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.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

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 78th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39039363 / O-829621
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-516554
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
A crashed P-38 Lightning (CL-X_) of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 496th Fighter Training Group 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36112790 / O-748896
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19072095 / O-757945
  • Highest Rank: Flight Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 3rd Scouting Force
  • Service Numbers: O-751721
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Texas Ranger IV
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group Headquarters Squadron (55th Fighter Group)
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Pretty Patty
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorCamodo_Gaming
Changes
Sources

basic details added

Date
ContributorCamodo_Gaming
Changes
Sources

i have added the basic details of RAF wormingford

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Historic England National Monument Record, TL 93 SW 120

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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)