RAF Aldermaston
Former Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Royal Air Force Aldermaston, or more simply RAF Aldermaston, is a former Royal Air Force station located 8 miles (13 km) east of Newbury, Berkshire and 9.8 miles (15.8 km) southwest of Reading, Berkshire, England.
RAF Aldermaston USAAF Station 467 | |||||||||||
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Newbury, Berkshire in England | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 51°22′12″N 001°08′38″W | ||||||||||
Code | AM | ||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||
Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force[1] United States Army Air Forces | ||||||||||
Controlled by | Eighth Air Force (1942-1943) Ninth Air Force (1943-1945) RAF Technical Training Command (1945) | ||||||||||
Site history | |||||||||||
Built | 1941 (1941)-42 | ||||||||||
In use | 1942-1945 (1945) | ||||||||||
Battles/wars | Second World War | ||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||
Elevation | 104 metres (341 ft) AMSL | ||||||||||
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Originally built as an RAF Bomber Command airfield during 1941-1942, Aldermaston was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces in August 1942.[1] Placed under the jurisdiction of Eighth Air Force, it was home to several Douglas C-47 Skytrain Troop Carrier Groups. It was transferred to Ninth Air Force in 1943 primarily as a Troop Carrier Command base.[2] Returned to RAF Control at the end of 1945, it was used by Technical Training Command before being placed on Care and Maintenance. In 1946, it was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and used by BOAC aircraft for training.[1]
Also used by the Ministry of Aircraft Production for Supermarine Spitfire assembly and flight testing, the airfield closed in 1950 and the site became home of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (later the Atomic Weapons Establishment) from 1950.[1]