| RAF Ibsley USAAF Station AAF-347  .png)  | |||||||||||
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| Ibsley,Hampshire in England | |||||||||||
 Aerial Photo of Ibsley Airfield, January 1944. Note the runway extension to the 01 runway at the south side of the airfield, with the perimeter track extension. | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Code | IB[1] | ||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces 1942 & 1944 | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1941-42 & 1942-44 & 1944-45 *No. 10 Group RAF *No. 11 Group RAF RAF Transport Command 1945-47 *No. 46 Group RAF | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
  RAF Ibsley Shown within Hampshire Show map of Hampshire RAF Ibsley RAF Ibsley (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°52′46″N001°46′50″W / 50.87944°N 1.78056°W /50.87944; -1.78056 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1940 (1940)/41 | ||||||||||
| In use | February 1941 - 1947 (1947) | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 24 metres (79 ft)[1]AMSL | ||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simplyRAF Ibsley is a formerRoyal Air Force station inHampshire, England. The airfield is near the village ofIbsley, about 2 miles (3 km) north ofRingwood.
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 (one small and one large).[2]
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Ibsley was built between 1940 and early 1941 (opening in February of 1941), and was 2 miles (3.2 km) north ofRingwood.[3] Parts of the base had been built on Ibsley Common, including blast walls, a bunker and some accommodation blocks.[4] The airfield was initially used byNo. 32 Squadron RAF withHawker Hurricanes, followed byNo. 118 Squadron RAF withSupermarine Spitfires.[5]
In 1941 it was used as a location for the filmThe First of the Few.[6]
The following units were here at some point:[7]
Ibsley was also used, for short periods, in 1942 and 1944, by the United States Army Air Forces.[8]
Ibsley was known asUSAAF 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:[9]
Regular Army Station Units included:
The first USAAF unit to use Ibsley was theEighth Air Force1st Fighter Group, equipped withLockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived fromRAF Goxhill on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
The stay of the 1st FG was short, being assigned toTwelfth Air Force for duty in theMediterranean theater in support of theOperation TorchNorth African landings.
On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to theNinth Air Force.
With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 theNinth Air Force48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF,South Carolina (32°55′19″N80°38′00″W / 32.921817°N 80.633297°W /32.921817; -80.633297 (Waterboro AAF)). The 48th flew theRepublic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:
The 48th was a group ofNinth Air Force's70th Fighter Wing,IX Tactical Air Command. Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last personnel left.
Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the367th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 fromRAF Stoney Cross. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
The 367th was a group ofNinth Air Force's70th Fighter Wing,IX Tactical Air Command. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.
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 forThe Landmark Trust to restore and repurpose this building as holiday accommodation were revealed byThe 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 tower50°52′45″N001°46′34.00″W / 50.87917°N 1.7761111°W /50.87917; -1.7761111.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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