Monument record 7051/1 - Chipping Warden WWII Airfield

The site of a former military airfield, opened in 1941 and closed in 1946. During World War Two it was used by Royal Air Force Operational Training Units of Bomber Command. By the end of 1944 the airfield had three concrete runways, 30 heavy bomber hard standings, an aircraft hangar type J and four aircraft hangars type T2. Wartime construction methods typically involved the use of "temporary materials" for many building types. In 2002 the airfield was used for a mixture of agricultural and industrial purposes. The runways are used for vehicle storage.

{1} NIAG Field visit, June 1995. WWII airfield, approx centre SP 4930/4970. Many surviving sturctures including pillboxes and possible indications of acoustic detection equipment? Also school in Chipping Warden village subject to wartime use.

{2} Buildings mainly of temporary brick type; 34 circular dispersal pads supplemented by one loop type. Three runways, two 72,000 gallon and one 500 gallon underground aviation fuel tanks and a high level water tower holding 60,000 gallons. Constructed to 1940 building patterns Chipping Warden had one J Type hangar with three T2's providing additional maintenance facilites. First Operational Training Unit party arrived July 1941 with the field being declared open to general flying on 1st August 1941. Additional flying at Edgehill and Turweston (latter a satellite of Silverstone). Bombed/strafed October 1941 & March 1945. Gaydon acquired as a satellite field June 1942. Used by the RAF throughout the war. In January 1946 it became the No 114 Sub Storage Unit of 6 Maintenance Unit Brize Norton which used is as a centre for holding gliders prior to sale as surplus. Chipping Warden closed in December 1946, "although it was some years later before it passed from RAF hands".

{3} Plan of the airfield and associated sites in January 1946, list of resident flying units and aerial photo in October 1945 on pp246-47. Detailed plan of technical area with buildings identified on p281. Airfield code CW; elevation 457ft amsl.

{4} Oral report from G Cadman following very brief field inspection 7.4.1997. This information supplements that previously submitted to the SMR on behalf of M Ellison 15.10.96 and relates to that part of the airfield identified by Gibson (1982; p246) as being part of 'Site 3 Communal Site'. This is located in Calves Close Spinney to the east of Chipping Warden village. Inspection was confined to the SE part of the Spinney, approx centre cSP50754911. Evidence for the presence of numerous surviving or former structures, the latter represented by concrete foundations or by piles of concrete and other rubble. All surviving structures are in a derelict/overgrown condition. The latter include at least 6 brick built blast shelters, at least 4 Stanton type air-raid shelters and some temporary brick construction huts and one large building of uncertain function. At the extreme SE corner of the spinney is a single derelict wooden hut with brick gable walls.

{5} p94 photo of Crew Procedure Center of 'Airmanship Hall' with description of use p94-5 taken from Peden, Murray 1979 'A Thousand Shall Fall', Canada's Wings.

{9} Chipping Warden airfield, Oxfordshire (sic) SP 495 498. Opened in 1941 and closed in 1946. During World War Two it was used by Royal Air Force Operational Training Units of Bomber Command. By the end of 1944 the airfield had three concrete runways, 30 heavy bomber hard standings, an aircraft hangar type J and four aircraft hangars type T2.

{10} Chipping Warden airfield. In 2002 the airfield was used for a mixture of agricultural and industrial purposes. The runways are used for vehicle storage. At least one type T2 hangar and one type J hangar were extant at this time.

{11} Airfield (disused) centered at SP 495 498 (NAT). The south part of the airfield was occupied in 1978 by an Export Packing Works. The airfiled is split between two parishes in Northamptonshire, bordering- but not in- Oxfordshire.

[HER Note: The NRHE has two records for a possible battle headquarters. One equates to the record on NHER [7051/2] while the second one quotes 'World War II Standard 11008/41 battle headquarters at Chipping Warden Airfield. It was constructed between 1939 and 1945 but at the time of the Defence of Britain survey the site was in an uncertain condition.' The source of this is unknown and no further evidence has been found of a 'standard' battle headquarters].

<1> 1995, Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group Newsletter, (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN39504.

<2> Bowyer M.J.F., 1990, Action Stations 6: Military Airfields of The Cotswolds and The Central Midlands, 112-115 (Book). SNN39505.

<3> Gibson M.L., 1982, Aviation In Northamptonshire: An Illustrated History, (unchecked) (Book). SNN100276.

<4> CADMAN G.E., 1997, Oral Report to The SMR, (unchecked) (Oral Report). SNN51465.

<5> Smith D.J., 1989, British Military Airfields 1939-45, p.94-5 (unchecked) (Book). SNN39512.

<6> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<7> Tyrell, S J., 2001, Syd Tyrrell's Eydon, p.321 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN106949.

<8> 2011, How War Changed Sleepy Market Town, (checked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN107627.

<9> Willis, S. and Holliss, B., 1987, Military airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945, p. 48 (Book). SNN111556.

<10> Truman, R, 2003, Control Towers: Chipping Warden, accessed 27-JAN-2004 (Website). SNN115539.

<11> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), 1:10000/1982 (Map). SNN112944.

<12> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<13> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain, DEB01 (Archive). SNN112947.

Record last edited

Oct 2 2024 12:31PM