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| Middle Wallop | |
|---|---|
| Name | Middle Wallop |
| Location | Nether Wallop, Hampshire |
| Country | England |
| Type | Airfield and Army Air Corps base |
| Ownership | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator | British Army |
| Used | 1940–present |
| Condition | Active |
| Occupants | Army Air Corps |
Middle Wallop is an aviation base in Hampshire, England, with a long association with British air and rotary-wing operations. The site has hosted squadrons, schools and training units linked to the Royal Air Force, the Army Air Corps and several defence organisations. It lies amid rural parishes and has contributed to regional transport, heritage and wartime activity.
Middle Wallop originated as part of pre-World War II expansion when the Air Ministry requisitioned farmland near Nether Wallop, Appleshaw and Stockbridge. During World War II the airfield played roles in the Battle of Britain era, the Allied strategic bombing campaign and served as a satellite to RAF training stations such as RAF Andover, RAF Bicester, RAF Benson, RAF Odiham and RAF Brize Norton. Post-war reorganisation involved links with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, the Royal Navy through exchange programmes and NATO interoperability efforts during the Cold War alongside bases like RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall. Middle Wallop’s boundaries and runways were altered under Ministry of Defence initiatives like the 1950s defence reviews and later Strategic Defence Review policy, reflecting changes influenced by events such as the Suez Crisis and the Falklands War logistical lessons.
As an RAF station, the site hosted fighter, night-fighter and training units including elements associated with No. 1 Group RAF, No. 11 Group RAF, No. 57 Squadron RAF, No. 605 Squadron RAF and No. 243 Squadron RAF. Coastal defence and Army cooperation tasks linked it to units operating aircraft similar to those at RAF Coltishall and RAF Tangmere. The station supported experimental and instruction elements from institutions such as Empire Air Training Scheme affiliates and satellite operations tied to RAF Training Command and pilots transitioning to aircraft types used by Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadrons. Decommissioning as a full RAF station saw responsibilities pass to army aviation organisations like the Army Air Corps and home defence commands.
The site comprises runways, hardstands, hangars and technical blocks comparable to installations at Boscombe Down, Marham and Wroughton. Support infrastructure has included maintenance depots employing practices common to Aviation Industry Corporation, fuel storage compatible with NATO standards, and workshops akin to those at Cardington. Communications were integrated with regional networks connecting to London Heathrow airspace management, NATS procedures and nearby control zones such as Solent and Southampton Airport protocols. Accommodation and family services mirrored RAF estate patterns found at Andover Station and community liaison mirrored arrangements with local councils like Hampshire County Council.
Middle Wallop became home to Army Air Corps regiments including elements paralleling No. 1 Regiment Army Air Corps, No. 3 Regiment Army Air Corps and training wings resembling School of Army Aviation functions. Helicopter types and reconnaissance platforms operated in roles similar to those flown from RAF Weston-super-Mare, RAF Shawbury and RAF Kinloss. The airfield supported exercises tied to multinational events such as Exercise Joint Warrior and interoperability trials alongside units from United States Army, Royal Netherlands Air Force and German Army Aviation Corps detachments. Training, flight testing and operational deployments were coordinated with higher commands like Army Headquarters, Air Command and NATO structures including Allied Command Transformation.
Situated among the parishes of Nether Wallop, Over Wallop and Farley Chamberlayne, the airfield impacts villages similar to those near Stockbridge and Romsey. Surrounding features include chalk downland, rivers akin to the River Test valley and transport links to roads such as the A303 and rail connections via Salisbury and Andover stations. Community engagement involved partnerships with organisations like Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Local Enterprise Partnership initiatives and local museums comparable to Andover Museum and heritage trusts. Environmental considerations paralleled conservation efforts in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty such as the South Downs National Park.
Middle Wallop hosts aviation heritage activities comparable to collections at Imperial War Museum Duxford, Royal Air Force Museum London, Brooklands Museum and Fleet Air Arm Museum. Volunteer groups and trusts organise exhibitions, airshows and educational outreach interacting with institutions like Air Historical Branch, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Shuttleworth Collection and Historic Aircraft Collection. The preservation of aircraft types recalls examples in collections associated with Boeing, Sikorsky, Westland Helicopters and manufacturers present in UK industry history such as De Havilland and Blackburn Aircraft.
The airfield’s timeline includes wartime accidents, training mishaps and high-profile visits akin to incidents recorded at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Valley. Operational accidents prompted inquiries by authorities like the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and led to procedural changes reflected in manuals from Ministry of Defence safety doctrines. Public events have included flypasts involving aircraft from Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, visits by dignitaries connected to Ministry of Defence delegations, and commemorations timed with anniversaries of D-Day and the VE Day celebrations.
Category:Airports in Hampshire Category:Army Air Corps