Middle Wallop
*MIDDLE WALLOP: Military aerodrome
Note: The first picture is by the author, and the second picture (2017) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: WW2: RAF Fighter Command 10 Group
604 Sqdn (Gladiators at first? Then Blenheims later still Beaufighters)
*Battle of Britain RAF Sector Station 10 Group
(10th July 1940) 238 Sqdn Hawker Hurricanes
609 Sqdn Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires
(1st August 1940) 604 Sqdn had now arrived with their Bristol Blenheims from NORTHOLT
(1st September 1940) The picture had only changed slightly; 604 Sqdn were still here as was 609 Sqdn but 234 Sqdn had arrived from St EVAL (CORNWALL) with their Spitfires.
Later 238 Sqdn (Hurricanes) also arrived from St EVAL.
151 & 418 Sqdns (Mosquitos)
456 (RAAF) Sqdn (Beaufighters later Mosquitos)
Note: In 2015 I found information which appears to indicate that after leaving RAF VALLEY (ANGLESEY) where the squadron certainly operated Beaufighters, they had been fully converted onto Mosquitos. (?)
US IX Tactical Air Command HQ
67th Reconnaissance Group (Lockheed P-38 Lightnings & North American P-51 Mustangs)
RAF: 418 (RCAF) Sqdn (de Havilland Mosquitos)
RNAS (January 1945 to 1946) Types flown?
Note: This picture is from the September 1988 edition of Aeroplane Monthly and part of the caption is: "...a line-up of Tiger Moths and AOP Austers of the Light Aircraft School.....in July 1952.
Post 1945: 1946: RAF 164 Sqdn (Spitfires)
1947: 227 OCU (Army Air Observation Post training unit)
Army Elementary Flying Training School (Tiger Moths)
Notes: These two fabulous pictures from postcards were kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See, www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
1953 to 1957: RAF 288 Sqdn (Bolton Paul Balliols)
1955: Joint Experimental Helicopter Unit
1957: Formation of the Army Air Corps
HQ Director Army Aviation School of Army Aviation
2 (TR) AAC
666 Sqdn (Scouts) 667 (Development & Trials) Squadron
AACHAF AFWF
670 Sqdn OTS (Gazelles)
671 Sqdn OCS (Lynx)
Several Flight Training Wings used: DHC.1 Chipmunks, Brittan-Norman/Pilatus Defenders, Gazelles, Lynx & Scout types
1975: AAC (Sioux, Scouts, Beavers & Chipmunks)
2000s: Southampton University Air Squadron (Grob Tutors)
2014: 2 (Training) Regiment AAC 668 & 676 Sqdns
7 (Training) Regiment AAC 670, 671 & 673 Sqdns AAC
Flying group: Post 1945: Army Flying Association
Museum: Army Air Corps Museum
Other users: Home to the Army Air Corps Historic Aircraft Flight
Location: E of A343, NE of Middle Wallop & E of Over Wallop villages, 6nm SW of Andover
Period of operation: RAF: 1940 to 1957 Army: 1957 to -
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: Steel matting 06/24 1628x46 grass
18/36 1463x46 grass
In 1990 the “Fixed Wing” operating area was the SW part of the aerodrome - landing directions 08/26 and 13/31 and both 730x15 grass. Also listed are two more uni-directional runways; 01 730x15 grass and 20 730x15 grass.
The helicopter landing area in 1990 was pretty much S of the main hangar/building area and the “Engine-Off Practice Area” roughly E of the main helicopter operating area and this arrangement seems to have stayed the same since.
2000: 08/26 730x15 grass 13/31 730x15 grass
01/19 730x15 grass
2014: 09/27 1096 grass 18/36 1181 grass
NOTES: Venue (date?) for the Royal International Air Tattoo. Can this really be correct?
I was quite surprised to discover that MIDDLE WALLOP was a Battle of Britain station and indeed researching this critical period (10th July to 31st October 1940) revealed many surprises, quite a few of which came from Patrick Bishop’s excellent book, Battle of Britain. For example he describes that on the 11th July when nearly all the fighters at MIDDLE WALLOP were on the ground refuelling, 601 Sqdn from TANGMERE were sent up to intercept a raid on Portsmouth and one of their Hurricanes was shot down by anti-aircraft guns on the Isle of Wight.
This illustrates an aspect of WW2 which tends to get brushed aside. And this is that many Army and Royal Navy anti-aircraft crews did not appear to discriminate between friend and foe and brought down many allied aircraft. It appears they tended to take the job description of being “Anti-Aircraft” too literally. Indeed they accounted for one of the two RAF fighter aircraft first shot down over England during ‘The Battle of Barking Creek’ in the ‘Phoney War’ period. The other was shot down by an RAF fighter and there are many examples of what we now call “friendly fire” that occurred throughout WW2.
Pilots from inland airfields, (like MIDDLE WALLOP), had one distinct advantage over those based near the coast. It gave them a much better chance of being able to climb to an altitude that favoured their chances in combat with German aircraft, plus I suppose, it lessened the chances of being hit by our anti-aircraft guns.
Patrick Bishop helps to explains this. To quote; “Me109s crossing the coast at 30,000 feet were beyond the reach of the Hurricane, which made up two-thirds of Fighter Commands strength, and even the Spitfire struggled to get at them. Interception was a patchy business. On one occasion it took only 17 minutes after radar detection for a formation of Me109s to reach Central London. A Mark I Spitfire needed 27 minutes to climb to 30,000 feet. To his credit Air Vice-Marshall Keith Park devised a scheme to have a couple of squadrons flying high to act as look-outs, not to get involved in combat." As said elsewhere, this New Zealander was in many ways the saviour of the ‘Battle of Britain’.
AN INTERESTING STORY
This came from reading Last Of The Few by Max Arthur in which he relates stories told by then elderly pilots who had been involved in the so called 'Battle of Britain'. This story was told by the then Flight Lieutenant Myles Duke-Woolley. See also WITTERING (NORTHAMPTONSHIRE) and BIGGIN HILL (KENT) for other stories told by Duke-Wooley relating to the singular character Squadron Leader 'Spike' O'Brien.
After serving at WITTERING flying Bristol Benheims; "A few days later Spike was posted for a rest to a controller's course in the West Country. One morning, when strolling along the tarmac of the airfield, he was surprised to see a Do 17 overhead at 2,000 feet. Alongside the perimeter track was a visiting Spitfire. Spike leapt in, started up, and took off in pursuit. No helmet, no parachute, he caught the Dornier and shot it down. When the AOC 10 Group heard the story he was immediately promoted to command a Spitfire squadron at Middle Wallop."
NIGHT FIGHTERS
From Wikipedia: “In September 1940 604 Squadron RAF a specialist night fighter unit received the Bristol Beaufighter, equipped with four 20-mm cannon under the nose and improved Mark IV radio-location equipment. (My note – radar). As one of the few Squadrons thus equipped, 604 squadron helped provide night time defence over the UK during the Blitz from late 1940 until mid-May 1941. In this time 50 air victories had been claimed by No. 604 Squadron, 14 by F/L John Cunningham.” John Cunningham became quite a celebrity during this period, being nicknamed “Cat’s Eyes Cunningham” who allegedly ate a considerable number of carrots (containing carrotine) to improve his night vision. A subterfuge to hide from the British public the existence of radar interception – but I don’t think the Germans were fooled. They were developing radar, and airborne radar, along pretty much the same lines.
U.S. INVOLVEMENT
Again from Wikipedia: “Middle Wallop was used by the United States Army Air Force as IX Fighter Command Headquarters beginning in November 1943. Along with its headquarters mission, the airfield also hosted the 67th Reconnaissance Group being moved from Membury in December 1943 to be in close proximity to IX FC Headquarters. The 67th Group flew the photographic versions of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning (F-5) and North American P-51 Mustang (F-6) to fly artillery-adjustment, weather-reconnaissance, bomb-damage assessment, photographic-reconnaissance, and visual-reconnaissance missions to obtain photographs that aided the invasion of the Continent.” This U.S. involvement ended in late June 1944.
BACK TO BRITISH USE
“Middle Wallop returned to Royal Air Force use from July 1944 for No. 418 Squadron RCAF and its de Havilland Mosquito nightfighters.” With D-Day occurring on the 6th June 1944 with virtually no opposition from the Luftwaffe, the reason for basing a squadron of night-fighters here seems hard to justify? But – that was how so much of WW2 was fought. So much defies rational explanation, and, as said elsewhere in this ‘Guide’, often employing tactics apparently designed to aid the Germans. Why?
THE NAVY ARRIVES
Once again from Wikipedia: “In January 1945, in an exchange with the RAF, Middle Wallop was transferred to Royal Navy use and became ‘RNAS Middle Wallop’. HMS Flycatcher the HQ for the Mobile Naval Air Base organisation then moved in from RNAS Ludham, which reverted to RAF use.” RNAS LUDHAM (HMS Flycatcher) was in NORFOLK. “Five units were assembled at Middle Wallop, four transferring to Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore as planned; the last, MONAB X (“HMS Nabhurst”), remained in the UK following the end of the war in the Pacific.”
THE RAF RETURN, THEN THE ARMY SHARED THE SITE
“In 1946 the Royal Air Force occupied Middle Wallop again. No. 164 Squadron with its Spitfies came and were renumbered to No. 63 Squadron RAF. The following year 227 OCU, an Army Air Observation Post training unit, was moved to the airfield. This was renamed as the Air Observation Post School in 1950 and the Light Aircraft School in 1952. From mid- 1953 to 1957, Middle Wallop was the home for No. 288 Squadron RAF with its Boulton Paul Balliols.”
THE FORMATION OF THE ARMY AIR CORPS
Yet again from Wikipedia: “In 1954 a Development Flight (CFS) with helicopters was formed here, this led to the Joint Experimental Helicopter Unit in 1955. On 1 Sepember 1957, when British Army aviation became independent of the RAF, Middle Wallop transferred to the new Army Air Corps. It became the School of Army Aviation, to which it has remained to the present date.”
MORE NOTES
In 1955 MIDDLE WALLOP was home to RAF Fighter Command Communications Flight using Auster AOP.6s at least. Soon to become 651 Squadron.
1977: It seems a veritable fleet of (how many?) civil registered Westland Bell 47G helicopters were based here operated by Bristow Helicopters on an Army training contract.
In a 2000 flight guide the Fixed Wing Operating Area was less than 50% of the total aerodrome area and situated at the SW end of the airfield.
The Army Flying Association used Cessna 152 and 172 types from ? to 2003 at least.
In 1998 the ‘MATS’ Constellation landed here. Having been restored in the USA it flew across the Atlantic primarily to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift held at Tempelhof. It made landfall at WOODFORD (CHESHIRE) for their airshow and visited several British airfields on this tour including BIGGIN HILL (KENT), COVENTRY (WARWICKSHIRE), the CRANFIELD PFA Rally where I flew in and saw it, (BEDFORDSHIRE) and DUXFORD (CAMBRIDGESHIRE).
One point to make here is that today many people regard the American four-engine ‘airliners’ of this period, (the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation), as only being suitable for operations from hard runways. In fact both were developed as military transports in WW2 and both were designed to be operated from pretty rough and temporary airfields. Therefore, so nice to see that this ‘Connie’ relived that part of its heritage by landing here on grass. Just for information when the first charter tour operations started from LUTON (BEDFORDSHIRE) this airport only had grass runways, certainly used by Constellations, (probably DC-4s too?), and one of the early jet Comet airliners diverted into LUTON without any problems on a test flight.
AN EPIC ENDEAVOUR
In 2004 the British Army Warrant Officer Barry Jones took off from here in a VPM M-16 autogyro in an attempt to fly around the world, the first person to do so in an autogyro. The attempt was unsuccessful terminating in India due to horrendous monsoon conditions? He had hoped to get permission to take-off from Horse Guards Parade in central London. New plans were drawn up to reach Australia, still a notable ambition in an autogyro but on returning to India they found the aircraft had been left in a position where resultant floods had nigh on destroyed it.
AN ENQUIRY
In late 2011 I visited The Museum Of Army Flying and stumped up £20, (little enough to support a good cause considering the time involved in such a request), for a search leading to information regarding ad hoc Army landing sites in the area with the emphasis on fixed wing operations. Here is most of the reply I received from Peter Capon, Archivist: “From a comprehensive search of our archives, unfortunately, we have been unable to uncover any detailed listings or documents etc. relevant to your enquiry. Because of your enquiry into the use of civilian fields as airstrips, the paper trail that accompanies a full-scale airfield is simply not in extistence."
"However, a conversation with one of our volunteers may shed some light for you. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served at Middle Wallop for many years as a fixed-wing and subsequently as a helicopter instructor, and was thus heavily involved with the use of the fields in this area for flight training. This began in 1948 when the first Auster airframes were moved to Middle Wallop, and continued to the end of the 1960s. After the increased use of the helicopter by the AAC, these fields were used more as on-the-ground training platforms (e.g. land a helicopter in a field, secure the area and live there for a week) rather than as airstrips."
"He informed me that there was no actual list of farmers’ fields that were used for the purpose of fixed-wing landing, but rather, that there was an informal arrangement whereby the instructors could call up the owner of any given field on any given day to see if it was available for use. Obviously, the choice of field for use as a landing strip was dependant on the scenario, landscape and type of terrain that the instructor would wish to make his pupil land in, secure, take-off from etc."
"These arrangements were kept up by inviting all the local farmers for annual meetings whereby they would be given large amounts of whiskey to sweeten the deal. It was all very informal, and as I have mentioned, no records were ever kept. He went on to say however, that he used almost every field around the Middle Wallop area at one point or another, as did his fellow instructors, over the period of years mentioned previously.”
Mr Capon apologised for not being able to give specifics, but I was delighted with the reply. As a civilian my impression of the military is that every egg issued for breakfast has to be supported by a requisition form in triplicate, (Egg – For the use of), a cooking order in triplicate, a serving order in triplicate - etc, etc. All duly authorised up the chain of Command. But here we have an eminently practical solution in which everybody appears happy, and certainly the farmers once a year!
James Mc Donald
This comment was written on: 2019-10-18 18:25:35I'm very glad I have read this as I have just had a bit of an argument with another veteran about when the AAC was officially formed. He said it was officially formed in 1942, but I told him it was 01 September 1957 & that we had just celebrated our 60th anniversary last year. He doesn't like to be wrong, he's REME, whereas I am Army Air Corps.
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