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This is the story of one of the many aerodromes
constructed locally as a result of World War Two. The need to protect
Britain`s sea lanes was of the utmost priority and Holmsley South was
created for that purpose, being one of the bases for Coastal Command's
U-boat hunters during the crucial period
of 1942-3. The transition from the twin-engined Whitley to the
larger and far more effective four- engined Halifax brought excellent
results, although casualties were often inflicted by the enemy.
When the time came to prepare airborne forces for the invasion of Sicily,
Holmsley, working in conjunction with nearby Hurn, now Bournemouth
International Airport, was chosen to carry out training for the glider
borne force and delivery flights to North Africa. The Halifax was the type
used as tugs for the Horsa gliders, manufactured at Christchurch.
In early 1944 preparations for the invasion of France found Holmsley being
used by Fighter Comand, with varying forces in training or operational.
These were used to good effect, a small force of Typhoons equipped with
rockets disorganising German radar, just prior to D-day and carrying out a
role critical to the success of the whole operation. A Canadian squadron
of Mosquitos operated along side the Typhoons, Spitfires and Mustangs, one
of which was the first British aircraft to encounter a V1 “Doodlebug”,
as the German unmanned flying bombs were known.
As the war progressed, American Marauder twin engined bombers took the
place of the fighters, now in France backing up the Allied advance.
Their stay was only for a matter of weeks but their operational
record was very good.
By September 1944, the airfield was deserted but not for long. It was
taken over by Transport Command for long distance operations, first to
Italy, but soon extending as far as India. The network pioneered by the
Liberators, Yorks and Skymasters laid the basis for many of the great air
routes of today.
By the autumn of 1946 the requirements were lessened to the extent that
the airfield was closed after participating in some of the most important
operations of the war and the early peacetime era.
Apart from describing the main purpose of the airfield, the people behind
it, civilians included, and the life they led is portrayed in detail.
When the RAF eventually left, much of the accommodation was used by
homeless people in the area, and soon, “Tintown”, as it came to be
called, took on the life almost of a village community for several years
before at last becoming history.
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