Hullavington Airfield

Hullavington Airfield
Hangar at the former RAF Hullavington in 2012
IATA: none ICAO: EGDV
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Hullavington, Wiltshire
Built	1937
In use	1937-2016
Elevation AMSL	201 ft / 104 m
Coordinates	51°31′30″N 002°08′00″W / 51.52500°N 2.13333°W / 51.52500; -2.13333Coordinates: 51°31′30″N 002°08′00″W / 51.52500°N 2.13333°W / 51.52500; -2.13333
Map
EGDV Location in Wiltshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 06/14 3,460 1,070 Asphalt 06/15 3,490 1,250 Asphalt

Hullavington Airfield (IATA: —, ICAO: EGDV) is an airfield in Hullavington, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. The site is the former RAF Hullavington ^[1] a Royal Air Force station.

The airfield is due to formally close in the coming years.^[2] As of 1 September 2016, the airfield was closed to flying.

History

The site was opened on 14 June 1937^[3] with No 9 Flying Training School arriving from RAF Thornaby on 10 July in the same year.^[4] Leonard Cheshire V.C. trained here in 1939.^[5] With the beginning of the Second World War top officers from allied nations came to Hullavington to share ideas and ways of using aircraft. Ten Blenheims from No 114 Squadron arrived at the base on 1 September 1939,^[3] and were later joined by seven from No 139 Squadron.^[4] This was a safety move as a sustained attack was expected at the East Anglian bomber bases on the announcement of war being declared. As this didn't happen, all the Blenheims had departed Hullavington by 16 September 1939.^[4] An effective Met. Office was also stationed at Hullavington. An aircraft which left every day at dawn flew at various heights in order to send data back for the Met. Office to assess the weather.^[6]

In 1970, RAF Hullavington hosted the World Aerobatic Championships.^[7]

In 1992, the entire airfield was designated as a conservation area.^[8] English Heritage (now Historic England) later stated that "It embodies, to a unique degree, the improved architectural quality associated with the post-1934 expansion of the RAF. Most of the original buildings have survived and form a particularly coherent and well-ordered ensemble."^[9]

In 1993, one Senior Aircraftman was convicted of arson and sent to jail for 5 years.^[10] His accomplice received a fine of £1000. The hangar was the location of all the parachutes for the armed services, and the damage and loss of stock affected morale at the base.^[11]

Units posted to the station

The station has performed many roles, summarised with dates below.

Royal Air Force

• No. 9 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit RAF between June 1937 and July 1942.^[12]
• No. 9 Maintenance Unit RAF between 8 July 1938 and 31 December 1959 (renamed No. 10 MU during February 1939)^[12] as an Aircraft Storage Unit with Airspeed Oxfords and Avro Ansons.^[13]
• No. 10 Group Communications Flight was formed here on 1 June 1940^[14] and used multiple aircraft types.^[15]
• No. 88 Gliding School disbanded here during May 1948.^[16]
• No. 114 Squadron RAF was reformed here on 20 November 1958 with the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 and stayed until 15 December 1958 when the squadron moved to RAF Nicosia.^[17]
• No. 621 Volunteer Gliding School (VGS).
• No. 625 Volunteer Gliding School (VGS)^[18] between 1992 and 2013.^[19]
• No. 1532 BAT Flight.^[14]
• Balloon Operations Squadron.^[14]
• Bristol University Air Squadron.^[14]
• Empire Central Flying School between 1 April 1942 and 7 May 1946.^[20]
• Empire Flying School between 7 May 1946 and 31 July 1949.^[20]
• Parachute Support Unit.^[14]
• Primary Flying Squadron.^[14]
• No. 1 Air Navigation School was disbanded here on 1 May 1954.^[21]
• No. 2 Flying Training School RAF with the Hunting Percival Provost T.1 between May 1954 and 1957.^[12]
• Air Electronics School between 1957 and 1962.^[22]
• No. 2 Air Navigation School between 1962 and 15 September 1965, when it transferred to RAF Gaydon.
• No. 16 Parachute Heavy Drop Company Royal Army Ordnance Corps from 1971 until it disbanded 1 September 1976.
• Parachute Packing Unit/Parachute Servicing Flight between 1967 and 1992.
• No. 4626 (Aeromedical Evacuation) Squadron RAuxAF between 1986-1995.^[23]

Royal Air Force Regiment

• No. 5 Wing RAF Regiment between 1982 and 1990.
• No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment between 1983 and 1988.
• 2 & 15 Sqn RAF Regiment from 1983 until RAF Hullavington was closed to the RAF in 1996.^[24]

Air Transport Auxiliary

• No. 8 Ferry Pilot Pool between November 1940 and March 1941.
• No. 1427 (Ferry Training) Flight between 18 May and 5 September 1942.

Defence Codification Data Centre

The Defence Codification Data Centre (DCDC) lodged in a purpose-built computer suite at RAF Hullavington from its establishment in 1966 until its dispersal to Glasgow in 1986, where it merged with its parent body, the Defence Codification Authority.

Current usage

Today the barracks of the site (east of the airfield) is the home of 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps^[25] and was renamed in 2003 to Buckley Barracks after the VC winner John Buckley.^[26]

The airfield, west of the barracks, is still referred to as Hullavington Airfield after its RAF origins.^[25] In 1992 and 1993 two Volunteer Gliding Schools moved in,^[27] operating the Viking, a modified version of the civilian Grob 103.^[28] During 2013, 621 VGS and 625 VGS merged to form 621 VGS.^[27] As of 1 September 2016, it was announced by 621 VGS Historical Flight that there would be no further flying from Hullavington.^[29]

Hangar 88 is currently used by Karting Hullavington.^[30]

Future

In early 2016, the UK Government announced that the site was one of twelve that will be sold as part of the strategy for the MoD estate, although no date for the sale was given.^[2] In November 2016, the MoD gave an estimated disposal date of 2029.^[31]

In March 2017, Dyson, a company designing and manufacturing electrical goods which has headquarters nearby at Malmesbury, submitted plans to convert two 1940s hangars into a research and development centre.^[32][33]

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Ashworth, Christopher (1982). Action Stations 5; Military Airfields of the South-West. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-510-X. 
• Jefford MBE, Wg Cdr C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6. 
• Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6. 
• Philpott, Wing Commander (Ret'd) Ian M (2008). The Royal Air Force 1930 to 1939 an encyclopedia of the inter-war years, Volume II - Rearmament. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1-84415-154-9. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Hullavington.

• BBC History