New member from the States

Good day all,
thanks for letting me join and thanks for the hard and fascinating work that you do!  I am USAF historian who currently lives in the US, but I was stationed in Germany (2016-2021) as the historian for the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing at Ramstein AB.  As the historian for the modern 435th I developed a passion for the WWII 435th Troop Carrier Group.  In wanting to understand the 435th in WWII I stated studying about the fields they were stationed at, RAF Langar and RAF Welford.  This led me to your site.  I've only been a member for a couple of days, but I have already learned so much.  Your site coupled with a site plan for Welford, shared with me by the RMARG, has helped me understand day-to day life on the wartime so much better.

Thanks,
Jeff McGovern
Tucson, AZ, USA

Welcome Jeff.
Presumably you are familiar with the US Fold3 Archive available online which contains ecords of the 435th Troop Carrier Group?
The former WW2 airfield at Welford is stillunder military occupation having been a munitions store for decades.
Much of the WW2 infrastructure is intact.

Hi all,
and thanks for the welcome.
I am familiar with Fold3 and sadly I think the most prevalent components remaining of the WWII airfield are the hardstands.  It looks like sometime between 2012 and 2020ish most of the structures were torn down.  I just went through a series of aerial photos taken in 2012 for historicengland.org.uk and looking at recent google earth and what I can see that remains are few of the communal site buildings:
Gunnery and Crew Procedure, most of one of the dining rooms, the ration store, and a water tower.

Mick Dowdeswell, from the RMARG sent me photos of the site plan they have in the museum (I have also joined this group).  I have been intensely studying the plan and looking at a handful of wartime aerial images and various aerial images from the last few decades.

This site has already greatly helped me in interpreting the site plan's structures, but it has also generated dozens of questions.  I look forward to contributing to this site as best as I can.

Jeff

I forgot to add that the Priory and the farm building/house to its west are still there too.

Jeff

You may find Geography can occasionally provide imagery of use, the link below is of a 2010 aerial view. www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2110284. (the resolution is not that good)