RAF Ibsley

RAF Ibsley
USAAF Station AAF-347
AMSL
RAF Ibsley; USAAF Station AAF-347 AMSL
Runways
01/19	1,320 metres (4,331 ft) Grass
05/23	1,140 metres (3,740 ft) Grass
14/32	1,000 metres (3,281 ft) Grass

Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about 2 miles (3 km) north of Ringwood and about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of London.

A perimeter track with three runways were laid out and 18 fighter pens allowing 46 fighters to stand in relative safety. 12 Blister and two Bellman hangars were built and ten dispersed accommodation sites were laid out to the north for the airmen & women. A double cupola Battle Head Quarters, two Control Towers (one small and one large)^[2]

History

Royal Air Force

The airfield was initially used by No. 32 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes, followed by No. 118 Squadron RAF with Supermarine Spitfires.^[3]

In 1941 it was used as a location for the film The First of the Few.^[4]

The following units were here at some point:^[5]

No. 32 Squadron RAF (1941)
No. 66 Squadron RAF (1942-43)
No. 118 Squadron RAF (1942-43)
No. 124 Squadron RAF
No. 129 Squadron RAF (1943)
No. 165 Squadron RAF (1943)
No. 170 Squadron RAF
No. 175 Squadron RAF
No. 234 Squadron RAF (1941-42)
No. 257 Squadron RAF
No. 263 Squadron RAF (1943-44)
No. 268 Squadron RAF
No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron (1941)
No. 310 Squadron RAF
(1943)
No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF (1943-44)
No. 313 Squadron RAF
(1944)
No. 421 Squadron RCAF (1942)
No. 453 Squadron RAAF (1943)
No. 501 Squadron RAF (1942)
No. 504 Squadron RAF (1942-43)
No. 587 Squadron RAF
No. 616 Squadron RAF (1943)
No 7 Flying Instructors School RAF
No. 16 Casualty Air Evacuation Unit
No. 17 Casualty Air Evacuation Unit
No. 21 Sector RAF
No. 134 (Czech) Airfield
No. 147 (Night Fighter) Wing RAF
No. 150 Staging Post
No. 160 Staging Post
No. 200 Staging Post
No. 201 Staging Post
No. 302 (Transport) Wing RAF
No. 2763 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2772 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2800 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2888 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 4043 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
Glider Pick-up Training Flight

Ibsley was also used, for short periods, in 1942 and 1944, by the United States Army Air Forces^[6]

United States Army Air Forces use

Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "IB".

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Ibsley were:^[7]

327th Service Group^[8]

329th and 79th Service Squadrons; HHS 327th Service Group

21st Weather Squadron
32nd Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron
3rd Radio Squadron
40th Mobile Communications Squadron
83rd Airdrome Squadron
98th Station Complement Squadron
Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (70th Fighter Wing)

Regular Army Station Units included:

555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion
692nd Quartermaster Battalion
926th Signal Battalion
1113th Signal Company
1180th Quartermaster Company
1292nd Military Police Company
1829th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company
2200th Quartermaster Truck Company
332nd Signal Company
807th Chemical Company (Air Operations)
878th Signal Depot Company
900th Signal Depot Company

1st Fighter Group

The first USAAF unit to use Ibsley was the

1st Fighter Group, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived from RAF Goxhill

on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:

The stay of the 1st FG was short, being assigned to

Mediterranean theater in support of the Operation Torch North African

landings.

On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the Ninth Air Force.

48th Fighter Group

Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt Serial 44-33204 of the 493d Fighter Squadron

With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the

48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina (32°55′19″N 80°38′00″W / 32.921817°N 80.633297°W). The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:

492d Fighter Squadron

(F4)

493d Fighter Squadron

(I7)

494th Fighter Squadron (6M)

The 48th was a group of

70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command

. Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel left.

367th Fighter Group

Lockheed P-38 Lightning of the 394th Fighter Squadron wearing D-Day invasion markings, June 1944

Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the

367th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross

. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:

392d Fighter Squadron

(H5)

393d Fighter Squadron

(8L)

394th Fighter Squadron (4N)

The 367th was a group of

70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command

. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.

Current use

Today the airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake is overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower, although plans for

The Landmark Trust to restore and repurpose this building as holiday accommodation were revealed by The Guardian

newspaper in July 2023. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drove at the southern part of the airfield.

A small memorial is located near the control tower 50°52′45″N 001°46′34.00″W / 50.87917°N 1.7761111°W / 50.87917; -1.7761111.