Upper Heyford

Upper Heyford airfield was first used in 1916 by the Royal Flying Corps and from 1918 was a RAF airfield. Until 1950 it was mainly used as a training base, but the USAF then took it over as a base for strategic bombers, fighters and fighter-bomber aircraft in the UK. 

Upper Heyford (Oxfordshire) initially saw service with the Royal Flying corps and then the RAF in the 1920's-and 1930's.  For the entirety of WW2 the base was used as a RAF OTU airfield, supporting training and maintenance missions, for many types of WW2 RAF planes including twin engine Mosquitoes.  In 1950 the base was handed over to the USAF and was in constant use by various USAF squadrons, performing SAC missions and later strategic nuclear deterrent, Reconnaissance and tactical fighter support across the European region.  At its peak the base housed over 13 thousand American personnel, its most famous cold war period mission took place in 1986, where General Dynamics F111 bombers and  Electronic countermeasures planes were involved in operations against Libya.  The base was eventually vacated by all American personnel and decommissioned in 1993-4.  Upper Heyford base represents just one of the fascinating UK sites built up during the WW2 and Cold War period, to accommodate the friendly invasion of American forces, and the legacy of WW2 build up and continuing special relationship between USA and UK forces in NATO missions today.  Today Heyford park is a private storage facility and business park, with residential housing replacing many of the historic parts of the base, as the next chapter in Upper Heyford history begins ....this time in civilian roles.