Skip to main content
Edit entry 

Chalgrove

Military site : airfield

  • An F-5 Lightning of the 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. Image by Robert Astrella, 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. Handwritten on slide case

    An F-5 Lightning of the 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. Image by Robert Astrella, 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. Handwritten on slide case "Mount Fm or Chalgrove R .Astrella"

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking south, the perimeter is under construction, Chalgrove village is to the right of the airfield, 11 September 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC41. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking south, the perimeter is under construction, Chalgrove village is to the right of the airfield, 11 September 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC41. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking west, Chalgrove village is at the top of the image, 2 December 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC93. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking west, Chalgrove village is at the top of the image, 2 December 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC93. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking north west, the technical site with T2 hangar is towards the bottom right, 2 December 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC93. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking north west, the technical site with T2 hangar is towards the bottom right, 2 December 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC93. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking north west, the technical site with T2 hangar is towards the bottom right, 2 December 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC93. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking north west, the technical site with T2 hangar is towards the bottom right, 2 December 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC93. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking south east, Chalgrove village is in the centre of the image, 7 March 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC206. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking south east, Chalgrove village is in the centre of the image, 7 March 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC206. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking south, the technical site is to the left of the airfield, 22 April 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC316. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Chalgrove airfield, looking south, the technical site is to the left of the airfield, 22 April 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC316. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Personnel of the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group line up for tea from the YMCA Tea Car, besides an F-5 Lightning nicknamed

    Personnel of the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group line up for tea from the YMCA Tea Car, besides an F-5 Lightning nicknamed "Sexy Sal". Image stamped on reverse: 'Current Affairs Ltd.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 3 Aug 1944.' [stamp] and '340288.' [censor no.] A printed caption was previously attached to the reverse, however this has been removed. Handwritten caption on reverse: ' Lady Ronaldshay YMCA tea car at Chalgrove? 'Sexy Sal' 423608, 42561. F-5 E/B 10 Photo group.'

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • F-6C Mustang 42-103213 8V-I 'Azel', 162nd TRS, 10th PRG, 9th AF.

    F-6C Mustang 42-103213 8V-I 'Azel', 162nd TRS, 10th PRG, 9th AF.

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  • Colin D Chisholm, 27th Photo Squadron.

    Colin D Chisholm, 27th Photo Squadron.

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 25
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Chalgrove was built as a USAAF transport or observation unit base in 1943-44. Several reconnaissance units operated from the airfield, including the Ninth Air Force's 10th Photographic Group and 423rd Night Fighter Squadron (later 155th Reconnaissance Squadron) and the Eighth Air Force's 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. It was handed back to the RAF at the end of the Second World War and has since been used by Martin Baker, manufacturers of ejection seats.

Detailed history

Not yet known

English Heritage's record description

A military airfield, opened in 1943. During World War Two the base was used by units of the 8th and 9th United States Army Air Force. These included the 10th and 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Groups, Troop Carrier Pathfinder Group and additionally Airborne Pathfinder Paratroops of the US Army. The airfield was equipped with three concrete and tarmac runways and two aircraft hangars (type T2), of which only one is extant (please see SU 69 NW 66. For details of other wartime buildings see SU 69 NW 67). Wartime construction methods typically involved the use of "temporary materials" for many building types. After the war the military left the airfield, and in 1946 the Air Ministry allocated the airfield to Martin Baker Limited. This company used the airfield to research and test aircraft ejection seats. Martin Baker Limited remains at the airfield to date (2004). In 1993 a war memorial was dedicated at the airfield. A German aircraft is reported to be buried on the airfield.

Service

Units

People

  • Robert Anderson

    Military | First Lieutenant | photographer
    He was a photo reconnaissance pilot with the Army Air Corps, flew missions from France and Belgium, including the Battle of the Bulge, in the winter of 1944/1945. Born February 20, 1924 and raised in San Leandro California, Bob enlisted at the age of...

  • Leo Bazman

    Military | Corporal | Machinist

  • James Frakes

    Military | Major | Photo Reconnaissance Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

  • Ralph Holmes

    Military | Master Sergeant | Line Chief | 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

  • Nathan Lepselter

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Gunner | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

  • Alfred Luberski

    Military | First Lieutenant | Photo Interpretation | 451st Air Service Group

  • Richard Lynch

    Military | Flight Officer | Navigator | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    http://ambrosecampion.blogspot.com/2007/07/longest-day-normandy-june-5-2007.html

  • Stewart Mimm

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Reconnaissance Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

  • Edward Panner

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
    Edward Panner flew F-6 Mustangs with the 12th Tactical Recon Squadron of the 10th Photo Recon Group. He was with them at Azelot, France in 1944, and at Furth, Germany in 1945. In Germany, he met Val Svoboda, a Latvian who was working as a house keeper...

  • Glen Tovani

    Military | First Lieutenant | Photo Reconnaissance Pilot | 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

Show more

Aircraft

  • 42-103427 Chumps Chance

    F-6 Mustang

  • 43-12207 Heaven Can Wait

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-9449

    A-20 Havoc
    Shot down by night fighter at Le Plessis-Grimoult on night photo recon mission to St-Lo and Vire, France on 11 June 1944. Pilot F/O Stanley J. Kulak, navigator 1Lt Harry H. Cohn and gunner Sgt Lloyd H. Legendre were KIA. MACR 5687.

  • 42-103213 'Azel' 'Boomerang'

    F-6 Mustang
    Aircraft scrapped in Germany, Apr 15, 1946.

  • 42-103382

    F-6 Mustang
    North American P-51C-5-NT Mustang (F-6C) Serial 42-103382 of the 15th TRS, 10th PRG, XIX TAC. Aircraft shot down by Fw 190A-8 flown bo Oblt Alfred Neumayer of JG 4/1 at Bellheim, E of Landau and crashed 3 km NW of Dahnk SW of Pirmasens, Germany 29th...

  • N4826

    Oxford
    Airspeed Oxford N4826, assigned to 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, 9AF USAAF.

  • 44-23235 'Strato Snob'

    P-38 Lightning
    Assigned to 34th Photographic Squadron, 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, 9th Air Force. Personal aircraft of Lt Larry Schmidt.

  • 42-67107

    F-5 Lightning

  • 42-68258 Sweat'er Out

    F-5 Lightning

  • 43-28307

    F-5 Lightning

Show more

Number
465
Known as
Not yet known
Construction date
Not yet known
USAAF from date
Not yet known
USAAF to date
Not yet known
Closure date
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
03 September 2019 12:40:33 Emily Changes to english heritage description
Sources

Historic England, National Monument Record SU 69 NW 65
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 Ninth Then and Now (London, 1994)

Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual (London, 2001)

Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 6: Military Airfields of the Cotswolds and the Central Midlands (Cambridge, 1983)

Share