New Forest Airfields Memorial

[mutley 4,498]

We went for a jaunt down to the New Forest today to visit the airfields memorial at Holmsley South.

Holmsley opened as a RAF coastal command airfield with RAF Wellingtons, shortly to be reinforced with a unit of USAAF Liberators. When the Liberators left RAF Whitley's and Halifax's arrived. Additional Halifax's and Whitley's were involved with glider towing training glider crews for the long ferry tips to North Africa for use in the invasion of Sicily.

At the end of 1943 the airfield was transferred to the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force and RAF Typhoons and Canadian Mosquito's arrived and for a short time in 1944, Polish Mustangs. In mid July 1944 the airfield was handed over to the USAAF for use by B-26 Marauder units. By the autumn of 1944 Holmsley once again had RAF units based there flying Warwick, Liberator, Halifax, York and Skymaster transport aircraft. In 1946 flying ceased.

The memorial.

A plaque showing the relative locations.

A little bit of history on a noticeboard.

Front on.

Airfield detail on monument.

In honour of the USAAF

Closer to the prop, you can touch it if you wish!

The maker's details.

It's quite a peaceful place, Mrs Mutley has had enough and sat in the car whilst I explored!

Here's a map from 1945 with airfield detail.

A picture from Local Live where the runways, taxiways and other details can be clearly seen. If you click on the image it should take you right there so you can scan in 3D!

I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson!

Cheers

[allardjd 1,853]

Very cool, Mut. You are awash in a sea of history. Great photos.

John