adjacent to the A417 road, between the villages of Shellingford and Stanford-in-the-Vale.

Much of the former aerodrome has now been given over to quarrying activities, where significant sand and gravel deposits continue to be extracted to this day. Some of the original technical buildings still exist, and can be seen from the road. Other parts of the aerodrome are given over to agricultural use, and a small industrial estate occupies the remainder of the site.

Military use

RAF Shellingford was opened for use as a practice landing field for Elementary Flying Training in 1931, the aerodrome being of grass. It opened for night flying on 25 September 1941.

No 3 EFTS were located at RAF Shellingford with some 56 Tiger Moths and a communal site was established for all ranks at nearby Stanford-in-the-Vale. British Army pilots trained here as glider pilots from 1943, the base being one of many assisting in the training of Horsa Glider pilots in preparation for the D-Day landings of 1944.

Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots also received training at Shellingford in 1946.

No.3 EFTS departed in 1948, the aerodrome closing on 31 March 1948 as the RAF gradually wound down following the Second World War. However, the airfield was re-opened briefly for use by the United States Air Force in the 1950s.

USAF 7568 Material Squadron provided radar maintenance for the 32nd Brigade whose task was to provide the air defence for all USAF SAC bases in the UK.

RAF Shellingford closed to the USAF in early 1957 with the 7568 MS moving to Denham Studios, near Uxbridge, as the 7500 Air Base Group.

External links

• World War II Airfields of Oxfordshire
• World War II Airfield Pictures - Shellingford
• Stanford in the Vale Website

The District of the Vale of White Horse Oxfordshire County Council elections District Council elections Wantage County Constituency Oxford West and Abingdon County Constituency Towns Abingdon Caldecott Faringdon Wantage Belmont Large villages Blewbury Cumnor Chilswell Cumnor Hill Dean Court Farmoor Swinford Drayton East Challow East Hendred Grove Harwell Kennington Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor Kingston Bagpuize Southmoor Marcham Cothill Milton North Hinksey Botley Harcourt Hill Radley St. Helen Without Dry Sandford Shippon Shrivenham Stanford in the Vale Bow Steventon Sunningwell Bayworth Boars Hill Foxcombe Hill Sutton Courtenay Watchfield Wootton Boars Hill Henwood Lamborough Hill Other civil parishes (component villages and hamlets) Appleford-on-Thames Appleton-with-Eaton Appleton Eaton Ardington and Lockinge Ardington Wick East Lockinge West Ginge West Lockinge Ashbury Idstone Kingstone Winslow Baulking Besselsleigh Bourton Buckland Gainfield Buscot Charney Bassett Childrey Chilton Coleshill Compton Beauchamp Knighton Denchworth East Hanney Eaton Hastings Fernham Frilford Fyfield and Tubney Fyfield Tubney Netherton Garford Goosey Great Coxwell Hatford Little Hatford Hinton Waldrist Duxford Kingston Lisle Letcombe Bassett Letcombe Regis Little Coxwell Littleworth Longcot Longworth Lyford Pusey Shellingford South Hinksey Hinksey Hill Sparsholt Uffington Upton West Challow West Hanney West Hendred East Ginge Woolstone Wytham Seacourt Former districts and boroughs Municipal Borough of Abingdon Abingdon Rural District Faringdon Rural District Wantage Urban District Wantage Rural District Former constituencies Oxfordshire County Constituency Abingdon Borough Constituency Berkshire North or Abingdon County Constituency Abingdon County Constituency List of Parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire List of places in Oxfordshire List of civil parishes in Oxfordshire

Coordinates: 51°38′21″N 1°31′37″W / 51.63917°N 1.52694°W / 51.63917; -1.52694