Tri-Base History

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RAF Alconbury --  ROYAL AIR FORCE ALCONBURY, ROYAL AIR FORCE MOLESWORTH AND ROYAL AIR FORCE UPWOOD (THE TRI-BASE) HISTORY

RAF Alconbury

RAF Alconbury began as a satellite base for nearby RAF Wyton during the early days of World War II. The first American unit at Alconbury was the 93d Bombardment Group and its B-24 Liberators. The 93d BG flew Eighth Air Force's first operational B-24 mission to the continent, attacking the Lille Steelworks in Belgium. The major unit from 1942 to 1945 was the 482d Bomb Group, part of the famous Pathfinders. The Royal Air Force again took control of Alconbury in 1945, after the end of World War II.

Once the U.S. Air Force regained control of the base in 1954, several U.S. units called the base home: the 86th Bomber Squadron and 42d Troop Carrier Squadron. The 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing arrived in 1959 and became the host unit at RAF Alconbury for almost 30 years.

The Strategic Air Command's 17th Reconnaissance Wing activated at RAF Alconbury on Oct. 1, 1982, bringing with it the TR-1 (U-2) reconnaissance aircraft. The 17th RW inactivated in July 1991, but a subordinate unit, the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron, remained at RAF Alconbury with the U-2 until 1993. After the 95th RS inactivated, the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, Calif., continued to have personnel and U-2 aircraft deployed to RAF Alconbury. The last U-2 aircraft departed RAF Alconbury in March 1995.

In August 1987, the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was redesignated the 10th Tactical Fighter Wing after the unit received the A-10 Thunderbolt II. During its brief existence, the 10th TFW deployed personnel and A-10 aircraft to the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm. As part of the U.S. military drawdown in Europe, the A-10s departed in spring 1992, and the 10th TFW became the 10th Air Base Wing on March 31, 1993.

The 39th Special Operations Wing arrived at RAF Alconbury in 1992. After consolidating its aircraft and people at the base, the 39th SOW inactivated, and the 352d Special Operations Group activated, linking the unit's heritage with a historic World War II commando unit. The 352d SOG departed RAF Alconbury for RAF Mildenhall on Feb. 17, 1995. Restructuring throughout Europe resulted in the RAF Alconbury flightline being turned back to the Ministry of Defence on Sept. 30, 1995.

To maintain unit heritage, the Air Force moved the 10th ABW guidon to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 1, 1994. The 710th Air Base Wing was activated as the host unit on RAF Alconbury, and then inactivated July 12, 1995, upon the activation of the 423d Air Base Squadron at RAF Molesworth. In 2003, the 423d ABS was officially recognized as the host unit at RAF Alconbury following a move of the headquarters from RAF Molesworth.

The 423d ABS became part of the 420th Air Base Group, also headquartered at RAF Fairford, on Jan. 14, 2004. Subsequently, the 38th Combat Support Wing was established on May 26, 2004, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to oversee the 420th ABG and two other groups. The focus of the 420th ABG and its parent wing are to ensure geographically separated units like the 423d ABS are resourced, manned and equipped to exacting command standards to be able to provide the mission support essential to the conduct of crises and contingency operations in the European theater of operations and beyond. In May 2005, the 423d realigned and became the 423d Air Base Group with a new parent wing formed at the same time, the 501st Combat Support Wing at RAF Mildenhall. At the same time, four squadrons formed under the 423d - services, civil engineer, air base and security forces squadrons. A fifth - 423d Medical Squadron - was formed in January 2007. In May 2007, the 501st CSW moved to RAF Alconbury.


RAF Molesworth

RAF Molesworth was established as a bomber base and first occupied by the Royal Australian Air Force with Wellington IV aircraft in 1940. The U.S. Army Air Corps arrived in 1942, extending the RAF Molesworth airfield to accommodate heavy bombers.

RAF Molesworth's 15th Bomb Squadron flew the first Eighth Air Force mission to the continent on June 9, 1942. Another historic unit, the 303rd Bombardment Group, arrived in September 1942, flying B-17 Flying Fortresses from the base until the end of World War II in 1945. The airfield closed in 1946.

The U.S. Air Force again took possession of RAF Molesworth in July 1951. Facilities were modernized, and flying commenced in February 1954. Units stationed at Molesworth in the 1950s were the 582d Air Resupply Group and 42d Troop Carrier Squadron.

In February 1985, after nearly 20 years of relative inactivity, preparation began for RAF Molesworth to house ground-launched cruise missiles. The 303d Tactical Missile Wing activated on Dec. 12, 1986. The United States and Soviet Union agreed in 1988 to the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and the first missiles were removed from Western Europe on Sept. 8, 1988. The 303d TMW inactivated in January 1989.

The U.S. European Command Joint Analysis Center began operations at RAF Molesworth in October 1991, and the 423d Air Base Squadron activated in July 1995.

RAF Upwood

RAF Upwood, located southwest of the town of Ramsey, about 9 miles from RAF Alconbury, was under the control of the Royal Air Force's Support Command until late 1981.

RAF Upwood's air history dates to 1917 when the airfield was created out of farmland for two night training squadrons. When peace settled over Europe in 1919, the grass runway was reconverted to farmland.

In 1937, under a general extension plan for Britain's air power, the present station came into being. It served first as the home for two light bomber squadrons. The runways remained unpaved grass, but served to train more than 1,500 aircrew men in the middle of World War II. Two concrete runways were laid and RAF Upwood became the home of two pathfinder squadrons. They were later joined by a third.

These pathfinders, equipped with Lancaster and Mosquito bombers, mounted more than 6,000 sorties against the enemy, including 36 consecutive night attacks against Berlin. RAF Upwood was the target of seven German attacks during the same period, but sustained no significant damage.

After the war, the base served the Royal Air Force as home for a mixture of transport and bomber aircraft, the most recent being a fan-jet Canberra bomber squadron which disbanded in 1961. Once flying activity ceased, the base served as a training center for clerical and finance students in the Royal Air Force until 1981.

In December 1981, RAF Upwood was turned over for use by the U.S. Air Force as a support base for RAF Alconbury. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, RAF Upwood was home to the 3d Air Force Professional Military Education Center, the U.S. Air Force Clinic, an enlisted housing area, Department of Defense Dependent Schools and various support agencies.

As part of the U.S. military restructuring in Europe, RAF Upwood was returned to the British government control in September 1995. The clinic doors remain open, albeit in a reduced capacity as a medical flight until Jan. 16, 2007, when the 423rd Medical Squadron was formed. The squadron provides some outpatient medical and dental care for the community.

(Current as of April 2007)