RAF Charmy Down

A kerbed long barrow site was flattened to make way for the airfield. A cremation urn had been found near a burial of a long necked beaker and a bronze dagger, believed to be from the Beaker people.{{cite web|title=The Beaker people and the Bronze Age|url=http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/archives/ASH/Beakpeop.htm|publisher=Somerset County Council|access-date=22 January 2011}}

The airfield was planned as a satellite for the Maintenance Unit at nearby RAF Colerne, but by the time construction work started in 1940 it had been selected as a sector station by No. 10 Group of RAF Fighter Command.{{cite book |title=Somerset airfields in the Second World War |last=Berryman |first=David |year=2006 |publisher=Countryside Books |location=Newbury |isbn=1-85306-864-0 |pages=34–49 }}

RAF Charmy Down was opened late in 1940 and originally had a grass surface with landing strips of {{convert|4125|ft|m}}, both southeast to northwest and northeast to southwest. It was upgraded to the Class A airfield standard set by the Air Ministry in 1941, with three concrete runways at 60-degree angles in a triangular pattern. A {{convert|50|ft|m}} wide tarmac perimeter track and 39 aircraft dispersal points were constructed; there were 12 double pens and 15 single standings.

The technical site connected to the ground station and airfield had 12 Blister hangars, one Bellman hangar and various organisational, component and field maintenance shops, along with the maintenance personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light to moderate battle damage.{{cite web | url=http://flyboy1966.webs.com/charmydownairfield.htm|title=Charmy Down Airfield 2008|publisher=Aviation Addicts|access-date=20 January 2013}} The ammunition dump was in concrete pens outside the perimeter track on the north side of the airfield, surrounded by large dirt mounds.

File:Charmydown-20oct1943.jpg

The first occupant of Charmy Down was No. 87 Squadron RAF, with night-fighting Hawker Hurricanes. In the summer of 1941 Boulton Paul Defiants appeared, and Westland Whirlwinds and Turbinlite Havocs of 125 and 263 squadrons respectively were to be seen the following year. 137 Squadron replaced No 263 Squadron in September 1941. In November 1941, 417 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force was formed here.

File:Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Hawker Hurricane. CH6937.jpg Mark IIC night fighters on the airfield]]

During 1942 various other squadrons were posted to Charmy Down including 533 Squadron which was formed on 8 September 1942,{{Harvnb|Jefford|1988|p=97.}} from No. 1454 (Turbinlite) Flight,Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). {{ISBN|0-354-01028-X}}. page 465{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|2007|p=123.}} as part of No. 10 Group RAF in Fighter Command. Instead of operating only Turbinlite and aircraft equipped with aircraft interception (AI) radar (Havocs and Bostons) and working together with a normal night fighter unit, such as the Hawker Hurricanes of 87 Squadron, the unit also flew their own Hurricanes. It was disbanded at Charmy Down on 25 January 1943, since Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success and the rapid development of AI radar, deemed to be superfluous.{{Harvnb|Halley|1988|p=402.}}

No. 52 OTU, a Supermarine Spitfire Operational Training Unit took over in 1943 and stayed until the airfield was turned over to the USAAF in November 1943.

The following units were also here at some point:{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/charmy-down/ |title=Charmy Down |publisher=Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust|access-date=24 September 2022}}

• Relief Landing Ground for No. 3 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (October 1944 - December 1945){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=42}}
• Relief Landing Ground for No. 3 Flying Instructors School RAF{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=150}}
• No. 88 Squadron RAF (1941-42 & 1943)
• No. 107 Squadron RAF (1942-43)
• No. 234 Squadron RAF (1942)
• No. 245 Squadron RAF (1942-43)
• No. 247 Squadron RAF
• No. 286 Squadron RAF
• No. 421 Squadron RAF (1942)
• No. 2719 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2729 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2742 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2777 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2794 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2798 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2800 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2806 Squadron RAF Regiment
• Fighter Leaders School RAF (February - October 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=120}}

File:World War Two Building Charmy Down.jpg

Charmy Down was known as USAAF Station AAF 487 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and not referred to by its location.{{cite web | url=http://gitrace.org/stationnumbers.html|title=United States Army Air Force Station Numbers|publisher=GI trace|access-date=20 January 2013}} The airfield code/USAAF Station Code was "CH".

Service groups were deployed there late in 1943 to operate the 4th Tactical Air Depot, which was intended to repair, modify and maintain Allison-engined fighter types, primarily Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and North American P-51 Mustangs.

For unrecorded reasons, it was decided to transfer this operation to RAF Kingston Bagpuize early in 1944, possibly for better local logistics and communications in the Oxford area. Nevertheless, IX Air Force Service Command activities continued at Charmy Down until the autumn of 1944.{{cite book|last=Wakefield|first=Ken|title=Operation Bolero: The Americans in Bristol and the West Country 1942-45|year=1994|publisher=Crecy Books|isbn=0-947554-51-3|page=62}}

The Ninth Air Force was scheduled to receive three night fighter squadrons with a mission to effect night air defence of US airfields when these were established on the Continent. RAF Charmy Down was selected as an airfield for these squadrons which would arrive individually, not as part of a group, and were to be equipped with the new Northrop P-61 Black Widow.{{cite book | page=358|title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,500 Weapons Systems, Including Tanks, Small Arms, Warplanes, Artillery, Ships| last=Bishop|first=Chris|publisher=MetroBooks|year=2002|isbn=978-1586637620|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MuGsf0psjvcC&q=RAF+Charmy+Down+422+Night+Fighter&pg=PA358}}

Personnel of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron arrived first on 7 March 1944 and had their aircrews posted to various RAF night fighter and signal schools for theatre indoctrination.

After the end of hostilities in Europe, the airfield returned to the RAF. There was little flying from the station although it was not officially closed until October 1946. From January 1946 to October 1946, No 92 Gliding School, Air Training Corps used the airfield and it was home to the Personnel Resettlement Centre for Australians as No. 11 (RAAF) Personnel Reception Centre.

In the 1950s, Charmy Down was included at a low priority on the list of sites for the deployment of the ROTOR radar system. Construction started in May 1953 but was abandoned in April 1955, and only groundworks remain.{{cite book |page=100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DhzOAwAAQBAJ |title=Cold War Secret Nuclear Bunkers: The Passive Defence of the Western World During the Cold War |last=McCamley |first=Nick |publisher=Pen and Sword |year=2013 |isbn=9781844155088 |access-date=22 April 2019}}

File:Control Tower, Charmy Down near Bath.jpg

With the facility released from military control, the airfield stood intact yet disused for many years. Eventually the hangars were removed, but the outline of the runways can still be seen in aerial photography. Test probing (2018) suggests the runways remain approximately 5 cm below the now grassed-over surface. Most of the perimeter track remains, mostly in a half-width condition, as do several of the derelict buildings, including the control tower.{{cite web

|url=http://www.controltowers.co.uk/C/Charmy_Down.htm | title=Charmy Down | publisher=Control Towers UK | access-date=22 January 2011}} A few of the Blister hangars remain and are used for farm storage. Most of the pillboxes also remain but, being largely subterranean, are filled in. The ammunition dumps, also derelict, remain.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has considered, but rejected, building a park and ride for Bath on Charmy Down.{{cite news |url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Guildhall-protest-Bathampton-park-ride-plan/article-460303-detail/article.html |title=Guildhall protest over Bathampton park and ride plan |publisher=Bath Chronicle |date=8 November 2008 |access-date=25 January 2011}}{{cite report |url=https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/siteimages/Parking-and-Travel/bath_eastern_pr_hlr_final_report_090513_rev2_master.pdf |title=Site Options: High Level - Bath Eastern Park and Ride Sites |pages=17–20,48 |publisher=Bath and North East Somerset Council |work=Halcrow |date=9 May 2013 |access-date=20 July 2020 |quote=The site currently comprises open, level agricultural farmland with a large-scale, angular field pattern enclosed by scrubby hedgerows, wire fencing and occasional dry stone walls. ... The site is Grade 3 agricultural land}}

Part of the 06/24 runway serves as a microlight airstrip (2018), and model aircraft are flown further along (NNE) the same runway.

A large part of the former airfield, and some adjacent land, is owned by Wessex Water who own Monkswood Reservoir, built in 1896, which is {{convert|1|km||1|abbr=}} north of the airfield.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zE-cdj4bHTQC |title=Reservoir Safety and the Environment: Proceedings of the Eighth Conference of the British Dam Society Held at the University of Exeter, 14-17 September 1994 |pages=74–79 |publisher=Thomas Telford |year=1994 |isbn=9780727720108 |access-date=20 July 2020}}

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|RAF Charmy Down}}

• {{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=J|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}}
• Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now. After the Battle {{ISBN|0-900913-80-0}}
• {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Halley|1988}}|reference=Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1981-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. {{ISBN|0-85130-164-9}}.}}
• {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Jefford|1988}}|reference=Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.}}
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.
• {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Sturtivant|2007}}|reference=Sturtivant, R. RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air Britain, 2007. {{ISBN|0-85130-365-X}}.}}
• {{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R|last2=Hamlin|first2=J|last3=Halley|first3=J|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units |year=1997 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=0-85130-252-1}}

{{Royal Air Force}}

{{USAAF 9th Air Force UK}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charmy Down}}

Category:Royal Air Force stations in Somerset

Category:Airfields of the IX Fighter Command in the United Kingdom

Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom

Category:1941 establishments in England

Category:1945 disestablishments in England