Wormingford

Airfield
Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn G. Righetti of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group stands beside his P-51 Mustang, "Katydid". Print signed 'Best of everything your big loud Elwyn', 1944-1945. media-377357.jpg FRE 118 Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn G. Righetti of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group stands beside his P-51 Mustang, "Katydid". Print signed 'Best of everything your big loud Elwyn', 1944-1945. Roger Freeman Collection

Added associations and removed Nuthampstead from place associations for Lt.Col. Righetti.

Object Number - FRE 118 - Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn G. Righetti of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group stands beside his P-51 Mustang, "Katydid". Print signed 'Best...

Wormingford was a Royal Flying Corps/RAF anti-Zeppelin aircraft Landing Ground First World War, rebuilt for the Eighth Air Force 1942-43. It was a Ninth Air Force base from 1943-44, and home to the 362nd Fighter Group. Switching back to the Eighth Air Force 1944-45, the 55th Fighter Group operated from the airfield. The 3rd Scouting Force, which began as part of the 55th Fighter Group, operated from Wormingford from 1944-1945. The airfield was handed back to the RAF in 1945, and it became a civil airfield in 1947 to the 1960s. It was mostly sold and returned to agriculture in the 1960s-70s.

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English Heritage's Record Description

A former World War Two airfield. It was constructed in 1942-1943, opening in the latter year. It was built as a heavy bomber airfield, with three concrete and tarmac runways, suitable hard standings for bombers, aircraft hangars (Type T2) and a bomb dump store on the north side. The technical site was on the east side of the airfield, with mess, other communal sites and barracks dispersed further to the south-east. Despite the heavy bomber layout, it was used by the 9th United States Army Air Force 362nd and the 8th Air Force 55th Fighter Groups as a fighter station; it was designated as USAAF Station 159. it passed to the Royal Air Force at the end of the war, but closed as a military airfield in 1947. During the 1950s it was in limited use as a civilian airfield. Between 1960-1971 the site was sold for agricultural use. In 2000 it was noted that a gliding club used the airfield.

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 1029th Signal Company
  • Service Numbers: 39680332
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Communications Supply Technician (MOS 581)
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 31st Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron 62nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32473483 / O-811298
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 10601549 / T-223169 / O-1997644
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12216743 / O-834932
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-746019
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
A P-38 Lightning (CG-J, serial number 42-67074) nicknamed "The Texas Ranger" of the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '38th FS, 55th FG, 8th Air Force.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Texas Ranger
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Mountain Ayers
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Mountain Ayers
  • Unit: 496th Fighter Training Group 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron 554th Fighter Training Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Fubar
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 3 55th Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date17 Sep 2020 15:41:48
ContributorCamodo_Gaming
ChangesChanges to known as
Sources

basic details added

Date17 Sep 2020 15:40:34
ContributorCamodo_Gaming
ChangesChanges to usaaf from date, usaaf to date, construction date and closure date
Sources

i have added the basic details of RAF wormingford

Date3 Sep 2019 13:28:11
ContributorEmily
ChangesChanges to english heritage description
Sources

Historic England National Monument Record, TL 93 SW 120

Date27 Sep 2014 18:02:18
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978)

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

Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 1: Wartime Military Airfields of East Anglia 1939-1945 (Cambridge, 1979)

Wormingford: Gallery (93 items)