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A former World War Two military airfield, now disused, which opened in 1940 and closed in 1945. It served as a relief landing ground (RLG), principally for South Cerney Airfield. There was a maintenance and servicing area at Sub Site 1 in the south-west corner of the airfield. Fuel stores and blister hangars were located there and it was defended by an unusual pillbox, possibly a ‘double Norcon variant’ according to Richard Drew of Link . In the south-east corner were further blister hangars of a 1941 pattern. Technical and instructional buildings built between 1941-1942 were situated at the north end of the airfield. At the technical site were the main hangar, a Type T1, a further fuel store and a control tower (1941 pattern).
Link
During WWII, military camps associated with Southrop Relief Landing Ground were situated to the north of the former flying field area in Macaroni Wood. The camps were probably built between 1941-1942, although the airfield had already opened in 1940. There were four dispersed barracks sites for 820 male personnel, comprising prefabricated Laing huts, one for 126 Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel, sick quarters (a small military hospital), and a communal site with officers' mess, sergeants' mess and an airmen's mess of 1941-1942 designs. At the northernmost edge of the military camp, 23 barracks, 7 probable toilets or ablutions blocks, two air raid shelters and a number of pathways and areas of hard standing and four small indeterminate military buildings, possibly ordnance stores, have been drawn from aerial photographs. Link
During the war the airfield was used by 2 Flying Training School (later renamed 3 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit). According to Link
the main unit(s) present were:
• No 2 (P) AFU
• No 2 SFTS
• No 3 (P) AFU
• No 6 SFTS
• No 27 Gp Comms Flight
• No 27 (Signals Training) Group
• No 1539 BAT Flight
Apparently this airfield was only used as a RLG for 23 Group, and so only North American T.6 Harvards and Airspeed Oxfords were the only types seen here. Link
See also: Link Link
Much of the land on which the former airfield and associated structures are situated belongs to the Ernest Cook Trust. Link