RAF Ashbourne

Royal Air Force Ashbourne, or more simply RAF Ashbourne, is a former Royal Air Force station located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of the town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England.^[2]

RAF Ashbourne
Ashbourne, Derbyshire in England
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	AS[1]
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Army Cooperation Command 1942-43 RAF Fighter Command 1943- * No. 38 Wing RAF * No. 38 (Airborne Forces) Group RAF
Location
RAF Ashbourne Shown within Derbyshire Show map of Derbyshire RAF Ashbourne RAF Ashbourne (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°00′25″N 001°42′25″W
Site history
Built	1942 (1942)
In use	July 1942-1954 (1954)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	180 metres (591 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 02/20 1,460 metres (4,790 ft) Concrete 09/27 1,460 metres (4,790 ft) Concrete 14/32 2,370 metres (7,776 ft) Concrete

It was opened on 12 June 1942, before closing on 23 August 1954.^[3]

Construction

Construction of the airfield began in late 1941 to Class-A bomber standards comprising three paved runways (concrete and woodchip surface) in an "leaning A" formation, 30 "frying-pan" style hard standings, four T2 hangars, a control tower and assorted technical buildings. Although at 610 feet (190 m) AMSL the altitude of the area was above the ceiling height for construction of airfields, the necessity of defensive installations during the Second World War overrode this condition.^[4]

History

Ashbourne was home to Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and Bristol Blenheim aircraft.^[5]

Originally planned as a satellite installation of RAF Seighford for Vickers Wellington bombers, due to the unsuitability of altitude and local weather it was relegated to a training role with its own satellite of RAF Darley Moor.

Post war it was used for storage and maintenance of ordnance where the bombs were stored along the runways.^[6]

Based units

There were three small units in operation based at Ashbourne:

• Relief Landing Ground for No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (March 1945)^[7]
• No. 42 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) (October 1943)^[8]
• No. 81 OTU (July 1942 – January 1944)^[9]
• Sub site of No. 28 Maintenance Unit RAF (May 1945 – August 1954)^[10]

Current use

The western half of the site is now an industrial estate, appropriately named Airfield Industrial Estate. The northern half has been used by JCB as a test and demonstration ground for various earth moving products but is now deserted. The north western part of the airfield is now a housing estate.

On the South-East side, part of one runway remains usable, and a 2017 document mentioned 5 aeroplanes based.^[11]