Anniversary of D-Day Landings

[Brave New World]

The US did some fantastic and amazing things back them during WW2, with over 200 airfields in Britain occupied or newly-built by the USAAF. with each one would housing at least 2,500 American men.

Some of the US air bases were also unimaginable vast such as RAF Burtonwood near Warrington in Cheshire, which was the largest USAAF base in Europe during WW2, and was home to over 18,000 US personnel.

RAF Burtonwood was home Engine assembly line, whilsy Burtonwood alone processed, 11,575 aircraft between 1943 and 1945 plus over 40,000 engines and all component parts to aircraft and all support equipment.

After the war RAF Burtonwood played a major role in supporting the Berlin Airlift and over the years serviced B17 Flying Fortresses, P47 Thunderbolts, B29 Super Fortresses and C54 Skymaster as used in the Berlin Airlift.

By the mid 1960's General De Gaulle took France out of NATO, and in 1967 and the US Army stores in France were moved to Burtonwood, which became Burtonwood US Army Depot, a vast storage and forward supply depot, with the aim that in the event of an emergency, U.S. troops would fly in to the base over and pick up their kit from Burtonwood before going on to the battle front in Germany

To give you an idea of the size of the base the main warehouse Header House was the largest building under a single roof in Europe, measuring over 47 acres or over 3 million square feet under one roof.

Burtonwood finally closed when the cold war ended, it's final role being in supporting US Forces during the 1991 Gulf War, and it was finally handed back to the British Ministry of Defence in 1994.

The site is a vast industrial park and warehouse centre today, along with a motorway service station, although there is still an RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre to remember the base, and the US personnel who served there.

Planes of RAF Burtonwood – RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre

AMERICAN AIRMEN IN BRITAIN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR - IWM