US planes arrive at Fairford

Welford a wartime USAAF airfield converted postwar into a large bomb dump for the USAF.

I remember RAF Welford from travelling down to Portsmouth signposted off the A34 but on the M4 eastwards, the location slip road was disguised as "Works Unit Only".

After being a wartime 9th USAAF Troop Carrier Group base in preparation for D Day from the autumn of 1943 and later a base for Market Garden, Welford became a logistics centre (bomb dump) from 1955 for USAF Europe. A photograph about 40 years ago shows the airfield completely covered in bunkers related to bomb storage.

The construction of the M4 gave the site an access slip road direct off the M4.
Apparently there used to be a rail link connection to the site but the loss of the link led to deliveries having to navigate country lanes, the construction of the M4 allowed better access.

 

B52 60-0060 as seen from my front door.

 

From a letter to a UK newspaper:

I expect the aviation "geeks" or spotters could offer a plane count, though that is normally not their focus. I did check one critical website, it had no numbers.

 

A short documentary about the M4 exit to enable access to RAF (USAF) Fairford:

 

Welford not Fairford.