|
|
|
RAF Ibsley
RAF Ibsley was situated 2 miles north of Ringwood in Hampshire. The base opened in Febuary 1941 and was home to Hurricanes, Spitfires, Whirlwinds, Mustangs and Typhoons of 19 different Squadrons. In June 1942 the base was handed over to USAAF control. It returned to RAF control between December 1942 and January 1944 with the USAAF using the base again until July 1944. Ibsley was then allocated to No.11 Group RAF, and used by to No.7 Flying Instructors School of Training Command. until March 1945 when Transport Command Glider Pick-Up Training Flight arrived with Dakotas towing Horsa gliders.
Flying ceased in October 1945 and in late 1946 the site returned to agriculture.
Today the site is used for quarrys and lakes, the runways and all buildings have vanished, except the control tower, which is in a very poor state.
Squadrons stationed at RAF Ibsley
- No: 32 Squadron.
- No: 66 Squadron.
- No: 118 Squadron.
- No: 129 Squadron.
- No: 165 Squadron.
- No: 234 Squadron.
- No: 263 Squadron.
- No: 302 Squadron.
- No: 310 Squadron.
- No: 312 Squadron.
- No: 313 Squadron.
- No: 421 Squadron.
- No: 453 Squadron.
- No: 501 Squadron.
- No: 504 Squadron.
- No: 616 Squadron.
- 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group. August to October 1942
- 94th Fighter Squadron. August to October 1942
- 492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group. March 44 to July 44
- 493rd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group. March 44 to July 44
- 494th Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group. March 44 to July 44
- 371st Fighter Group. April to May 1944
- 14th Liaison Squadron. July to Aug 1944
- 392nd Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group. July 1944
- 393rd Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group. July 1944
- 394th Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group. July 1944
- No.7 Flying Instructors School
- Transport Command Glider Pick-Up Training Flight.
16th February 1941 Sorties over France
27th April 1941 Move
14th Oct 1941 Poor Weather
17th Oct 1941 Operations
9th February 1943 Move to Orkney
13th February 1943 Move to the south coast
28th February 1943 Gunnery training
1st March 1943 Exercise Spartan
2nd March 1943 Exercise Spartan
3rd March 1943 Exercise Spartan
4th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
4th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
4th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
5th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
7th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
7th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
8th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
8th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
9th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
9th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
10th March 1943 Detachments
10th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
10th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
11th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
11th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
12th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
12th March 1943 Exercise Spartan ends
13th March 1943 Return to operations
13th March 1943 Exercise Spartan ends
28th June 1943 Tactical Airforce Established
30th June 1943 Back on intruder sorties
25th July 1943 Two Spitfires lost
27th July 1943 Move to Exeter
3rd December 1943 Outpost at Ibsley
26th December 1943 Crashed in fog
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
|
Those known to have served at RAF Ibsley during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
|
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 19th Nov 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than
264989 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
- Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please read our Family History FAQs
- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
|
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
|
|
Want to know more about RAF Ibsley? There are:38 items tagged RAF Ibsley available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
|
F/Lt. Mervyn F.S. Young 129 Sqn, 72 Sqn   A good friend of mine was based at RAF Hornchurch in 1943 - Flt Lt Mervyn Young of 129 Sqn & later 72 Sqn in Italy & Europe. He flew Spitfire DV-R (Serial No MH384).
Mervyn told me that he was inspired to become a fighter pilot after watching the Howard Hughes Movie Hells Angels about WW1 Fighter pilots. He said his flight commander ‘Wag’ Haw had the same thoughts after seeing the movie.
He flew many missions in Europe including Ram-rod missions in support of the daylight bombing raids, mostly B17’s including the famous Memphis Belle at one time.
On one sortie his No 2 Sgt Carmichael was shot down & killed but in 2003 his aircraft was recovered & in Sept' 2003 Mervyn was among the memorial parade with full miltary honours for Sgt Carmichael; lost on a sortie over Belgium & located 60 years later, the fateful sortie was flown while Mervyn was based at RAF Hornchurch.
Sadly Mervyn passed away in March 2006, I enclose a photo taken at RAF Ibsley in his Spit' DV-R (MH384) complete with his mascot logo of Jiminy Cricket.
|
Cpl? Cyril Simmons RAF Ibsley My father served at RAF Ibsley sometime between 1941 and 1946. I think he may have had something to do with ground radar and may have been a corporal.
|
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
|
|
|
