RAF Thruxton USAAF Station AAF-407 |
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Thruxton Airfield - May 1945. Already large numbers of combat aircraft being stored at the airfield, parked wingtip to wingtip on the grass areas, prior to their being returned to the United States.
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Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||||||||||
Operator |
Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces |
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Location | Thruxton, Hampshire | ||||||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | ft / 90 m | ||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 51°12′29″N 001°36′02″W / 51.20806°N 1.60056°W | ||||||||||||||||||
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Location in Hampshire | |||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Thruxton or more simply RAF Thruxton is a former Royal Air Force station located 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Andover, Hampshire and about 66 miles (106 km) southwest of London.
Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces.
During the war Thruxton was used primarily as a combat fighter airfield.
However, paratroops who participated in the Bruneval raid (Operation Biting) in which German radar technology was captured took off from here in Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bombers on the evening of 27 February 1942. Also, gliders used in the D-day landings operated from here.
After the war it was closed in 1946.
Today the site is occupied by the Thruxton Circuit.
While under United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) control, it was known as USAAF Station AAF-407 for security reasons, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its station-ID was "TX".
Thruxton was transferred to the USAAF Ninth Air Force on 3 January 1944. On 1 March the 366th Fighter Group with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts were transferred to the airfield from RAF Membury. Operational squadrons of the group were:
The 366th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 71st Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. The group moved to its Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at St. Pierre du Mont, France (ALG A-1) on 17 June 1944 .