Old Sarum Airfield
Encyclopedia
Old Sarum Airfield is located 2 NM north northeast of Salisbury
, Wiltshire
, England
.
The aerodrome
has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P768) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Blanefield Airfield Operations). The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.
The site is a mix of residential and industrial sites. Residential areas are located to the east, occupying the old airfield married quarters and officers' mess, now known as Throgmorton Hall. Industrial/business units occupy a large number of the original World War I
and World War II
airfield buildings, as well as several large modern warehouses, office blocks and car showrooms, the development of which is continuing to the present day.
Old Sarum is the best-preserved flying field of the World War I period. It is bounded by one of the most complete suites of technical and hangar buildings of the period. The site has three Grade II* listed hangars, a Grade II listed former workshop, and a Grade II listed TA Headquarters (former Station Headquarters).
The airfield was designated as a conservation area by Salisbury District Council in February 2007.
Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone
(MATZ). When the MATZ is active, Old Sarum Airfield procedures dictate that all circuits are to the south with a crosswind departure and a base leg
joins at circuit height. When the MATZ is inactive the circuits are changed to the north to reduce noise to the city of Salisbury.
During the times when the MATZ is inactive, Boscombe Down's ATZ is still active and pilots must take care when downwind on the northern circuits to avoid entering it.
(RFC). Like many others of this period, the airfield was provided with a cluster of general service sheds and a camp consisting largely of wooden buildings. It was opened in August 1917 and was briefly known at first as 'Ford Farm' but very soon took instead the name of the much more distinguished local fortifications.
Its first task was to act as a base for the formation of three new day bomber squadrons which would ultimately be sent across the English Channel
to operate in France
. The Royal Air Force
(RAF) was founded on 1 April 1918, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service
. On the same day a new flying training unit was formed at Old Sarum to become the airfield’s principal resident unit. This was 11 Training Depot Station, whose task was the operational training of fresh aircrew
s.
in January 1921 and for many years ran mixed courses for Army
and Air Force personnel. The prime task was the development of efficient air/ground communication under operational conditions, principally between Army officers, including those of the newly formed armoured forces and the pilots and observers of the RAF Army Cooperation Squadrons
.
A 'Special Duty Flight' was formed here in about 1926 to work with the Experimental Gas School at Porton Down
, not far away. This used a handful of aircraft including a Bristol Fighter, a Dart and a Horsley, but was transferred to Netheravon
in 1928. In April 1924, 16 Squadron
was reformed at Old Sarum for cooperation with Army units in Southern Command. Initially equipped with Bristol Fighters
, it subsequently received the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
, in January 1931 and Audaxs in December 1933.
With these types it took part in exercises all over southern England
. In June 1938 it became the first unit to equip with the Westland Lysander
. The mid-1930s saw the beginning of the RAF expansion scheme, where many First World War airfield sites were inspected to see if they would be suitable for the new permanent stations which were planned due to the increased threat to Britain from Nazi Germany
. Old Sarum Airfield was identified as being suitable for becoming a permanent station, and the period between 1934 and 1937 saw the development of new domestic, administrative and technical buildings. This development saw the increase in the area of the airfield occupied by station buildings from 7.5 ha (18.5 acre) to roughly 22 ha (54.4 acre). The flying field remained the same size.
Three other operational squadrons were based at the airfield for varying periods between 1935 and 1939. First of these was another army cooperation unit, 13 Squadron, whose Audaxes were based here from May 1935. Next came the Hawker Hind
s of a new light bomber
squadron – 107 – which stayed here until 1937. The third unit, 59 Squadron
, was actually formed here in June 1937 and was a brand new army cooperation unit specially intended to carry out night reconnaissance, using Hawker Hector
aircraft. Subsequently it was decided to replace these with comparatively high performance Bristol Blenheim
s and in May 1939 the squadron transferred to Andover
to make the transition.
s still looked out onto the grass flying field, while the old Roman road
still formed the northern border of the airfield. The squadron continued to be primarily engaged in training and developing ground support techniques, including the spraying of poison gas
, although this was never actually used. In February the 16 Squadron left for France via Hawkinge
and its place was taken by the first two Canadian flying units to arrive in Britain – 110 and 112 Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) Squadrons. The final operational unit to be based here during this period was 225 Squadron (RAF)
, another Lysander equipped unit. This took the place of 110 RCAF Squadron on 9 June 1940 and with the growing threat of a Nazi
invasion of the Britain, it was engaged in patrolling the south coast for enemy landings.
In 1939, the establishment of aircraft was increased to serve the expanding School of Army Cooperation. In February 1940 a new 'D' Flight was formed within the School for artillery spotting duties. It was out-stationed at Larkhill
to be close to the Royal Artillery
camp there and served as the nucleus from which all future Air Observation Post (AOP) units originated.
During the Battle of Britain
, as losses mounted, the shortage of fighter pilots became so desperate that a number of army cooperation trainees were selected at Old Sarum and immediately sent to Hurricane
and Spitfire
training units. During the massive campaign of enemy attacks on RAF airfields in the summer and autumn of 1940, Old Sarum escaped lightly but during the night of 11/12 May 1941 one hangar was burnt out in an air raid and two aircraft were destroyed.
During the first two years of war, it became clear that higher performance aircraft were needed and so a small number of Hurricanes and Harvards joined the unit in early 1941 and they were soon followed by a flight of Tomahawk
s. Because of the limitations of the landing ground at Old Sarum, a larger satellite was prepared at Oatlands Hill, some 5 mi (8 km) away to the north-west. Oatlands Hill was equipped with only basic flying facilities and most of the maintenance work had still to be undertaken at Old Sarum but henceforth all higher performance aircraft would carry out their training programmes at Oatlands Hill.
In August 1941, the first full AOP squadron was formed. This was 651 Squadron
and it was equipped with Taylorcrafts
, flown by specially trained army pilots. They were frequently detached to Larkhill to train with the gunners there and, in the following spring the squadron joined Army manoeuvres, thus establishing the practice of sending small detachments of aircraft to improvised advanced landing grounds ‘in the field’.
The advances in size and performance of aircraft types from Lysander to the Tomahawk prompted a reorganisation and the Training Wing was redesignated 41 Operational Training Unit. The development and teaching of methods of artillery reconnaissance were undertaken here from 1942. However, these activities required a permanent runway instead of a flying field, and so 41 OTU was transferred out in 1942. It was replaced by a new Fleet Air Arm
Squadron, developing tactical reconnaissance. In 1942 Old Sarum became the principal base for the training of AOP with three new squadrons and 43 OTU moved from Larkhill to Old Sarum. While it was engaged in training new pilots, the facilities at Old Sarum continued to be used for the formation of new Auster squadrons.
655 Squadron
formed in December 1942 for Southern Command, and took part in the huge ‘Spartan’ exercise in East Anglia
in July 1943 which tested the efficiency of Army co-operation squadrons under mobile conditions, and was effectively a rehearsal for the invasion and liberation of North-West Europe
. This led to the formation of Tactical Air Forces
(TAF), which were created as replacements for RAF Army Cooperation Command.
1944 marked the end of a period of major expansion in the AOP squadrons and the spare hangar space at Old Sarum Airfield was used by 3505 Servicing Unit, which maintained numerous aircraft operating in small and scattered detachments to provide practice facilities for Anti-Aircraft
and Searchlight
sites. Plans for the D-Day landings were well advanced by early 1944 and included the requisition of all of the facilities at Old Sarum to form part of the 2nd TAF Concentration Area. This was, in effect, the hinterland and supply location of the many ports and embarkation points of the ships and landing craft of the invasion forces. All flying training was terminated and 43 OTU left the station entirely.
Thousands of ground personnel and virtually all RAF motor transport vehicles destined for Normandy passed through Old Sarum in the D-Day period making it an integral part in the organisational structure of the D-Day landings. Seven large tented camps were set up in the countryside around the airfield and a force of over a thousand fitters was established to undertake the waterproofing of the 25,000 invasion vehicles. A large part of the airfield was used to assemble the long lines of trucks and other vehicles and the station hangars were pressed into service as the principal workshops.
As D-Day arrived, there were no less than 34 aircraft at Old Sarum Airfield from three different squadrons (658
, 659
and 662
) waiting to be called forward. Ground support units, ranging from Sector Headquarters and Signals Wings to Servicing Parties and Repair Units continued to pass through until the flow finally ceased in November. The School of Army Cooperation had been reformed at Old Sarum in June 1943 and was subsequently retitled the RAF School of Army Cooperation. In 1944 it was reorganised as the School of Air Support. It was established with its own small fleet of aircraft. The experiences of war had highlighted the importance of inter service cooperation as never before and increasingly personnel from all three services became based at Old Sarum.
of Salisbury. At about the same time, the station also became the home of the Army Air Transport Training and Development Centre.
One new aspect of post war aviation, which was of interest to all three services, was the widespread use of helicopters. Accordingly, on 1 June 1961, the RAF element of the Helicopter Development Unit (HDU) was formed at Old Sarum, with a handful of early helicopter prototypes, Sycamores
and Whirlwinds, to explore their military potential.
In 1965 a new Joint Helicopter Development Unit (JHDU) was formed at Old Sarum and it immediately absorbed the former HDU, which became a section entitled 'Short Range Transport Development Unit'. In 1963 622 (Volunteer) Gliding School
became based at Old Sarum and the School was amalgamated with the Amphibious Warfare School from Poole
in Dorset
to form the Joint Warfare Establishment, being equipped with a few Whirlwinds and Wessexes
.
The final change was the amalgamation of Army Air Transport Development and the JHDU in 1968 to become the Joint Air Transport
Establishment (JATE). In December 1971 Old Sarum ceased as an RAF airfield, although it served with the Army until 1979.
and other ancillary buildings adjacent to Hangar 1 and between Hangar 1 and the Portway
(now all demolished). All these buildings belonged to the World War I phase of airfield development.
The buildings were used by Edgley for the design and manufacture of the Edgley Optica
light observation aircraft
and the airfield used to undertake test flying
using the runway currently in existence and as defined by the Ministry of Defence
in the 999 year lease.
In 1986 the Optica business was purchased by the Brooklands Aerospace Group who continued the building and flying of Optica Aircraft together with other aerospace activities. In 1986 Brooklands obtained a CAA licence for the airfield which formally defined the runway position and allowed flying training
to be carried out (initially by the Wiltshire Aerospace Club).
Following the destruction of Hangar 1 by fire in 1987 Brooklands purchased Hangar 3 (the easternmost hangar). In 1989 the airfield lease and Hangar 3 was purchased by Blanefield Investments (not Blanefield Property Company Ltd) and Brooklands continued aircraft manufacture in Hangar 2 for a short period before moving manufacture to Hurn airport (now Bournemouth Airport
).
first designated Old Sarum Airfield a conservation area
in January 2001. This decision was then challenged in the High Court
which held it to be unlawful, on the basis that there had been procedural errors in its making. The conservation area designation was therefore removed in December 2001.
Changes in procedures for the creation of conservation areas allowed the airfield to be designated once more as a conservation area by Salisbury District Council in February 2007.
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P768) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Blanefield Airfield Operations). The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.
The site is a mix of residential and industrial sites. Residential areas are located to the east, occupying the old airfield married quarters and officers' mess, now known as Throgmorton Hall. Industrial/business units occupy a large number of the original World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield buildings, as well as several large modern warehouses, office blocks and car showrooms, the development of which is continuing to the present day.
Old Sarum is the best-preserved flying field of the World War I period. It is bounded by one of the most complete suites of technical and hangar buildings of the period. The site has three Grade II* listed hangars, a Grade II listed former workshop, and a Grade II listed TA Headquarters (former Station Headquarters).
The airfield was designated as a conservation area by Salisbury District Council in February 2007.
Airspace and procedures
Old Sarum airfield Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) sits within the nearby MoD Boscombe DownMoD Boscombe Down
MoD Boscombe Down is an aircraft testing site located at Idmiston, south of Amesbury, in Wiltshire, England. It is run and managed by QinetiQ, the company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence...
Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone
Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone
A Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone, also known as a MATZ, is the airspace surrounding a military aerodrome.-Purpose:Military Aerodrome Traffic Zones have been established as detailed by the UK AIS in the IAIP ENR 2.1....
(MATZ). When the MATZ is active, Old Sarum Airfield procedures dictate that all circuits are to the south with a crosswind departure and a base leg
Airfield traffic pattern
An airfield traffic pattern is a standard path followed by aircraft when taking off or landing, while maintaining visual contact with the airfield....
joins at circuit height. When the MATZ is inactive the circuits are changed to the north to reduce noise to the city of Salisbury.
During the times when the MATZ is inactive, Boscombe Down's ATZ is still active and pilots must take care when downwind on the northern circuits to avoid entering it.
World War I
The site for Old Sarum Airfield was selected in 1917, to provide facilities for a training station for the rapidly expanding Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC). Like many others of this period, the airfield was provided with a cluster of general service sheds and a camp consisting largely of wooden buildings. It was opened in August 1917 and was briefly known at first as 'Ford Farm' but very soon took instead the name of the much more distinguished local fortifications.
Its first task was to act as a base for the formation of three new day bomber squadrons which would ultimately be sent across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to operate in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) was founded on 1 April 1918, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
. On the same day a new flying training unit was formed at Old Sarum to become the airfield’s principal resident unit. This was 11 Training Depot Station, whose task was the operational training of fresh aircrew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
s.
1918 to 1939
At the end of World War I, Old Sarum was one of the few airfields which were not closed down as part of the post war run-down. In 1920, 11 Training Squadron was disbanded and preparations were made to turn the station into the permanent home of the School of Army Co-operation. The School was transferred to Old Sarum from StonehengeStonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
in January 1921 and for many years ran mixed courses for Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and Air Force personnel. The prime task was the development of efficient air/ground communication under operational conditions, principally between Army officers, including those of the newly formed armoured forces and the pilots and observers of the RAF Army Cooperation Squadrons
RAF Army Cooperation Command
RAF Army Cooperation Command was a short-lived major command of the Royal Air Force during World War II, comprising the army cooperation units of the RAF.The command was formed on 1 December 1940 when No...
.
A 'Special Duty Flight' was formed here in about 1926 to work with the Experimental Gas School at Porton Down
Porton Down
Porton Down is a United Kingdom government and military science park. It is situated slightly northeast of Porton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. To the northwest lies the MoD Boscombe Down test range facility which is operated by QinetiQ...
, not far away. This used a handful of aircraft including a Bristol Fighter, a Dart and a Horsley, but was transferred to Netheravon
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
in 1928. In April 1924, 16 Squadron
No. 16 Squadron RAF
No. 16 Squadron is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force. It formed in 1915 at Saint-Omer to carry out a mixture of offensive patrolling and reconnaissance and was disbanded in 1919 with the end of the First World War...
was reformed at Old Sarum for cooperation with Army units in Southern Command. Initially equipped with Bristol Fighters
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft...
, it subsequently received the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
|-See also:-External links:* *...
, in January 1931 and Audaxs in December 1933.
With these types it took part in exercises all over southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
. In June 1938 it became the first unit to equip with the Westland Lysander
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
. The mid-1930s saw the beginning of the RAF expansion scheme, where many First World War airfield sites were inspected to see if they would be suitable for the new permanent stations which were planned due to the increased threat to Britain from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Old Sarum Airfield was identified as being suitable for becoming a permanent station, and the period between 1934 and 1937 saw the development of new domestic, administrative and technical buildings. This development saw the increase in the area of the airfield occupied by station buildings from 7.5 ha (18.5 acre) to roughly 22 ha (54.4 acre). The flying field remained the same size.
Three other operational squadrons were based at the airfield for varying periods between 1935 and 1939. First of these was another army cooperation unit, 13 Squadron, whose Audaxes were based here from May 1935. Next came the Hawker Hind
Hawker Hind
-See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3....
s of a new light bomber
Light bomber
A light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
squadron – 107 – which stayed here until 1937. The third unit, 59 Squadron
No. 59 Squadron RAF
No. 59 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force.- History :No.59 Squadron first became operational on 1 August 1916 at Narborough Airfield in Norfolk as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. During the Second World War it was attached to RAF Fighter Command , Bomber Command and Coastal Command...
, was actually formed here in June 1937 and was a brand new army cooperation unit specially intended to carry out night reconnaissance, using Hawker Hector
Hawker Hector
-See also:-Bibliography:* Air Transport Auxiliary Ferry Pilots Notes . Elvington, York, UK: Yorkshire Air Museum, 1996. ISBN 0-9512379-8-5....
aircraft. Subsequently it was decided to replace these with comparatively high performance Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
s and in May 1939 the squadron transferred to Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
to make the transition.
World War II
At the outbreak of war the appearance of RAF Old Sarum had changed little. Its line of hangarHangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s still looked out onto the grass flying field, while the old Roman road
Roman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
still formed the northern border of the airfield. The squadron continued to be primarily engaged in training and developing ground support techniques, including the spraying of poison gas
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
, although this was never actually used. In February the 16 Squadron left for France via Hawkinge
Hawkinge
Hawkinge is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile due east of the present village centre ; the modern, much larger, village of Hawkinge was formed by the merging of Hawkinge and Uphill...
and its place was taken by the first two Canadian flying units to arrive in Britain – 110 and 112 Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) Squadrons. The final operational unit to be based here during this period was 225 Squadron (RAF)
No. 225 Squadron RAF
No. 225 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 April 1918 at Alimini, Italy from part of No. 6 Wing RNAS, and was equipped with Sopwith Camels. The squadron disbanded on 18 December 1918....
, another Lysander equipped unit. This took the place of 110 RCAF Squadron on 9 June 1940 and with the growing threat of a Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
invasion of the Britain, it was engaged in patrolling the south coast for enemy landings.
In 1939, the establishment of aircraft was increased to serve the expanding School of Army Cooperation. In February 1940 a new 'D' Flight was formed within the School for artillery spotting duties. It was out-stationed at Larkhill
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It is a short distance west of Durrington village proper and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury....
to be close to the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
camp there and served as the nucleus from which all future Air Observation Post (AOP) units originated.
During the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, as losses mounted, the shortage of fighter pilots became so desperate that a number of army cooperation trainees were selected at Old Sarum and immediately sent to Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
and Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
training units. During the massive campaign of enemy attacks on RAF airfields in the summer and autumn of 1940, Old Sarum escaped lightly but during the night of 11/12 May 1941 one hangar was burnt out in an air raid and two aircraft were destroyed.
During the first two years of war, it became clear that higher performance aircraft were needed and so a small number of Hurricanes and Harvards joined the unit in early 1941 and they were soon followed by a flight of Tomahawk
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
s. Because of the limitations of the landing ground at Old Sarum, a larger satellite was prepared at Oatlands Hill, some 5 mi (8 km) away to the north-west. Oatlands Hill was equipped with only basic flying facilities and most of the maintenance work had still to be undertaken at Old Sarum but henceforth all higher performance aircraft would carry out their training programmes at Oatlands Hill.
In August 1941, the first full AOP squadron was formed. This was 651 Squadron
No. 651 Squadron RAF
No. 651 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these...
and it was equipped with Taylorcrafts
Taylorcraft Aircraft
-Bibliography:* Fromow, Lt-Col. D.L. Canada's Flying Gunners, Air Observation Post Pilot's Association, Ottawa, Canada. 2002. ISBN 0973005505* Simpson, R.W Airlife's General Aviation, Airlife Publishing, England, 1991. ISBN 1 85310 104 X-External links:...
, flown by specially trained army pilots. They were frequently detached to Larkhill to train with the gunners there and, in the following spring the squadron joined Army manoeuvres, thus establishing the practice of sending small detachments of aircraft to improvised advanced landing grounds ‘in the field’.
The advances in size and performance of aircraft types from Lysander to the Tomahawk prompted a reorganisation and the Training Wing was redesignated 41 Operational Training Unit. The development and teaching of methods of artillery reconnaissance were undertaken here from 1942. However, these activities required a permanent runway instead of a flying field, and so 41 OTU was transferred out in 1942. It was replaced by a new Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
Squadron, developing tactical reconnaissance. In 1942 Old Sarum became the principal base for the training of AOP with three new squadrons and 43 OTU moved from Larkhill to Old Sarum. While it was engaged in training new pilots, the facilities at Old Sarum continued to be used for the formation of new Auster squadrons.
655 Squadron
No. 655 Squadron RAF
No. 655 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian...
formed in December 1942 for Southern Command, and took part in the huge ‘Spartan’ exercise in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
in July 1943 which tested the efficiency of Army co-operation squadrons under mobile conditions, and was effectively a rehearsal for the invasion and liberation of North-West Europe
North-West Europe
North-West Europe is a term that refers to a northern area of Western Europe, although the exact area or countries it comprises varies.-Geographic definition:...
. This led to the formation of Tactical Air Forces
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
(TAF), which were created as replacements for RAF Army Cooperation Command.
1944 marked the end of a period of major expansion in the AOP squadrons and the spare hangar space at Old Sarum Airfield was used by 3505 Servicing Unit, which maintained numerous aircraft operating in small and scattered detachments to provide practice facilities for Anti-Aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
and Searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
sites. Plans for the D-Day landings were well advanced by early 1944 and included the requisition of all of the facilities at Old Sarum to form part of the 2nd TAF Concentration Area. This was, in effect, the hinterland and supply location of the many ports and embarkation points of the ships and landing craft of the invasion forces. All flying training was terminated and 43 OTU left the station entirely.
Thousands of ground personnel and virtually all RAF motor transport vehicles destined for Normandy passed through Old Sarum in the D-Day period making it an integral part in the organisational structure of the D-Day landings. Seven large tented camps were set up in the countryside around the airfield and a force of over a thousand fitters was established to undertake the waterproofing of the 25,000 invasion vehicles. A large part of the airfield was used to assemble the long lines of trucks and other vehicles and the station hangars were pressed into service as the principal workshops.
As D-Day arrived, there were no less than 34 aircraft at Old Sarum Airfield from three different squadrons (658
No. 658 Squadron RAF
No. 658 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Air Observation Post squadron associated with the 21st Army Group during World War II. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these...
, 659
No. 659 Squadron RAF
No. 659 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Air Observation Post squadron associated with the 21st Army Group during World War II. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these...
and 662
No. 662 Squadron RAF
No. 662 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Air Observation Post squadron associated with the 21st Army Group and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A...
) waiting to be called forward. Ground support units, ranging from Sector Headquarters and Signals Wings to Servicing Parties and Repair Units continued to pass through until the flow finally ceased in November. The School of Army Cooperation had been reformed at Old Sarum in June 1943 and was subsequently retitled the RAF School of Army Cooperation. In 1944 it was reorganised as the School of Air Support. It was established with its own small fleet of aircraft. The experiences of war had highlighted the importance of inter service cooperation as never before and increasingly personnel from all three services became based at Old Sarum.
Post World War II
In May 1947, the School was re-designated the School of Land/Air Warfare, training Air Force, Army and Navy officers. In 1956, in recognition of its importance and longevity, RAF Old Sarum was honoured by being given the Freedom of the CityFreedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Salisbury. At about the same time, the station also became the home of the Army Air Transport Training and Development Centre.
One new aspect of post war aviation, which was of interest to all three services, was the widespread use of helicopters. Accordingly, on 1 June 1961, the RAF element of the Helicopter Development Unit (HDU) was formed at Old Sarum, with a handful of early helicopter prototypes, Sycamores
Bristol Sycamore
-See also:-External links:* on the Bristol Sycamore* on the Bristol Sycamore*...
and Whirlwinds, to explore their military potential.
In 1965 a new Joint Helicopter Development Unit (JHDU) was formed at Old Sarum and it immediately absorbed the former HDU, which became a section entitled 'Short Range Transport Development Unit'. In 1963 622 (Volunteer) Gliding School
Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force Flying Training Units , operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
became based at Old Sarum and the School was amalgamated with the Amphibious Warfare School from Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
to form the Joint Warfare Establishment, being equipped with a few Whirlwinds and Wessexes
Westland Wessex
The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force...
.
The final change was the amalgamation of Army Air Transport Development and the JHDU in 1968 to become the Joint Air Transport
Establishment (JATE). In December 1971 Old Sarum ceased as an RAF airfield, although it served with the Army until 1979.
1982 to 2001
In 1982 the ownership of the airfield was sold to Edgley Aircraft Ltd on a 999 lease together with the freehold ownership of Hangar 1 (later destroyed by fire). Hangar 2, the original control towerControl tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
and other ancillary buildings adjacent to Hangar 1 and between Hangar 1 and the Portway
Portway
The Portway was a Roman road running from London to Weymouth, via Silchester , Old Sarum and Dorchester ....
(now all demolished). All these buildings belonged to the World War I phase of airfield development.
The buildings were used by Edgley for the design and manufacture of the Edgley Optica
Edgley Optica
- See also :- External links :** *...
light observation aircraft
Surveillance aircraft
A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...
and the airfield used to undertake test flying
Flight test
Flight test is a branch of aeronautical engineering that develops and gathers data during flight of an aircraft and then analyzes the data to evaluate the flight characteristics of the aircraft and validate its design, including safety aspects...
using the runway currently in existence and as defined by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in the 999 year lease.
In 1986 the Optica business was purchased by the Brooklands Aerospace Group who continued the building and flying of Optica Aircraft together with other aerospace activities. In 1986 Brooklands obtained a CAA licence for the airfield which formally defined the runway position and allowed flying training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
to be carried out (initially by the Wiltshire Aerospace Club).
Following the destruction of Hangar 1 by fire in 1987 Brooklands purchased Hangar 3 (the easternmost hangar). In 1989 the airfield lease and Hangar 3 was purchased by Blanefield Investments (not Blanefield Property Company Ltd) and Brooklands continued aircraft manufacture in Hangar 2 for a short period before moving manufacture to Hurn airport (now Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
).
Designation as a Conservation Area
Salisbury District CouncilSalisbury (district)
Salisbury was a local government district in Wiltshire, England from 1974 to 2009. Its main urban area was the city of Salisbury.The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the previous municipal boroughs of Salisbury and Wilton, along with Amesbury...
first designated Old Sarum Airfield a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
in January 2001. This decision was then challenged in the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
which held it to be unlawful, on the basis that there had been procedural errors in its making. The conservation area designation was therefore removed in December 2001.
Changes in procedures for the creation of conservation areas allowed the airfield to be designated once more as a conservation area by Salisbury District Council in February 2007.