RAF Greenham Common

RAF Greenham Common was a military airfield located near Newbury in Berkshire, England. Initially constructed for the Royal Air Force during World War II, it became a pivotal United States Air Force base during the Cold War. The base is internationally renowned for the protracted Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp protest against nuclear weapons and for housing Ground Launched Cruise Missiles. It was closed in 1993 and the land has since been returned to common use.

History

The airfield was constructed in 1941-1942 as a Class A airfield for the Royal Air Force and was initially used by RAF Fighter Command. In 1943, it was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces and became a base for the Ninth Air Force. The 50th Fighter Group operated P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft from here in support of the Normandy landings and the subsequent Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine. After World War II, the site was briefly used for Polish Air Force training before being placed on care and maintenance. It was reactivated in 1951 as the Cold War intensified, leading to a major redevelopment for jet aircraft under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Role in the Cold War

During the Cold War, the base was operated by the United States Air Force under the Strategic Air Command and later the Eighth Air Force. Its primary role evolved to support nuclear deterrence operations. In the 1950s, it hosted B-47 Stratojet bombers of the 3918th Combat Support Group and KC-97 Stratofreighter tankers. The base was significantly upgraded in the late 1970s under the NATO Double-Track Decision to house BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles. The first missiles arrived in 1983 under the command of the 501st Tactical Missile Wing, making it a key first-strike target and a focal point of disarmament protests in Western Europe.

Women's Peace Camp

The Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp began in September 1981 when a Welsh group called Women for Life on Earth marched from Cardiff to protest the planned missile deployment. The protest evolved into a permanent, women-only peace camp encircling the base, becoming one of the most significant feminist and anti-nuclear protests in history. Activists employed non-violent Direct action, including large-scale Embrace the Base events and repeated breaches of the perimeter fence, leading to numerous arrests. The camp, which drew support from figures like Rebecca Johnson and was visited by Yoko Ono, remained for 19 years, symbolizing global resistance to the arms race and influencing debates on peace and national security.

Closure and legacy

Following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987 by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, the cruise missiles were removed. The last United States Air Force personnel left in 1991, and the Ministry of Defence formally closed the facility in 1993. The land was decontaminated and returned to the Greenham Common parish in 1997. Most structures, including the iconic Alert Holding Area and runways, were demolished. The site is now a business park, Greenham Business Park, and a public common managed by the Greenham and Crookham Commons Commission, featuring memorials to its dual history as a military base and a peace camp.

In popular culture

The base and the protests have been depicted in numerous cultural works. The 1985 documentary Carry Greenham Home documented the women's camp, while the 1989 television film *Hostages* dramatized the tensions of the missile deployment. It is referenced in songs by The Smiths ("Margaret on the Guillotine") and Tracy Chapman. The base itself featured as a location in the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights and the 2010 science fiction movie *Edge of Darkness*. Its distinctive architecture and history continue to inspire works exploring themes of Cold War anxiety and Civil disobedience.

Category:Royal Air Force stations in Berkshire Category:United States Air Force installations in the United Kingdom Category:Cold War military installations of the United States in the United Kingdom Category:Anti–nuclear weapons organizations in the United Kingdom