Oakley aerodrome - Buckingamshire

[Sedbergh]

I've been asked about the history of Oakley

What I've found so far was that it was completed in 1942 and was part of 92 Group OTU (bombers)

It may have been one of the bases to which repatriated RAF POW's were flown in 1945

It seems to hae been used by Martin Baker for early ejector seat trials in 1945/46 and may have been the scene of the first live test firing in 1946

The runways are still fairly intact and part is used by microlights

Anone know what aircraft types flew from Oakley or any other details please??

[wet wet wet]

Oakley was built by John Laing & Son, opening on the 27th May 1942. It featured the standard layout of three concrete runways and had two hangers (being examples of a B1 and T2 types). Oakley was part of 92 Group (Operational Training Units) and was originally a satellite field for the Blenheims (Marks IV and V) of 13 OTU at Bicester. This did not las long, for in August 1942 Oakley was transferred to become a satellite to 11 OTU based at Westcott. It was then used by their Wellingtons (Marks I, III and X) from August 1942 until August 1945 when the RAF station closed.

After VE day Oakley was one of the bases used for Operation Exodus, the repatriation of POWs by air.

Perhaps Oakley’s main claim to fame was that the Martin Baker company used the field as a base for their early work on ejector seats. A Boulton Paul Defiant was acquired for the test programme and based at Oakley. This aircraft made the first ejection test from an aircraft in flight on the 10th of May 1945. In November the Defiant was replaced by a Meteor (EE416) which was modified at Oakley for ejection testing. In early 1946 Martin Baker transferred their testing from Oakley to Chalgrove.

[Sedbergh]

Thanks, most kind

[mfaff]

Brave souls to use the airfiled. Certainly the southern end of the main was pretty broken up. I assume it must be from the north end.
On a side note in the forest to the west, the other side of the M40 there are still extenisve concrete taxiways and brick revetments to be visited and seen. A fanastic place to go bakc in time into an almost intact WW2 airfield dispersal...albeit over grown.....mind I had been lead to believe is was more an ammo storage areas being quite so remote from the main runways..

Still the playground for many childhood years.

[Snakecharmer]

Someone told me the house where the great train robbers holed up was on the edge of Oakley airfield.