RAF Windrush
RAF Windrush | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Landing Strip, Windrush Airfield | |||||||||||||||
IATA: none – ICAO: none | |||||||||||||||
Summary | |||||||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||
Location | Windrush, Gloucestershire | ||||||||||||||
Built |
1940 (Initial) 1942 Main buildings | ||||||||||||||
In use | 1940-1945 | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 51°48′16″N 001°44′09″W / 51.80444°N 1.73583°WCoordinates: 51°48′16″N 001°44′09″W / 51.80444°N 1.73583°W | ||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||
RAF Windrush Location in Gloucestershire | |||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||
|
RAF Windrush was a Royal Air Force station near Windrush, Gloucestershire. It was opened in 1940 and closed on 12 July 1945. Initially it was a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Chipping Norton, later coming under the control of RAF Little Rissington.
History
The airfield consisted of two Sommerfeld Tracking runways, a concrete perimeter track, 1 T1 building and 8 Blister Hangars. Most of this infrastructure was added in 1942. Some of the original buildings remain in situ though the site has been returned to agricultural use. The control tower has been preserved.
Memorial
A memorial at the church in Windrush village describes Sgt Pilot Bruce Hancock RAFVR who died on 18 August 1940 when downing a German Heinkel bomber by ramming it with his unarmed training Avro Anson aircraft.[1]
Post war
Following closure in 1945 the airfield remained active with a local flying club and for parachuting until 1997.