RAF Tilshead | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tilshead, Wiltshire in England | |||||||||||
  RAF TilsheadShown within Wiltshire | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°13′40″N 001°58′13″W / 51.22778°N 1.97028°W / 51.22778; -1.97028 | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1925 (1925) | ||||||||||
| In use | 1925-1941 (1941) | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 124 metres (407 ft) AMSL | ||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Tilshead or more simply RAF Tilshead is a former Royal Air Force station west of Tilshead, Wiltshire, England and 9 miles (14 km) east of Warminster.
The unpaved airfield was open from 1925 until 1941. Nearby at Shrewton, a relief landing ground controlled by No. 38 Wing RAF was open from 1940 to 1946.
Based units
No. 16 Squadron RAF flew the Westland Lysander as a detachment for RAF Weston Zoyland between 15 August 1940 and 8 September 1941, conducting reconnaissance protecting the country from the planned invasion and looking for enemy movements.
No. 225 (Army Co-operation) Squadron RAF also flew the Lysander before moving to RAF Thruxton.
The airfield also provided initial training period for the Glider Pilot Regiment providing basic flying training.
Current use
The site is currently used by the British Army as part of the Salisbury Plain training area and there is nothing left of the airfield.
References
- ^ "RAF Tilshead". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "Shrewton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- "RAF Shrewton/Tilshead". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "No. 16 Squadron (RAF): Second World War". History of War. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "RAF Tilshead". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "RAF Thruxton". Control Towers. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
- "Staff Sergeant Billy Marfleet GPR". BBC History. Retrieved 5 April 2012.