Cheddington Airfield

Cheddington Airfield opened March 1942 as a satellite station to Wing, with 26 Operational Training Unit, Vickers Wellington bombers (these had the codes "EU" on the aircraft sides). In September 1942 the airfield was transferred to the USAAF but within weeks had transferred back to the RAF, again with 26 OTU. It was again transferred to the USAAF in August 1943 to become station 113, with Consolidated B24 D Liberator bombers of the Combat Crew Reinforcement Centre, 8th Air Force. Late 1944 saw the arrival of specialist USAAF units arrive with Boeing B17 Flying Fortress bombers, believed to include Night Leaflet Units.

After the war the British Army took use of the airfield and the site eventually closed in 1952.

(In October 2008 a correspondent John Locke gave this information:

"In you web page giving information & history about Cheddington airfield, you claim that Malc Kennard claims that the airfield might operationally ceased aviation activity. But the Americans remained in active presence & control of part of the airfield until the Great Train Robbery. This was for a CIA/MI6 co-sponsored secret NATO operation, code named Operation Gladio.  This unction was eventually confirmed by a senior USAF General in the NATO administration structure in the late Sixties or Early Seventies.  (Source:- Evening Post-Echo newspaper)".

The History Society is not able to verify the information but it felt this ought to be posted here.

Click here for the recollections of an American airman based at Cheddington in 1944.

Information about US undercover operations during World War II, including Cheddington, can be found in the book The Bedford Triangle: US Undercover Operations from Britain in World War 2 by Martin W Bowman

Useful links include:

http://clutch.open.ac.uk/schools/emerson00/pwe_exper.html

http://clutch.open.ac.uk/schools/emerson00/pwe_photos.html

http://www.36rcm.com/airfields/airfields.htm

http://www.36rcm.com/aircraft/crashes/acft4251219/4251219.htm

Thank you to Malc Kennard for providing much of this information.