Memorial plaque for RAF Yatesbury

Image: © Vieve Forward Taken: 27 Dec 2011

Memorial plaque commemorating Yatesbury Airfield. The plaque reads: “No. 45 Satellite Landing Ground Townsend. This memorial commemorates the site of an airfield used by the Royal Air Force for aircraft practice landings and aircraft storage by the following units:- February 1938-September 1940 No. 10 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School, Yatesbury October 1940-September 1941 No. 10 Maintenance Unit Hullavington September 1941-October 1942 No. 33 Maintenance Unit, Lyneham March 1943-June 1944 No. 2 Radio School, Yatesbury." The plaque was laid by the RAF Yatesbury Association and the Wiltshire Historical Military Society. http://www.communigate.co.uk/wilts/wiltshistoricalmilitarysociety/page12.phtml Yatesbury Airfield was established in 1916 as the site of two Royal Flying Corps (RFC) training aerodromes specialising in Corps Reconnaissance training. In 1936 Yatesbury airfield was redeveloped as a civilian flying training school (No. 10 Elementary Reserve & Flying Training School) and to train pilots for the Royal Air Force. In 1938-39 RAF Training Command also established a large wireless training school in Yatesbury, where over 50,000 men received on wireless theory and aerial training during the War. The No. 2 Radio School was opened in 1942 to teach the then secret radar. In 1947 air training stopped, though the wireless school continued until its closure in 1965. http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1002091 A Satellite Landing Ground is an airfield with one or two grass runways which is designed throughout to be "hidden" from the sky by using woods and other natural features to hide the presence of aircraft and associated buildings. The landing grounds were mainly used by Royal Air Force maintenance units which used the areas to disperse aircraft to reduce the likelihood of attacks from the air. Some improvements and upgrades to aircraft were performed at these sites but overall it was kept to a minimum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Satellite_Landing_Grounds

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0