RAF Welford
| RAF Welford USAAF Station AAF-474 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) | |||||||||||
| Near Welford, Berkshire in England | |||||||||||
RAF Welford | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Code | WF | ||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force (1943,1945–1948,1995-present) United States Army Air Forces (1943–1945) United States Air Force (1955—present) | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°28′06″N 001°24′13″W / 51.46833°N 1.40361°W | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1943 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1943–1948, 1955—present | ||||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||||
| Garrison | 420th Munitions Squadron | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 147 metres (482 ft) AMSL | ||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The station is located approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Newbury, and about 50 miles (80 km) west 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.