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A Nissen hut used for technical supplies at Membury. The 436th Troop Carrier Group were stationed at Membury between March 1944 and February 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Tech Supply at 466'.
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Aerial photograph of Membury airfield looking south, Membury Fort is on the right, 14 April 1946. Photograph by No. 540 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1415. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of Membury airfield looking south, under construction, 19 July 1942. Photograph by No. 8 Operational Training Unit, sortie number RAF/FNO/53. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of Membury airfield looking north, the bomb dump is at the bottom, right of the runway extension, 8 March 1944. Photograph by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC209. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of Membury airfield looking west, the main runway is undergoing extension, 21 April 1943. Photograph by 13th Photographic Squadron, 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/13PH/207. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Lt. Bobby Duke, 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, extreme left, at his Plane, A8-T "The IRON DUKE", with his crew. Photographed in England prior to D-Day.
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Spitfire Vb BM181 AX-D of the 107th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th TRG, Membury, England, 1943.
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb W3505 109th Obs Sqn, 67th Obs Grp, 8th AF. Mid air collision with Spitfire W3797 14-2-43. Pilot Donald E Lambert baled out and ended up in a tree. Pilot of W3797 KIFA.
Planned as an RAF operational training base, Membury was built during 1942, and then upgraded in 1943 after allocation to the USAAF as a reconnaissance or transport base, with maintenance and repair depot facilities. It had eventually three concrete runways, 26 loop and 25 pan hardstandings, two T2 hangars on the airfield site and two T2 hangars in the depot area. Claimed by VIII Ground Air Support Command, later Ninth Air Force HQ, the station was first occupied briefly during September to October 1942 by men of the 3rd Photographic Group without aircraft. The 67th Observation Group also arrived in September 1942, initially without aircraft so operated Spitfires, Havocs and Bostons loaned by the RAF plus a few L-4Bs. Transferred to the Ninth Air Force in October 1943, while re-equipping with P-51s, the group was renamed the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and moved to Middle Wallop in November 1943. During November 1943 to August 1944, the air depot site was occupied by the 7th and 16th Air Depot Groups, forming the 6th Tactical Air Depot which specialised in the repair and modification of P-47s. The 366th Fighter Group was resident briefly during January-February 1944 while equipping with P-47s, and the station was then occupied by the 436th Troop Carrier Group, equipped with C-47s, from March 1944 to February 1945. It was also used by other transport units from June 1944 to June 1945 as a supply delivery and collection point. Returned to the RAF as a transport base in June 1945, the station remained operational until 1946. Partly returned to agriculture since the 1950s, small industries took over many of the wartime buildings which continue as Membury Business Park. The airfield remained open as a private airport and, although restricted by construction of the M4 motorway, continues in limited use as Membury Airfield.
Service
Units
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Command
Constituted as VIII Ground Air Support Command on 24 April 1942, activated 28 April 1942 at Bolling Field, DC under the command of Brig Gen Robert C. Candee. Assigned to the Eighth US Army Air Force. Moved to England, without tactical components, in...
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Group
The Group moved in England over the New Year of 1944, setting up home first at Membury and then at Thruxton. The pilots' first mission was a fighter sweep of the French coast in March 1944 and from then until D-Day that June the ground supported Allied...
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Group
The 3rd Photographic Group were stationed only briefly in Britain and flew no missions from either Membury or Steeple Morden. They were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and undertook photographic reconnaissance in support of operations in the...
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Group
The four Squadrons of the 67th Recon Group (12th Observation - later Reconnaissance Squadron; 107th Observation - later Reconnaissance Squadron; 109th Observation - later Reconnaissance Squadron and 153rd Observation - later Reconnaissance Squadron)...
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People
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Military | First Lieutenant | troop carrier | 436th Troop Carrier Group
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Military | Brigadier General | Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
Russell Berg served as a Spitfire pilot with No. 610 Squadron before joining the 10th Photo Recon Group. He became the group's Commanding Officer on 20 June 1944, at age 27
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Military | First Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 436th Troop Carrier Group
Assigned to 79TCS, 436TCG, 9AF USAAF. Flew C-47 43-15068 #39 on D-day. Also flew on Op Varsity [Rhine crossing].
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Military | Major | Pilot | 437th Troop Carrier Group
Assigned to 85TCS, 437TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) re-supply mission to Bastogne hit by ground small arms fire in starboard engine, with flames pouring back past the trailing edge of the wing, pilot achieved controlled belly landing. Prisoner...
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Military | Private
Fortenberry was discharged from the USAAF on 4 November 1943 and sentenced to 5 years hard labour for assaulting and attacking people with a knife at Grazely Green, Berkshire on 1 October 1943.
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Military | Flight Officer | Pilot | 436th Troop Carrier Group
Assigned to 81TCS, 436TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return(FTR) day 3 of Operation Market Garden in glider CG-4A 43-19797; Cut loose from tow A/C or tow rope broke in vicinity of Ghent. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 15332
Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
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Military | Flight Officer | Pilot | 436th Troop Carrier Group
Assigned to 81TCS, 436TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) day 3, Operation Market Garden in CG4A Glider chalk No. 24B; ditched in channel, ASR arrived to late to save him. Killed in Action (KIA)
Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio operator | 436th Troop Carrier Group
Assigned to 79TCS, 436TCG, 9AF USAAF. Flew on D-day missions, also on Op Varsity [Rhine crossing].
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Military | Private | 60th Troop Carrier Group
Orbon was dishonorably discharged from the USAAF in December 1942 for behaving with disrespect towards, drawing a loaded weapon against, and threatening to kill his superior officer Edward W Barbee on 16 October 1942.
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Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Mechanic/Crew Chief | 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
Bert was a Mechanic/Crew Chief in the 109th. stationed in England from April 1942 to March 1944. His duties were to maintain the unit assigned aircraft which included Spitfire MkVBs on loan from the RAF and later they had P-51B aircraft. Both types of...
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Middleton AD 9/7/42; Bolling 28/7/42; Westover 3/10/42; Assigned 15PRS/3PRG Membury, Wilt. 7/9/42; Steeple Morden, UK 27/12/42; transferred 12AF La Senia, Alg. 6/12/42; Algiers 25/12/42; Le Kroub, Alg. 5/6/43; La Marsa, Tun. 28/6/43; Returned...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered MAD 9/7/42; with Franklin Gillespie, at Duncan Fd, TX 25/7/42; with E.L. Chrisman force landed Lowry, CO 39/7/42; Bangor 3/8/42; Colorado Springs 29/8/42; Assigned 15PRS/3PRG Membury, UK. 7/9/42; Steeple Morden, UK. 27/10/42; transferred 12AF...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned: 16 February 1944 - Continental Airlines / Boeing Modification Center - (Denver Municipal)
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C-47 Skytrain
The aircraft took part to all airborne operations in the European theater. Neptune, Dragoon, Market, Repulse, Varsity
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire BM181 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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C-47 Skytrain
Assigned to 79TCS, 436TCG, 53TCW 9AF.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire BM635 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire P8436 Mk IIa, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB907 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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