Recent from talks
RAF Beaulieu
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
RAF Beaulieu
Royal Air Force Beaulieu or more simply RAF Beaulieu (/ˈbjuːli/ ⓘ BEW-lee) is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408. It is located on Hatchet Moor 1 mile (2 km) west of the village of East Boldre, about 2 miles (3 km) west-southwest of the village of Beaulieu and 4 miles (6 km) north-east of Lymington.
During the First World War there was a Royal Flying Corps training airfield, RFC Beaulieu, at East Boldre that was closed in 1919
The new RAF Beaulieu, opened on 8 August 1942, was built on the opposite side of the road. It was used by both the Royal Air Force and then later United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used as a bomber and fighter airfield. After the war, it was used for experimental work before it was closed in 1959.
Today the remains of the airfield are on heathland managed by the Forestry Commission. Areas of the old airfield are now designated as a flying area for model aircraft.
The new airfield was opened on 8 August 1942, as a RAF Coastal Command base intended to accommodate two General Reconnaissance squadrons, and its first unit, the Consolidated Liberator-equipped 224 Squadron moved in on 9 September 1942. The crucial situation in the Battle of the Atlantic meant that RAF Bomber Command had to loan squadrons of bombers to Coastal Command to aid in the anti-submarine effort, and on 25 October 1942, the Handley Page Halifax-equipped 405 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, together with a flight of five more Halifaxes of 158 Squadron arrived at Beaulieu, supplementing 224's Halifaxes in anti-submarine patrols. The flight from 158 Squadron moved to RAF Rufforth in December 1942, but 405 Squadron remained at Beaulieu on Coastal Command duties until March 1943. A Liberator-equipped conversion flight of 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit moved to the airfield in March 1943, and in May that year, the Czechoslovak-manned 311 Squadron replaced 224 Squadron, which moved to RAF St Eval. Liberator-equipped 53 Squadron arrived on 25 September 1943, joining 311 Squadron for anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay.
In early 1944, No. 146 Airfield Headquarters arrived at Beaulieu, together with two (257 (Burma) and 263 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadrons) of the unit's three fighter squadrons, both equipped with the Hawker Typhoon, which displaced the Liberators. No. 486 Squadron RNZAF later replaced 257 Squadron at Beaulieu. The Typhoons moved out in March 1944 to allow the airfield to be used by units of the US Army Air Force.
The airfield was used by the following units:
For security reasons, the USAAF referred to Beaulieu as Station AAF 408 during the war. Its Pundit Code was "BL".
Hub AI
RAF Beaulieu AI simulator
(@RAF Beaulieu_simulator)
RAF Beaulieu
Royal Air Force Beaulieu or more simply RAF Beaulieu (/ˈbjuːli/ ⓘ BEW-lee) is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408. It is located on Hatchet Moor 1 mile (2 km) west of the village of East Boldre, about 2 miles (3 km) west-southwest of the village of Beaulieu and 4 miles (6 km) north-east of Lymington.
During the First World War there was a Royal Flying Corps training airfield, RFC Beaulieu, at East Boldre that was closed in 1919
The new RAF Beaulieu, opened on 8 August 1942, was built on the opposite side of the road. It was used by both the Royal Air Force and then later United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used as a bomber and fighter airfield. After the war, it was used for experimental work before it was closed in 1959.
Today the remains of the airfield are on heathland managed by the Forestry Commission. Areas of the old airfield are now designated as a flying area for model aircraft.
The new airfield was opened on 8 August 1942, as a RAF Coastal Command base intended to accommodate two General Reconnaissance squadrons, and its first unit, the Consolidated Liberator-equipped 224 Squadron moved in on 9 September 1942. The crucial situation in the Battle of the Atlantic meant that RAF Bomber Command had to loan squadrons of bombers to Coastal Command to aid in the anti-submarine effort, and on 25 October 1942, the Handley Page Halifax-equipped 405 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, together with a flight of five more Halifaxes of 158 Squadron arrived at Beaulieu, supplementing 224's Halifaxes in anti-submarine patrols. The flight from 158 Squadron moved to RAF Rufforth in December 1942, but 405 Squadron remained at Beaulieu on Coastal Command duties until March 1943. A Liberator-equipped conversion flight of 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit moved to the airfield in March 1943, and in May that year, the Czechoslovak-manned 311 Squadron replaced 224 Squadron, which moved to RAF St Eval. Liberator-equipped 53 Squadron arrived on 25 September 1943, joining 311 Squadron for anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay.
In early 1944, No. 146 Airfield Headquarters arrived at Beaulieu, together with two (257 (Burma) and 263 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadrons) of the unit's three fighter squadrons, both equipped with the Hawker Typhoon, which displaced the Liberators. No. 486 Squadron RNZAF later replaced 257 Squadron at Beaulieu. The Typhoons moved out in March 1944 to allow the airfield to be used by units of the US Army Air Force.
The airfield was used by the following units:
For security reasons, the USAAF referred to Beaulieu as Station AAF 408 during the war. Its Pundit Code was "BL".
Recent media