Edgar Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 During WWII U.K. airfields were numbered, and the authorities often referred to them by number only. Does anyone have any idea where there might be a list of airfields with their numbers, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I,m sure there is a list in one of those books dealing with Airfields whose author I don't recall. Maybe a serch on the 'net will help?! Like this one.....: http://www.britishtours.com/airfield-tours ......with a few examples on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Edgar, This any use to you? Station Numbers Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Wyllie Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) nt Edited August 4, 2014 by Iain Wyllie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 This any use to you?Thanks, Mark, but I have a nasty suspicion that there was duplication of some sort; my (initial) specific enquiry centres round airfields 126, 127, 132 & 135, which appear to have been the first airfields to get the gyro gunsight. They should therefore have been Spitfire fields, and I have severe doubts that those, in that list, would have qualified. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I think you are looking the wrong way. Those numbered "Airfields" were part of the 2 TAF organisation, and initially moved to encourage mobility. However I believe that things became more stable from mid-1943 with 126 being Redhill, 127 Kenley, 133 North Weald and 135 Hornchurch. From May 1944 these became Wings. Chris Thomas is probably the man to provide chapter and verse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks, that puts them all in 11 Group, which would make sense; all (hah!) I need to do, now, is find out which Spitfire Squadrons were there just before the end of May, 1944. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I wish you'd asked before I put the book away again! Serves me right for being premature. June 6th OOB 126 Wing 401, 411, 412 Tangmere 127 Wing 403, 416, 421 Tangmere 132 Wing 66, 331, 332 Bognor Regis 135 Wing 22, 349. 485 Selsey Fighter Squadrons of the RAF should give the dates of movements of these squadrons: 12 May is when they became Wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) Expanding on Graham's information: 126> 401,411,412: Biggin Hill from late '43, to Tangmere mid (?) April '44, to Berry-sur-Mer ~18/19 June, but new aircraft shortly thereafter? [442 Sqn joins after 15 July, when 144 Wing disbanded; late Sept (?) this wing switched from LF.IX to LF.IXe, fitted with wing stores carriers] 127> 403,416,421: Kenley (generally) in early '44, to Tangmere April 18thish? to Bazenville ~16th June. 403 and 421 got a lot of new (to them) aircraft in July, but this may be just due to replacements needed. [443 Sqn joins after 15 July, when 144 Wing disbanded] 132> 66,331,332: all at Bognor by April '44, to Tangmere in June. Quite a few new aircraft from 8 June for 66 & 332, and 331 gets new aircraft (IXes?) in late July/early Aug (all to B16 by end August) 135> 222,349,485: to Selsey ~9-11 April (ex Hornchurch, via APCs), 222 just converting from V, all 3 squadrons to Coolham in June. Some movements between squadrons, but I'm not clear on this. Some of the first LF.IXes may be coming to 222 and 485 in April? If so it makes sense that they'd be early recipients of the GGS. These are the results from my Spitfire-o-matic. It may not be accurate in all particulars, and early '44 was a turbulent time for 2TAF during which some records appear not to have been properly kept, or lost in translation. I'd welcome any clarifications/corrections. I hope it tells you something, Edgar! bob Edited April 20, 2014 by gingerbob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 According to this (handwritten) report, by 29-5-44 126 Airfield/Wing had all been fitted with G.G.S. equipment, as had 2 Squadrons of 127, with the 3rd expected to be done during the following week. On 132 Airfield/Wing 30 aircraft were to be done (presumably 331 & 332, since 66 was a Mustang outfit,) with 135 following on after.At least it now seems that we can say 6 Mk.IX Squadrons had the sight before D-day, with 2/5 remaining uncertain.What the report doesn't mention is whether the airframes were also modified to "E" armament; as it was written at Tangmere, and mentions only conversion sets produced by Malcolm Ltd., with no mention of a Supermarine working party, it seems unlikely.Further reports mention significant delays to embodiment in the VIII & XIV (vibration necessitating a completely different mounting on the latter,) so the sight might not have appeared, on them, until 1945. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Cox Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 According to this (handwritten) report, by 29-5-44 126 Airfield/Wing had all been fitted with G.G.S. equipment, as had 2 Squadrons of 127, with the 3rd expected to be done during the following week. On 132 Airfield/Wing 30 aircraft were to be done (presumably 331 & 332, since 66 was a Mustang outfit,) with 135 following on after.At least it now seems that we can say 6 Mk.IX Squadrons had the sight before D-day, with 2/5 remaining uncertain.What the report doesn't mention is whether the airframes were also modified to "E" armament; as it was written at Tangmere, and mentions only conversion sets produced by Malcolm Ltd., with no mention of a Supermarine working party, it seems unlikely.Further reports mention significant delays to embodiment in the VIII & XIV (vibration necessitating a completely different mounting on the latter,) so the sight might not have appeared, on them, until 1945. Edgar Hi Edgar, Thanks for sharing an Interesting find that ties in with what I posted in 2012 on the use of the Gyro Sight on Spitfire aircraft before D-Day; "In addition to the material above, there are also images captured by Flight Lieutenant (F/Lt) B. J. Daventry at ALG British Strip No. 2 at Bazenville, Normandy 13 August 1944.That show various 421 Sqn. RCAF Spitfire LF Mk.IXc aircraft equipped with the G.G.S. Mk.IID as well. There is also an image captured by Pilot Officer P/O R. R. Broom of someone operating the Gyro Sight on a 127 Wing Spitfire Mk.IX on 17 August 1944, that was also at ALG British Strip No. 2 at Bazenville, Normandy. The Operations Record Book (ORB) of 421 Sqn RCAF records that the squadron was made temporarily Non-Operational for the installation of the new G.G.S. Mk.II into its aircraft on the 21st of April 1944. Later on the 23rd of April the 421 Sqn. ORB states that "Everyone well pleased with new G.G.S. Mk. II"." Cheers, Daniel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Having just looked back at the previous thread (that Daniel links to), I think it's time for a review. I'm not ready to do that this moment, but perhaps later today. One caution: as my comments in post 9 show, there could be a world of difference between June (which Daniel cites photographic evidence for) and August- it could be a whole new batch of aircraft. Edgar, I don't think 66 Sqn had Mustangs? I have them on LF.IXs from Nov '43, switching to XVIs in Nov '44, disbanding at the end of April '45. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Yes, sorry about that; I was reading from "Fighter Squadrons of the RAF," turned over two pages, and read 65 by mistake. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 During WWII U.K. airfields were numbered, and the authorities often referred to them by number only. Does anyone have any idea where there might be a list of airfields with their numbers, please? I don't think the RAF numbered their air stations - Ive only ever seen them reference by name (RAF Biggin Hill, Duxford, West Malling, Tanmere, for example). Thee are several books in the 'In Action' series. I think the USAAF did use numbers - for whatever reason - but I've never seen a list of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Deenethorpe was Station 128 Polebrook was Station 110 Spanhoe was Station 493 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 I don't think the RAF numbered their air stations - Ive only ever seen them reference by nameWell, somebody did (this was written by an RAF officer,) which is why I asked the question; as Graham kindly pointed out the "owners" of 127 Airfield were 127 Wing, but whether the airfield was numbered from the Wing, or vice versa, still remains a mystery, but is actually a moot point, since I now have the answer to my enquiry, and our knowledge has been pushed forward just a little. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 The concept "Airfield HQ" came first, as a basic part of the organisation of 2 TAF, with the first half-dozen or so numbers, and these were not permanently attached to particular bits of real estate. The idea was that they would be mobile, as expected to happen (and did happen) on the continent, and indeed in the UK before the invasion. RAF Squadrons were then attached to the "Airfield". Presumably they found this terminology as confusing as we do now, so on the 12 May the term "Wing" replaced the term "Airfield", retaining the same numbers. As far as I know the RAF did not number their airfields, in the conventional meaning of the word. You'll find this in the pages of Chris Shores/Chris Thomas's first part of their recent 2 TAF history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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