Fowlmere Airfield
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2013) |
| Fowlmere Airfield | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near Royston, Hertfordshire in England | |||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Fowlmere Airfield Shown within Cambridgeshire | |||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1939/40 | ||||||||
| In use | 1940- | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 38 metres (125 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Fowlmere Airfield (ICAO: EGMA) is a privately owned airfield located 4.2 miles (6.8 km) northeast of Royston, Hertfordshire and 8.8 miles (14.2 km) southwest of Cambridge. It was previously a Royal Air Force satellite station, RAF Fowlmere.
History
[edit]World War I
[edit]Flying at Fowlmere Airfield originated during the First World War. In 1918 (the last year of the war), the airfield was used by three Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons, No. 124 Squadron RAF, No. 125 Squadron RAF, and No. 126 Squadron RAF.[1]
Flying cadets of the Air Service, United States Army were trained at Fowlmere by RAF instructors, prior to thei cadets being deployed to the Western Front.[2] By 1923, the deserted hangars and assorted buildings had been demolished.
Second World War
[edit]Royal Air Force use
[edit]
During the Second World War, Fowlmere was a satellite for RAF Fighter Command at nearby RAF Duxford and was used by 19 Squadron with Supermarine Spitfires[3] along with:
- No. 2 Squadron RAF.[4]
- No. 15 Squadron RAF.[5]
- No. 16 Squadron RAF.[5]
- No. 21 Squadron RAF.[6]
- No. 111 Squadron RAF.[7]
- No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAF.[8]
- No. 154 Squadron RAF.[9]
- No. 167 Squadron RAF.[10]
- No. 174 Squadron RAF.[11]
- No. 264 Squadron RAF.[12]
- No. 411 (Canadian) Squadron RAF.[13]
- No. 421 (Canadian) Squadron RAF.[14]
- No. 655 Squadron RAF.[15]
United States Army Air Forces use
[edit]
When the airfield was turned over to the USAAF, Fowlmere was expanded to meet the requirements of a complete fighter group. The airfield was assigned USAAF designation Station 378 It was allocated to the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force fighter command.
USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Fowlmere were:[16]
- 314th Service Group[17]
- 467th Service Squadron; HHS 314th Service Group
- 331st Service Group[18]
- 464th and 465th Service Squadrons; HHS 331s Service Group
- 18th Weather Squadron
- 72nd Station Complement Squadron
- 861st Engineer Aviation Battalion
- 1178th Quartermaster Company
- 1786th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company
- 989th Military Police Company
- 2120th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon
The 339th Fighter Group arrived at Fowlmere from Rice AAF, California on 4 April 1944. The group was under the command of the 66th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command. Aircraft of the group were identified by a red/white chequerboard pattern.
Postwar Royal Air Force use
[edit]With the departure of the Americans following the end of the war, Fowlmere was used by No. 11 Group RAF RAF Fighter Command until January 1946. It was then closed and placed into care and maintenance status, before being sold back to local farmers in 1957. The airfield's concreted areas and buildings of were ground into aggregate and sold for use in local construction projects.[citation needed]
Current use
[edit]
The airfield is in active use, with new management as of November 2020.[19] It is home to the British Aerobatic Academy and the Modern Air flying club. There is a grass runway 07/25, with PPR (Prior Permission Required) necessary to land.
Fowlmere Airfield Museum is on-site, open one Sunday per month.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 58.
- ^ "Fowlmere". controltowers.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 30.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 23.
- ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 29.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 31.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 56.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 59.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 63.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 64.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 65.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 80.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 90.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 91.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 103.
- ^ "Fowlmere". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ "331st Service Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ "314th Service Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ "Fowlmere Airfield - Under new management". Fowlmere EGMAirfield. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
Sources
[edit]- Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 978-1-85310-053-6.
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present Archived 22 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- 339th Fighter Group on www.littlefriends.co.uk Archived 25 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
[edit]- Bowyer, Michael J.F. (1987). Action Stations: Military Airfields of Cambridgeshire. Wellingborough, UK: Stephens. pp. 84–87. ISBN 978-0-85059-823-0.
- Freeman, Roger A. (1992). The Mighty Eighth in Color. Specialty Pr Pub & Wholesalers. ISBN 978-0-933424-57-9.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-89201-092-9.
- Smith, Graham (1997). "Fowlmere". Cambridgeshire Airfields in the Second World War. Newbury , UK: Countryside. ISBN 978-1-85306-456-2.
External links
[edit]
- Fowlmere Airfield website
- British Aerobatic Academy website
- Modern Air flying club's website
- Fowlmere Airfield Museum website
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