Royal Air Force Keevil or more simply RAF Keevil is a former
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
station
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
, now controlled by the
Army Air Corps. It lies between the villages of
Keevil and
Steeple Ashton, about east of the town of
Trowbridge
Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England; situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, close to the border with Somerset. The town lies south-east of Bath, Somerset, Bath, south-west of Swindon and south-east of Brist ...
, in Wiltshire, England.
The airfield was built on a site previously earmarked for the purpose in the mid-1930s. With three long concrete runways, the airfield was used by the Royal Air Force and the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Eighth and
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
s.
Although no longer a RAF station and now known as Keevil Airfield, it is maintained for military use and used for training purposes, predominantly by aircraft from
RAF Brize Norton
Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...
and
Joint Aviation Command
The Joint Aviation Command (JAC), previously known as Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of all three services of the British Armed Forces and unmanned aerial vehicles of the B ...
.
History
Spitfire assembly
After air raids in 1940 on the
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
production plants near Southampton, the Trowbridge area was one of several chosen for dispersal of production. At first parts were made, and later complete aircraft after completion of a purpose-built factory at Bradley Road, Trowbridge. Fuselages and wings were taken on
Queen Mary trailers to an assembly shed on the edge of the airfield near Steeple Ashton village, then flown out by the
Air Transport Auxiliary
The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between fac ...
.
USAAF use
In 1942 Keevil airfield was provided to the USAAF and was assigned USAAF designation 471 (KV).
62nd Troop Carrier Group
The first American unit assigned to Keevil was the
62nd Troop Carrier Group, arriving at Keevil on 6 September 1942 from
Florence AAF,
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. The group consisted of the following operational squadrons:
*
4th Troop Carrier Squadron
*
7th Troop Carrier Squadron
*
8th Troop Carrier Squadron
* 51st Troop Carrier Squadron
The group transported military freight and supplies using
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...
and
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper aircraft. The unit remained in England until 15 November until being transferred to
Tafaraoui Airfield
Oran Tafaraoui Airport is a joint civil/military airport in Oran Province, Algeria .
History
During World War II, it was a primary mission objective of the United States Army 34th Infantry Division during the Allied Operation Torch landings on 8 ...
,
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
as part of
Twelfth Air Force
The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
The command is the air component to U ...
.
153d Observation Squadron
After the departure of the transport group, Keevil saw the arrival of the 153rd Observation Squadron from the 67th Recon Group at
RAF Membury
Royal Air Force Membury or more simply RAF Membury is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England, approximately north-northwest of Hungerford. The airfie ...
in December 1942.
From Keevil the squadron flew a combination of
Douglas Bostons,
Douglas A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
s and
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
s. In March 1944 the 153d OS was disbanded, then re-formed for duties as the 2911th Bomb Squadron as a liaison and communications squadron, being equipped with
Stinson L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vulte ...
at
RAF Erlestoke.
363d Fighter Group

On 20 December 1943, the
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
363d Fighter Group moved to Keevil from
Sacramento AAF California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. The group consisted of the following operational squadrons:
*
380th Fighter Squadron
*
381st Fighter Squadron
*
382d Fighter Squadron
The group awaited its operational aircraft until 22 January 1944 when the group moved to
RAF Rivenhall
Royal Air Force Rivenhall or more simply RAF Rivenhall is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southeast of Braintree, Essex, Brain ...
in Essex.
RAF Fighter Command use
With the departure of the Americans, the RAF used Keevil beginning in March 1944 for
196
Year 196 ( CXCVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Dexter and Messalla (or, less frequently, year 949 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 196 for this yea ...
and
299 Squadron.
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be introduced into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the war (the earlier Handley ...
glider tugs of
No. 38 Group RAF
No. 38 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force which disbanded on 31 December 2020. It was formed on 6 November 1943 from the former 38 Wing with nine squadrons as part of RAF Transport Command. It was disbanded on 31 January 1951, but re-f ...
arrived, followed by a large number of
Airspeed Horsa
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside various subcontractors; the type was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century ...
gliders, crewed by Army pilots of the
Glider Pilot Regiment.
The RAF Stirling aircraft were crewed by RAF,
RCAF
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canad ...
,
RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...
,
RNZAF
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, becoming an in ...
and
SAAF personnel and were engaged in
Special Operations Executive (SOE) and
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
(SAS) drops, largely in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and in
glider towing. Their involvement in the
Normandy invasion of France and
Operation Market-Garden is well remembered by Keevil and Steeple Ashton villagers. Casualties of army and air force personnel were heavy and a number of aircraft were lost.
RAF Flying Training Command use
The departure of these units to
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included.
The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...
brought Keevil to a training role when in October 1944 No. 22 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit arrived, with their twin-engined
Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a twin-engine military transport aircraft, transport aircraft developed by the British aircraft manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth and primarily produced by Prefabs_in_the_United_Kingdom#Hawksley, A.W ...
aircraft and
Waco Hadrian Gliders.
They in turn were replaced in June 1945 by 61 Operation Training Unit converting newly qualified pilots on to Spitfires and, later, on to
North American Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
s. 61 OTU in due course became 203 Advanced Flying School and moved to Chivenor in Devon in July 1947 and this marked the end of RAF Keevil as a fully staffed and equipped operational airfield.
Postwar military use
Between 1955 and 1964 the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
used the base occasionally. During 1956 and 1957, Keevil was used as a satellite airfield for "ab initio" training by No 2 Flying Training School, based at
RAF Hullavington
Royal Air Force Hullavington, or more simply RAF Hullavington, was a Royal Air Force station located at Hullavington, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. The station opened in June 1937 and was primarily used for training. It closed on 31 Marc ...
. Aircraft included the
Percival Jet Provost T.1.
Keevil was kept in reserve status until 1965 when it was closed. Subsequently, it was regularly used for
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
and RAF exercises; a monthly flying schedule was published by
RAF Brize Norton
Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...
. Around 2023, management of the airfield was transferred from the RAF to the
Army Air Corps, specifically the
Joint Aviation Command
The Joint Aviation Command (JAC), previously known as Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of all three services of the British Armed Forces and unmanned aerial vehicles of the B ...
at
Middle Wallop
Middle Wallop is a village in the civil parish of Nether Wallop in Hampshire, England, on the A343 road. At the 2011 Census the population was included in the civil parish of Over Wallop. The village has a public house, The George Inn, and ...
.
In May 2023, the
Civil Aviation Authority granted permission for Keevil to be used by the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
as a base for
Thales Watchkeeper WK450
The Thales Watchkeeper WK450 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) formerly used by the British Army. It was developed by UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS), a joint venture ...
drone exercises on the nearby
Salisbury Plain Training Area
The Salisbury Plain Training Area is a large expanse of land on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, which is managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
History
The British Army's Salisbury Pla ...
, with operations commencing in June 2023.
Current use
Keevil airfield is virtually complete with all of its runways, perimeter track and many of the hardstands still in place.
Since 1992 it has been home to
Bannerdown Gliding Club, a
Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association
The Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association (RAFGSA) is a voluntary organisation which exists to provide recreational flying to all RAF servicemen and women, in particular those employed in ground duties.
RAFGSA Centre
The RAFGSA Centre ...
(RAFGSA) club, affiliated to RAF Brize Norton since the closure of
RAF Lyneham
Royal Air Force Lyneham otherwise known as RAF Lyneham was a Royal Air Force station located northeast of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and southwest of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transpo ...
. The airfield has been occasionally used as a motorsport circuit for various events and is also used by the Wessex Model Flying Club.
In September 1994 the Keevil Society, organised by Paul Vingoe, held a Commemorative Day to mark the 50th anniversary of the
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
and
Arnhem
Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
operations and to dedicate a memorial to all who served at Keevil, especially those who flew from there and lost their lives.
In 2012, proposals were made to add a fourth runway parallel to 06/24, a
Tactical Landing Zone – a copy of a temporary battlefield runway – by breaking up some of the hard surfaces.
The hangar that was used for Spitfire final assembly is outside the present-day airfield boundary at , and is now used by small businesses.
See also
*
List of former Royal Air Force stations
This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force. They are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the duration of ...
*
United States Air Force in the United Kingdom
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) ''UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994''. After the Battle
* Freeman, Roger A. (1996) ''The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent – World War Two''. After the Battle
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). ''Air Force Combat Units Of World War II''. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
* Russell, C. R. (1985). ''Spitfire Odyssey: My Life at Supermarines 1936–1957''. Kingfisher Railway Productions.
External links
*
Bannerdown Gliding ClubKeevil: scheduled military local training Sorties– RAF Brize Norton
Wessex Model Flying Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keevil
Airfields of the IX Fighter Command in the United Kingdom
Gliderports in the United Kingdom
Parachuting in the United Kingdom
Royal Air Force stations in Wiltshire