Station 406 Membury Memorial Propeller - Lambourn, Berkshire, UK
N 51° 28.850 W 001° 33.339
30U E 600295 N 5704286
This memorial is dedicated to the Personnel of Station 406 based at the airfield of Membury. It displays a propeller blade.
Waymark Code: WMDRB9
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/18/2012
Views: 6
The memorial displays a propellor blade and has a plaque which reads:
'DEDICATED
To the Personnel of the R.A.F. and
U.S.A.A.F. 8th and 9th Commands
Who Served at Station 406 MEMBURY
During 1941 to 1947
REMEMBER THEM ALL'
Wikipedia has an interesting article about RAF Membury available here:
visit link
'RAF Station Membury is a former World War II airfield built in the civil parish of Lambourn in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately 4.6 miles (7.4 km) north-northwest of Hungerford, at the Membury services stop of the M4 motorway; about 60 miles (97 km) miles west-southwest of London. The airfield also lies immediately next to the iron age hillfort of Membury Camp.
Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used by several combat units with varying missions. It was also a major supply and maintenance depot. After the war, it was a private airport until the construction of the M4 motorway in the 1960s when it was closed.
Today the remains of the airfield are located on private property with the former technical site now being an industrial estate (Membury Business Park).'
Known as USAAF Station AAF-466 during the Second World War for security reasons, the base's Station Code was "ME". The 3rd Photographic and 67th Observation/Reconnaissance Groups, 6th Tactical Air Depot, 366th Fighter Group and 436th Troop Carrier Group all saw service here. Major strategies were planned with contributions towards Operation Overlord, Operation Dragoon and Operation Market-Garden. After the war the Station reverted to RAF control with the 525 and 187 Squadrons based here.
Once the airfield was no longer used by the RAF the M4 motorway was built, dissecting it; today the Services occupy the northeast part of the old airfield. New hangars have been built (2010) and the runway has been partly repaired for present flying and maintenance of aircraft, after a long period of deterioration.