RAF Holmsley South

Royal Air Force Holmsley South or more simply RAF Holmsley South is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Christchurch, Dorset.

RAF Holmsley South USAAF Station AAF-455
New Milton, Hampshire in England
Photo-Mosaic of Holmsley South airfield - December 1946 after all flying had ended with "X" on each runway end.
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	HM (USAAF)
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force 1942-44 & 1944- United States Army Air Forces 1944
Controlled by	RAF Coastal Command 1942-44 RAF Fighter Command 1944 * No. 10 Group RAF RAF Transport Command 1944-46 * No. 116 Wing RAF Ninth Air Force
Location
RAF Holmsley South Shown within Hampshire
Coordinates	50°47′18″N 001°41′58″W
Site history
Built	1941 (1941)/42
Built by	John Laing & Son Ltd[1]
In use	September 1942 - October 1946 (1946)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	6 metres (20 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Tarmac 00/00  Tarmac 00/00  Tarmac

Loading 500lb bombs on to Martin B-26B-55-MA Marauder Serial 42-96213 of the 586th Bombardment Squadron. The aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on 22 March 1945.

Bomb loading on to Martin B-26G-1-MA Marauder Serial 43-34194 of the 584th Bombardment Squadron at Holmsley.

Opened in 1942,^[2] it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a bomber and later as a transport airfield. After the war it was closed in late 1946. Christchurch Council from December 1946 to 1961 used the old accommodation sites including WAAF Nissen Huts as temporary accommodation for families waiting for a council house.

Today the remains of the airfield are part of a Forestry Commission project near the New Forest.

RAF Use

The following RAF squadrons were here at some point:^[3]

• No. 58 Squadron RAF
• No. 167 Squadron RAF
• No. 182 Squadron RAF (1944)
• No. 184 Squadron RAF (1944)
• No. 232 Squadron RAF
• No. 246 Squadron RAF
• No. 295 Squadron RAF
• No. 418 Squadron RCAF (1944)
• No. 502 Squadron RAF
• No. 547 Squadron RAF

Additional RAF units:^[4]

• No. 121 Airfield became No. 121 (Rocket Projectile) Wing RAF^[5]
  • No. 174 Squadron RAF (1944)
  • No. 175 Squadron RAF (1944)
  • No. 245 Squadron RAF (1944)
• No. 133 (Polish) (Fighter) Wing RAF^[5]
  • No. 129 Squadron RAF (1944)
  • No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron (1944)
  • No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron (1944)
• No. 144 (RCAF) Airfield^[5]
  • No. 441 Squadron RCAF (1944)
  • No. 442 Squadron RCAF (1944)
  • No. 443 Squadron RCAF (1944)
• No. 1320 ('Abdullah') Flight RAF (1944)^[6]
• No. 1 Section from No. 1552 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF
• No. 2758 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2798 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2807 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2812 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2822 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 3205 Servicing Commando
• Halifax Development Flight RAF (1944-??)^[7]

USAAF use

Holmsley South was known as USAAF Station AAF-455 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "HM".

The 394th Bomb Group moved to Holmsley from RAF Boreham between 24 and 28 July 1944. Operational squadrons of the group were:

• 584th Bomb Squadron (K5)
• 585th Bomb Squadron (4T)
• 586th Bomb Squadron (H9)
• 587th Bomb Squadron (5W)

The group remained in the theatre to serve with United States Air Forces in Europe as part of the army of occupation at Kitzingen, Germany. It was transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the United States on 15 February 1946 and was inactivated on 31 March 1946.

Current use

With the facility released from military control in 1946, Holmsley South has since stood derelict and, while a few odd parts of the runways and a few dispersal points remain, the vast majority of the concreted areas have been removed along with the buildings around the airfield leaving a large open area. Some other areas have been planted with conifers by the Forestry Commission. Several public camping sites and a caravan park have been created on the former hardstanding groupings along the northeast side of the main perimeter track, as well as both sides of the former 07 runway on the southwest of the airfield.

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations