Anyone interested in WW2 history might enjoy this article about 'The forgotten legacy of New Forest's WW2 airfields.' Everyone knows about the significance of Bomber Country and the Lincolnshire Airfields, but little is made of the 12 built in the New Forest, mainly in preparation for the D Day landings
You can find detailed information about Beaulieu airfield here.
If in the area, this website has details and videos describing walks around Beaulieu Airfield.
I found a walk online from Brockenhurst which pointed out two craters from German bombs that had gone astray one night. Obviously very overgrown now but interesting to know what happened in the past.
I also heard that there is a crater somewhere in that area from the test of an RAF Grand Slam bomb. That must have shook houses nearby.
Thank you so much! That is a good article.
My Dad flew P-47's but did not join his group (404th Fighter Group, 508th Squadron) until after DDay and they were stationed in Belgium. My brother and I used to take him to his fighter group reunions when he was in his 90's, so met lots of the guys who flew DDay and were stationed at Winkton. One of the early folks who was working on the airfield history used to come over to their reunions to gather oral histories.
While my brother and I visited Dad's location in Sint-Truiden Belgium we have never gotten to the group location in Winkton. The last member of their Fighter Group that we know of recently died at 105.
My father flew C-47s during the war. His unit was based at Spanhoe airfield near Uppingham and it’s currently a private airfield. I last visited it in 2013 but am returning to visit it in a few days with my brother. There are lots of forgotten installations from the war.
