Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England RG20 7EX. The station is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London Opened in 1943, it was used during the Second World War by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a transport airfield. After the war it was closed in 1946 and placed in reserve status. As a result of the Cold War, the station was reopened in 1955 as a munitions depot by the United States Air Force Today it is one of the largest ammunition compounds for the United States Air Force in Western Europe for heavy munitions. One description states RAF Welford comprises 806 acres and is bordered by a 31,680 foot fence-line. They are home to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s second largest munitions hub. The installation currently maintains 15,000 bombs; over a $160 million stockpile.
RAF Welford is located in West Berkshire with a dedicated and rarely used access road leading to the station from the eastbound M4 motorway between junctions 13 and 14 to the west of the A34 junction with the M4. There is no access from the westbound motorway, so traffic leaving the station for the west must first travel east to Junction 13 of the M4 before heading west. The access road from the M4 is signposted "Works Unit Only". The 1 mile marker sign did have the distinctive red border of a defence establishment until changes made in 2015 and a photo refers.
History
USAAF use
In October 1943 the airfield was allocated to Ninth Air ForceIX Troop Carrier Command. While under USAAF control, Welford was known as USAAF Station AAF-474 for security reasons during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its Station-ID was "WF".
The 315th Troop Carrier Group arrived at Welford on 6 November 1943 from RAF Aldermaston flying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:
As part of the IX Troop Carrier Command's desire to have its C-47 groups commence training with paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division deployed in the Salisbury Plain area, the squadrons of the 435th Troop Carrier Group arrived at Welford on 25 January 1944 from RAF Langar flying C-47s and C-53s. Its squadrons and fuselage codes were:
In 2009 USAF staffing at Welford was reduced as part of USAF wide budgetary adjustments. The munitions base's function is described as '‘It is usually at its busiest when the US government deploys bombers to a forward air station at RAF Fairford'. The bombers at RAF Fairford can include B-1, B-2 and B-52. There are three public photos, possibly taken in 2007, and a September 2014 aerial photo of the depot. Using the postcode, Google Earth has imagery and mapping. In May 2019 the USAF moved half a million pounds of net explosives weight from Newport Port, South Wales to RAF Welford. The vessel involved was the US Ocean ship Ocean Globe.
