Keevil Airfield |
| Hob Uid: 1399579 | |
Location :
Wiltshire
Keevil, Steeple Ashton
|
| Grid Ref : ST9200057000 |
| Summary : A World War Two and post-war military airfield opened in 1942. Although originally intended to be a fighter training airfield, it was built as a "Class A" bomber station, in other words with three large concrete runways, two type T2 aircraft hangars and a number of blister type aircraft hangars. The hangars and the technical site were situated on the south side of the flying field. It actually performed a number of roles, including as a bomber airfield for the United States 8th Army Air Force and as a test airfield for spitfires produced at Trowbridge. The airfield was formally transferred to the Americans in 1943 as Station 471, however they relinquished control in 1944 and Keevil was used for Special Operations Executive missions into occupied Europe, the D-Day landings and for Arnhem by British glider towing units. Between 1955 and 1964 the airfield was once again used by the United States Air Force. The airfield and the two type T2 hangars are still retained for military use. |
More information : Keevil Airfield ST 922 571, opened in 1942. Date of closure is given in the Holiss and Willis gazetteer as 1965 (sic? See source 2 below). (1)
Keevil Airfield: Although originally intended to be a fighter training airfield, it was built as a "Class A" bomber station, in other words with three large concrete runways, two type T2 aircraft hangars and a number of blister type aircraft hangars. It actually performed a number of roles, including as a bomber airfield for the United States 8th Army Air Force and as a test airfield for Supermarine Spitfires produced at Trowbridge. The airfield was formally transferred to the Americans in 1943 as Station 471, however they relinquished control in 1944 and Keevil was used for Special Operations Executive missions into occupied Europe, the D-Day landings and for Arnhem by British glider towing units. Towards the end of the war and post-war to 1947 it was the base for an Operational training Unit. Between 1955 and 1964 the airfield was once again used by the United States Air Force. The airfield and the two type T2 hangars are still retained for Ministry of Defence use (noted in a source published in 2002). The source contains details of the types of aircraft flown and the units involved. (2)
Keevil Airfield 922 971 (NAT). (3)
An detailed additional source for "Keevil Aerodrome" is Ron Priddle's book on the aeronautical history of Wiltshire published in 2003. This source includes numerous photographs and also a plan of the site as it stood in 1944, showing the technical site and hangars on the south edge of the flying field. (4) |