RAF Ibsley

Royal Air Force Station Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley, approximately 2 mi north of Ringwood; about 85 mi southwest of London

Opened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a fighter airfield. After the war it was closed in 1947.

Today the remains of the airfield are mostly quarry lakes, with an abandoned control tower overlooking the water.

USAAF use
Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "IB".

1st Fighter Group
The first USAAF unit to use Ibsley was the Eighth Air Force 1st Fighter Group, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The 1st FG arrived from RAF Goxhill on 24 August 1942. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:


 * 27th Fighter Squadron (HV)
 * 71st Fighter Squadron (LM)
 * 94th Fighter Squadron (UN)

The stay of the 1st FG was short, being assigned to Twelfth Air Force for duty in the Mediterranean theater in support of the Operation Torch North African landings. On 16 October 1943 RAF Ibsley was allocated to the Ninth Air Force.

48th Fighter Group
With construction completed, on 29 March 1944 the Ninth Air Force 48th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley from Waterboro AAF, South Carolina (32.92182°N, -80.6333°W). The 48th flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and had the following fighter squadrons and fuselage codes:


 * 492d Fighter Squadron (F4)
 * 493d Fighter Squadron (I7)
 * 494th Fighter Squadron (6M)

The 48th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. Ibsley continued to be used by the 48th FG until 4 July when the last  personnel departed.

367th Fighter Group
Arriving on the heels of the departing 48th FG, the 367th Fighter Group arrived at Ibsley on 6 July 1944 from RAF Stoney Cross. The 367th flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:


 * 392d Fighter Squadron (H5)
 * 393d Fighter Squadron (8L)
 * 394th Fighter Squadron (4N)

The 367th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. The 392d and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons went to Carentan (ALG A-10), Cretteville (ALG A-14) and Reuxeville (ALG A-6) respectively.

Current use
Today, the former RAF Ibsley is unrecognizable. The airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake being overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower. A very small section of the end of runway 01 still exists south of Ellingham Drive at the southern part of the airfield.

A small memorial is located near the control tower 50.87917°N, -1.77611°W.