RAF Shellingford

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RAF Shellingford was a Royal Air Force station located approximately 4 miles East of the town of Faringdon, Oxfordshire, adjacent to the A417, on the southern boundary of the village of Stanford-in-the Vale.

Much of the former aerodrome has been given over to quarrying activities, where significant sand and gravel deposits continue to be extracted to this day. Some of the original technical buildings still exist, and can be seen from the road. Other parts of the aerodrome are given over to agricultural use, and a small industrial estate occupies the remainder of the site.

[edit] Military Use

RAF Shellingford was opened for use as a practice landing field for Elementary Flying Training in 1931, the aerodrome being of grass construction. It opened for night flying on Sep 25 1941.

No3 EFTS were based at Shellingford with some 56 Tiger Moths and a communal site was estalished for all ranks at nearby Stanford-in-the-Vale. British Army pilots trained here as glider pilots from 1943, the base being one of many assisting in the training of Horsa Glider pilots in preparation for the D-Day landings of 1944.

Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots also received training at Shellingford in 1946.

No3 EFTS departed in 1948, the Aerodrome closing on 31st Mar 1948 as the RAF is gradually wound down post WW2. However, the base is re-opened briefly for use by the American Air Force in the 1950s.

USAF 7568 Material Squadron provided radar maintenance for the 32nd Brigade whose task was to provide the air defence for all USAF SAC bases in the UK.

Shellingford closed to the USAF in early 1957 with 7568 MS moving to Denham Studios, near Uxbridge, as the 7500 Air Base Group.