Monument record 1296/1 - RAF Chelveston

A Second World War military airfield opened in 1941-1942. It was initially constructed for RAF 8 Group but was handed over to the United States Army Air force in 1942, becoming Station 105. it was the base for 60th Troop Carrying Group, 301 and 305 Bomb Groups. It was used in 1950s by American Strategic Air Command. Use of jets meant that the runways were redeveloped and extended. The extended runway was removed for hardcore in the late 1970s. The airfield was also used as a communications centre but is now a renewable energy park.

{1} Base of 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of 8th Air Force; flew 337 missions from airfield in B17 Flying Fortresses.

{2} Chelveston was laid down as an RAF bomber station in 1940. Layout included 2 'J' class hangers later supplemented by 2 'T2's. Runways; the main one 2,000 yards long and the other two 1,400 yards long, were not completed until March 1942. Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment used the airfield for glider trials. Americans took over responsibility for running the station in June 1942. The 301st Group commenced operations in September 1942. They were replaced in December 1942 by the 305th Bomb Group. Some 338 raids flown, the last on 25 April 1945. After the 305th's departure the RAF made the station a satellite for 25 Maintenance Unit (MU) before it was placed on Care and Manitenance. From December 1952 to June 1959 the USAF took control with a long runway laid for the 3914th Air Base Group, SAC. In August 1962, Chelveston became a reserve airfield. American interest continued with communications and storage centres into the 1990's. Whilst the long runway is reportedly demolished a hanger is reported as being present.

{3} Plan of the airfield and associated sites in October 1944, list of resident flying units and aerial photo from March 1944. Detailed plan of the Technical area with buildings identified.
Two Northants airfields re-built to modern standards in early 1950's- Wittering and Chelveston. At the latter 7253rd Air base Squadron of the American 3rd Air Force took over the old wartime base in Sept 1952 and began to rebuild the airfield for jet aircraft. The main feature was the single, almost 2 mile long, runway. In November 1955 the 3914th Air Base Squadron of the 7th Air Division of Stategic Air Command took over. The airfield formed part of the world wide system of bases for aircraft of SAC. B-47's used Chelveston as part of the 'Reflex Alert' force. Aircraft on permanent 15 minute alert. In 1959 SAC relinquished its tenure of Chelveston and Tactical Reconnaissance aircraft arrived from bases in Germany. Their departure in 1962 marked the end of flying from Chelveston.
Memorial to the 305th Bomb Group on the wall of Chelveston church. Photograph.

{4} The report gazetteer identifies this airfield as having an RAF Airfield Decoy at Swineshead (Cambs).

{5} Reference to use in 1959 for USAAF units expelled from France.

{6} "2819 Sqdn RAF Regiment was formed at Chelveston, Northamptonshire in 1942. Originally equipped as a Field Squadron, and later with armoured cars, they were eventually designated as a light AA Sqdn, and issued with twelve 4mm Bofors Guns." To France in June 1944.

{7} Chelveston Airfield was built in 1940-1 and opened on 15 August 1941. The airfield comprised a standard RAF ‘A’ pattern airfield. In mid-1942 the airfield was established as the base for the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) 301st Bomb Group, replaced in December by the 305th Bomb Group. During the winter months of 1942/43 the airfield’s runways and dispersal areas were expanded to accommodate the B17 aircraft of the 305th Bomb Group. At the end of the war the airfield was returned to the RAF and from October 1945 to May 1947 it remained a sub-site of 25 Maintenance Unit.
The Second World War Airfield officially closed in 1947 but in 1951 it was recommissioned to accommodate United Sates Air Force (USAF) B-47 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. This required the construction of a rectangular concrete apron, headquarters building and crash tender shed and a new control centre in addition to a new runway, dispersal and taxiways. On 1 December the base was handed over to the USAF Third Air Force.
Between 1951 and 1954 the airfield was almost entirely re-built. The former runways and taxi-paths were partially removed to accommodate the new designs. The Airfield remained under the jurisdiction of the USAF until 1 August 1962. In 1977 the runways and most of the perimeter tracks were removed to be used as hardcore in the development of Milton Keynes. Later in the year the airfield site was recommissioned as a Radio Transmitter site under the 81st Signals Unit. Eighteen aerial masts were erected on the site of the former airfield and remained in use until December 2003.

{9} The new wind turbine bases were positioned within the boundaries of the former airfield, each of which was commected to the existing former taxi-way by access roads. The only observations within these areas were of occasional pockets of modern ceramic material and concrete fragments [presumably from the former airfield].

{10} The natural substrate was overlain by modern overburden containing ceramic building materials, asphalt, concrete and corroded iron fragments. Occasional rubble remains of former World War II buildings were noted.

{11-13} RAF Chelveston described above (Source 1-6) was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project from historical aerial photographs taken in 1947 and prior to the runway extension in the 1950s. The later extensions and buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s are visible on later aerial photographs but have not been mapped. The airfield record site plan from 1944 shows the buildings and their functions. The airfield comprised a bomb store to the north of the airfield; a technical site located to the southwest with two T2 hangars and a J Hangar. All the original Second World War buildings are now demolished except a Maintenance workshop building at TL 00000 68345 and possibly some buildings belonging to the bomb store at TL 01143 69644, though they look either new or refurbished on recent aerial photographs. The airfield land is now in use as Chelveston Renewable Energy Park.

{14} Chelveston Airfield/ USAAF Station 105. The airfield was originally built for 8 Group of the RAF but was handed over to the 8th USAAF in 1942. 60th Troop Carring Group, 301 and 305 Bomber Groups used the base. The source contains reproductions of air photographs showing its development, including 1950s extension for jets. The source states that the demolition of the extended runway for hard core was taking place at the time of writing (1978).

{15} Chelveston airfield, Northamptonshire TL 006 685. Opened 1941. By 1944 the airfield had been equipped with three concrete and tarmac landing surfaces, 50 loop hard standings and three hangars of different types. There were 2894 personnel of the 8th USAAF 305th Bomb Group stationed at Chelveston in December 1944. The source includes a sketch map of the airfield.

{16-18} TL 005 695. RAF Chelveston opened in 1942, during the 1950s, it was re-occupied by the United States Strategic Air Command, as one of its main forward deployment bases. From 1 September 1959 it was one of the `Red Richard' unit locations, it was handed back to the RAF on 1 July 1964. Few traces of the airfield remain except for odd patches of concrete taxi-ways. It had a Type 5589/58 Control Tower, which survived at least into the 1970s {16}. The bomb store lay at the northern end of the airfield, centred at TL 012 695, its perimeter marked by a line of cranked fence posts, its plan was depicted by the OS in the late 1970s. The airfield was later used by the USAF as communications centre and it still retains part of the airfield's domestic area

<1> Northamptonshire Enterprise, 1994, World War II American Airfield Nostalgia, (checked) (Pamphlet). SNN28528.

<2> Bowyer M.J.F., 1990, Action Stations 6: Military Airfields of The Cotswolds and The Central Midlands, p.107-10 (unchecked) (Book). SNN39505.

<3> Gibson M.L., 1982, Aviation In Northamptonshire: An Illustrated History, p.244-5+280-1+209-10+230 (unchecked) (Book). SNN100276.

<4> Dobinson C.S., 1996, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England: Vol.III Bombing Decoys of World War Two, p.98 (checked) (Series). SNN39506.

<5> Smith D.J., 1989, British Military Airfields 1939-45, p.203 (unchecked) (Book). SNN39512.

<6> 1998?, The Copenhagen Affair, p.98 (checked) (Article). SNN104598.

<7> Upson-Smith T., 2011, Archaeological building recording at former RAF Chelveston, Chelveston, Northamptonshire October 2011, (checked) (Report). SNN108152.

<8> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<9> Leigh D.J., 2013, A Programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation and Recording During Construction of Wind Turbines at Chelveston Airfield, Chelveston, Northamptonshire, February-April 2013, p.6 (checked) (Report). SNN109874.

<10> Wolframm-Murray Y., 2013, A Programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation and Recording of Works at Chelveston Renewable Energy Park, the Airfield, Chelveston, Northamptonshire, September/October 2013, p.6 (checked) (Report). SNN109875.

<11> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1994 RS 4406-4408 13-APR-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<12> RAF Chelveston Record Site Plan 4386/44, Available from <https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/> (Plan). SNN112696.

<13> Vertical Aerial Photograph, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery TL0169 01-JUN-2014 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN112695.

<14> Freeman, R.A., 1978, Airfields of the eighth: then and now, p. 53-55 (Book). SNN111557.

<15> Willis, S. and Holliss, B., 1987, Military airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945, p. 47 (Book). SNN111556.

<16> Francis, P, 1993, Control towers : the development of the control tower on RAF stations in the UK, p. 112 (Book). SNN114732.

<17> Bowyer, M J F, 1994, Force for Freedom The USAF in the UK since 1948 (Book). SNN114733.

<18> Cocroft, W D, Field Investigator's Comments, Wayne D Cocroft/30-JUN-2000/English Heritage Cold War Project (Notes). SNN113478.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 7:56PM