Military site : airfield
Personnel of the 44th Bomb Group hoist a bicycle up a telegraph pole at Cheddington (Marsworth). Image via R Seaver.
A shark mouth B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-50385) nickname "Beast of Bourbon" of the 482nd Bomb Group at Cheddington, 1945.
Aerial photograph of Cheddington airfield looking north west, the technical site and barrack sites are at the bottom, 7 March 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC205. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
Aerial photograph of Cheddington airfield looking west, the main runway runs vertically, barrack sites are left of the airfield, 3 March 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC194. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
Aerial photograph of Cheddington airfield looking north, the bomb dump at the top, the control tower and technical site are at the bottom, 3 March 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC194. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
Aerial photograph of Cheddington airfield looking north, the bomb dump is top left, Long Marston village is bottom left, 21 June 1949. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/541/272. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
Aerial photograph of Cheddington airfield looking north, the control tower, airfield code and technical site with two T2 hangars bottom left, Cheddington village is top right, 21 June 1949. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/541/272. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
Personnel of the 44th Bomb Group hoist a bicycle up a telegraph pole at Cheddington (Marsworth). Image via R Seaver.
The main runway at Cheddington fell short of the required 2,000 yards for a class A airfield and it was originally used as a satellite for groups at Bovingdon nearby. Between October 1942 and the end of war in Europe it was used as a Combat Crew Replacement Centre for B-24 crews and then, in the last year of the war, as a base for trainee fighter pilots flying P-47 Thunderbolts and soon to join either the Eighth or Ninth Air Force. The base was also home to specialist squadrons who worked to break down the enemy by means other than bombs.
Not yet known
A former military airfield opened in 1942. The base was initially designated as a training airfield for Royal Air Force bomber units (26 Operational Training Unit). However the hilly topography bordering the airfield did not make the base ideal for that role. In late 1942 and early 1943 the Americans took over and improved the facilities at the base within the constrictions of the local topography. The airfield was then used by specialist 8th United States Army Airforce units, such as the Night Leaflet Squadron and 36th "Bomb" Squadron , who were actually a Radio Countermeasures Squadron . By 1944 the airfield was equipped with concrete landing surfaces and looped hard standings, and four type T2 aircraft hangars. After the Allied victory in Europe the Americans left and the role of the base changed in 1946 to being the home of the Medical Training Establishment of the RAF. The base was also renamed RAF Marsworth. This closed in 1948, und the base was subsequently used as a military depot.
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Squadron
Browse 18th Weather Squadron photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/60
Squadron
Squadron
During early May 1944, General Peck, Commanding general of the 96th CBW, invited Colonel Shower, CO of the 467th BG, Colonel Isbell, CO of the 458th BG, and Colonel Pierce, CO of the 466th BG, to wing HQ at Horsham St. Faith. They were told that one of...
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
Company
Company
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 850BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Davis crew. Local flights 18-Aug-44 in 43-38072; port U/C collapsed on third landing, RTD
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Pilot / Fighter pilot | 467th Bomb Group
Assigned to 859BS, 492BG, 8AF USAAF 5 x missions plus an abort. Transferred to 788BS, 467BG, 8AF USAAF 35 combat missions plus a couple of fuel hauls for Patton. Transferred to 436FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD).
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Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 848BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 850BS. Member of Schultz crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Plauen 21-Mar-45; mid air collision with Me262, explosion sheared of tail. Sole survivor. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13556
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Truckmaster | 801st Bomb Group
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 848BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 850BS. Member of Schultz crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Plauen 21-Mar-45; mid air collision with Me262, explosion sheared of tail. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13556
Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 848BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 850BS. Member of Schultz crew. 16 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Plauen 21-Mar-45; mid air collision with Me262, explosion sheared of tail. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13556
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 850BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Davis crew. Local flights 18-Aug-44 in 43-38072; port U/C collapsed on third landing, RTD. 5 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshaven in B-17 43-38009, crashed at Hochheim on 13-Sep-44, Killed in...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 850BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Local flights 18-Aug-44 in 43-38072; port U/C collapsed on third landing, RTD.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 850BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Davis crew. Local flights 18-Aug-44 in 43-38072; port U/C collapsed on third landing, RTD. 5 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshaven in B-17 43-38009, crashed at Hochheim on 13-Sep-44, Killed in...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 490th Bomb Group
Assigned to 848BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 850BS. Member of Schultz crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Plauen 21-Mar-45; mid air collision with Me262, explosion sheared of tail. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13556
Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/4/43; Gore Fd 27/4/43; Cheyenne 2/5/43; Sioux City 13/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 16/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 23/6/43 as CHARLENE; 15m transferred RCM 803BS Sculthorpe 19/1/44; Oulton 16/5/44; 36BS Cheddington...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/4/43; Cheyenne 16/4/43; Dow Fd 30/4/43; Assigned 332BS/94BG [XM-D] SNAFU Earls Colne 10/5/43; Rougham 13/6/43; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-N] Grafton Underwood 16/7/43; 545BS [JD-T]; 2 SAD Lt Staughton 31/12/43; Shipdam Afd 1/3/44;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 25/9/43; Gr Island 7/10/43; Assigned 20FG, 8th Weather Flight Cheddington 25/10/43; on flight from St Eval to base 25/12/43, crashed on hillside three miles SE of Bridestowe, near Oakhampton, Devon, UK, with Ernie Patterson, Co-pilot:...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24H, 42-94812, named, LITTLE WARRIOR, was assigned to the 850th Bomb Squadron, the 490th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force USAAF. It was transferred to the 862nd Bomb Squadron, the 493rd Bomb Group, in the 8th Air Force USAAF in Britain. It...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/4/44; Hunter 4/5/44; Dow Fd 25/5/44; Assigned 422BS/305BG [JJ-T] Chelveston 4/6/44; transferred 858BS Cheddington 26/6/44; on NLS mission over Holland 4/3/45 with Lt Col Earl Aber (Sqd CO), cp Maurice Harper both died when...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/6/44; Hunter 13/7/44; Grenier 24/7/44; Assigned 848BS/490BG Eye 27/7/44; 850BS; on local flights 18/8/44 with Albert Davis, Co-pilot: Fred Ostler, Navigator: Jenner DeSantis, Bombardier: Rich Wessel, Flight engineer/top turret...
Mosquito
Minor damage, crashed, take off accident, RAF stn Cheddington / USAAF Station 113, 22nd March 1944, George C. Hand (pilot) USAAF. Struck Off Charge 25th July 1946.
Mosquito
Minor damage, take off accident, RAF Cheddington / USAAF Station 113, 24th March 1944, Thomas E Hughes (pilot) USAAF. Struck Off Charge 23rd July 1947.
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 788BS, 467BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew on 15-May-45 mission to Royan, dropping napalm for the 1st time on ground targets.
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 03 September 2019 13:38:07 | Emily | Changes to english heritage description |
| Sources | ||
Historic England National Monument Record SP 91 NW 44 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:02:16 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978) |
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