RAF Ibsley
Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about north of Ringwood.
A perimeter track with three runways were laid out and 18 fighter pens allowing 46 fighters to stand in relative safety. Twelve Blister, and two Bellman hangars, were built and ten dispersed accommodation sites were laid out to the north for the airmen and women. A double cupola Battle Head Quarters, two Control Towers.
History
Royal Air Force
Ibsley was built between 1940 and early 1941, and was north of Ringwood. Parts of the base had been built on Ibsley Common, including blast walls, a bunker and some accommodation blocks. The airfield was initially used by No. 32 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes, followed by No. 118 Squadron RAF with Supermarine Spitfires.In 1941 it was used as a location for the film The First of the Few.
The following units were here at some point:
Ibsley was also used, for short periods, in 1942 and 1944, by the United States Army Air Forces.
United States Army Air Forces use
Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "IB".USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Ibsley were:
- 327th Service Group
- 21st Weather Squadron
- 32nd Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron
- 3rd Radio Squadron
- 40th Mobile Communications Squadron
- 83rd Airdrome Squadron
- 98th Station Complement Squadron
- Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron
- 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion
- 692nd Quartermaster Battalion
- 926th Signal Battalion
- 1113th Signal Company
- 1180th Quartermaster Company
- 1292nd Military Police Company
- 1829th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company
- 2200th Quartermaster Truck Company
- 332nd Signal Company
- 807th Chemical Company
- 878th Signal Depot Company
- 900th Signal Depot Company
1st Fighter Group
The stay of the 1st FG was short, being assigned to Twelfth Air Force for duty in the Mediterranean theater in support of the Operation Torch North African landings.
On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the Ninth Air Force.
48th Fighter Group
With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the Ninth Air Force 48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina. The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:The 48th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel left.
367th Fighter Group
Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the 367th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:The 367th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan, Cretteville and Reuxeville respectively.
Current use
Today the airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake is overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower, although plans for The Landmark Trust to restore and repurpose this building as holiday accommodation were revealed by The Guardian newspaper in July 2023. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drove at the southern part of the airfield.A small memorial is located near the control tower.