RAF Broadwell Memories

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Memories

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Jack Bird Remembers

Lance Corporal Jack Bird. 2nd Battalion Sth Staff Regiment.

Unit : Medium Machine-Gun Group, 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment

Jack Bird, born on the 22nd July 1912, had been employed in Walsall as a clerk at Talbot Stead Tube Co. Ltd. before joining The South Staffordshire Regiment, 24th June 1940. Passing the necessary medical tests the 2nd South Staffords were converted to an airborne role in late 1941. More

Harry Howard Glider Pilot

Harry Howard who was a glider pilot stationed at Broadwell during the Normandy Invasion writes this memory of D-Day

At the time of D-Day I was a S/Sgt Pilot in F Squadron of the Glider Pilot Regiment, based at Broadwell RAF Station near Burford in Oxfordshire, having returned from glider operations in the Mediterranean earlier that year. More

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Paddy Devlin

EARLY JUNE 1944

We were taken in T.C.V.s fully kitted, with our weapons to this wartime airfield, we were not told its name or where it was and as there were no signposts on the road we had no idea where we were. We did not stop on the way and we were told not to speak to anyone. We drove straight in via the village through an entrance wire gate into a barbed wire enclosure to where tents had been pitched on the grass. More
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John Richards

Below is a copy of a letter to Harry Howard in 2006 by John E Richards (John Rechenuc), the addition in Italics are my contributions. More

Major-General Richard Nelson Gale MC

On the 2nd June, when Gale visited the 9th Parachute Battalion at RAF Broadwell, he received an enthusiastic reception and said of Normandy, "The Hun thinks only a bloody fool will go there. That's why I'm going!" More

The Motor Bike

I have a Carfield motorcycle which I obtained on my 50th birthday in October 1985, it's condition being a 'basket-case'. The motorcycle was used by an RAF man during 1943-44 and was stored for forty years in the roof of a barn at Westfield Farm, Shilton, which still stands and is part of the WAAF Camp. More

Rosa Powell

In October 1941 I voluntered to join the Waaf. I passed my medical and was told I would be notified when and where to report too. In November I was told to report to RAF Gloster where I was kitted out with my uniform. A week later I was posted to Morecambe where I did my initial training including 'square bashing, marching and PT at the open air swimming pool in December-very cold'----------. More

Ronald J P Warren

Most of us had cause to be frightened ar some time on D.day but I did not expect to get my biggest fright before we had hardly started. We were detailed to take paratroops from Broadwell in Oxfordshire to a field beside the river Orne at Ranville near Caen. The first vic of three Dakotas led by Wing Commander Jefferson was due to drop at 00.57.00. The second vic led by Squadron Leader Cragg was due to drop at 00.57.20. I was the navigator of the lead aircraft of the third vic piloted by Flight Lieutenant Dixon. Our dropping time was 00.57.40.------------- More

Flight Lieutenant P.M.Bristow

From Flight Lieutenant P.M.Bristow, a member of C Flight, 575 Squadron RAF, Based at Broadwell in the Cotswolds.

1. Once we had been given our first briefing and knew the DZ (dropping zone) and the glider targets, a tight security clamp was imposed. -------More

P.S.BELL

My log books are more detailed than I had recalled and will hasten to set down the information that I have re Broadwell R.A.F. There were 2 squadrons (ours No. 575) each with 36 aircraft in 3 flights of 12 (72 all told plus spares). Total personnel about 2,300. Aircrew 72 x 4 (Pilot, Copilot/navigator (myself), Navigator and Wireless Operator. Plus spare aircrew and some coming and leaving. Also 2 or 3 Aora Ansons for runabouts etc. - sometimes took people on leave illegally!! Station was set up for U.S. Air Force but never occupied by them. I arrived in U.K. in Dec 1943 to join Coastal Command but D Day was being planned and Transport Command was built up to deal with paratroops, gliders and ultimately to land supplies in France and bring back wounded.--------------More

Sgt Smulian who was a Dakota pilot

This page has details of Sgt Smulian who was a Dakota pilot at RAF Broadwell for 512 squadron in 1944/5

This article was in a South African News Paper in January 1965------------More

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Royal Ulster Rifles Officers

Photo and names of officers-------------------------More

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Sgt Simion

13803084 Sgt Ernest Simion/Simeon, 2nd Wing Glider Pilot Reg. F Sqdn., Army Air Corps - 20.9.44, aged 24 years, German Jewish refugee born in Berlin 8.8.1920, - son of Eva/Erna Simion of Hampstead and Gunter Levy (divorced). Came to UK in 1939 and worked as a mechanic in Co. Down, Northern Ireland - then interned, joned Pioneer Corps, then REME. Joined the Glider Pilot Reg. at Fargo on Salisbury Plain-----------More

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Shilton Remembers

RECORDS AND TALES OF LIFE IN THE VILLAGE DURING THE WAR YEARS, COLLECTED FOR AN EXHIBITION SHOWN IN THE OLD SCHOOL ON 30th JUNE 1985.-----------More

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Attack on Meriville Gun Battery-----------More

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Frank Phillips

I was called up in 1940 into the 7th Buffs Infantry Regiment which was later converted to 141st Royal Armoured Corps.

We were under canvas in the grounds of a big house at Maidenhead by the Thames. After three months training we were sent to South Devon to defend that part of the coast against a German invasion. Four companies were stationed along the coast------More

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Edward Hull

The 9th Battalion casualty I believe refers to Lance Corporal Edward Hull. he was
accidentally shot at the airfield where the 9th Battalion emplaned at Broadwell
airfield. He was taken to hospital in Oxford, but died on D-Day. I believe his case that
he is D-Day's first casualty rests on the fact that he was fatally wounded on June 5th,
even though he stayed alive till for several hours later

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Fake army in Kent

The Deception - Operation Fortitude
Elaborate efforts were taken in order to deceive the Germans------More

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Flying Nightingales

This is the obituary to Edna Morris who was not actually at RAF
Broadwell but flew from RAF Blakehill Farm nr Swindon to deal with the
casualties on D-Day, so she probable dealt with a good many men who
flew from RAF Broadwell. --------More

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LAC Ward

I was stationed at Broadwell on the big day. Was lucky to wangle a
ride in a glider two nights running. And I was only ground crew. -----More

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John Clarkson

Where did your interest in the World War II airmen come from?
Was it entirely historical or did you have a grandparent or another family
member who had been one of those airmen -----------More

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Overlord Objective

The object of Operation "Overlord" is to mount and carry out
an operation, with forces and equipment established in the
United Kingdom, and with target date the 1st May, 1944, to
secure a lodgment on the Continent from which further offensive
operations can be developed. The lodgment area must contain
sufficient port facilities to maintain a force of some twentysix
to thirty divisions, and enable that force to be augmented
by follow-up shipments from the United States or elsewhere of
additional divisions and supporting units at the rate of three
to five divisions per month.

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When D-Day finally came in the early hours of 6th June 1944, it proved to be the
beginning of the end for the Third Reich. During 1943, the Americans had wanted the
assault to be that year ----------More

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SGT Chandler mission Arnhem

Sgt E.F. Chandler, Flight Engineer, RAFVR relates his account of a re-supply
mission to Arnhem, which took place on the 20th September 1944
Notes: On Wednesday 20th September 1944 the Stirling MkIV flew from Keevil on a re-supply
mission to drop 24 containers and 4 panniers. The aircraft was badly hit and was on fire over the
drop zone. The crew all bailed out successfully.-----More

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These sites cover the ox18 area of Oxfordshire England, including the following villages, OX18, Alvescot, Bampton, Black Bourton, Burford, Broadwell, Carterton, Clanfield, Kelmscott, Kencot, Langford, Lechlade, RAF Broadwell, Shilton, Parish Pump, Oxfordshire Events,