RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Originally Posted by chevvron

I've been wondering for some time about the history of Bovingdon post WW2.
Bovingdon was one of 6 civil airfields (Minsitry of Aviation?) designated as 'the' airports to serve London in the immediate post war era prior to Heathrow taking on most of the services,others being Blackbushe, Luton and Southend.
At some time in the '50s Bovingdon was transferred to RAF control, presumably as more and more services moved to Heathrow and its then 'relief' airport at Gatwick.
Looking through some of my 'archive' material about the history of Farnborough ATC, I found this:-
'The arrival of senior ATCO (Air Traffic Control Officer) Ken Pearson from the civil airport at Bovingdon in 1954 brought a new impetus to developments in the ATC organisation at Farnborough'
I believe this same Ken Pearson later served as SATCO at Heathrow at some time and a move from Bovingdon could have meant he was destined for greater things, so could 1954 be when Bovingdon was transferred from civil back to RAF control?

A difficult question to answer. I don't know when control of Bovingdon was handed back to The Air Ministry. Probably not earlier than 1954 more likely 1955-56. You can see from the link that in 1952 The Ministry of Civil Aviation were already thinking about divesting themselves of the airfield. The Americans returned to Bovingdon in May 1951 with the C47s of 7531st Air Base Squadron and the RAF Fighter Command Communications Squadron had been based there since the early-fifties with the Coastal Command Communications Squadron also present from the mid-fifties. So together with the civil traffic it was a pretty busy airfield during that period. Incidentally as a footnote if you look on this link not only is there mention of Bovingdon reverting to the RAF but also a sketch which indicates the possibility of additional runways at Heathrow north of The Bath Road.............

http://filestore.nationalarchives.go...-52-220-20.pdf