RAF Andrews Field / RAF Great Saling

Post-World War II military drawdown. As a temporary wartime airfield built specifically for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), RAF Andrews Field was deemed surplus to requirements following the end of hostilities in Europe. Control was returned to the British Air Ministry, and the site was subsequently sold for civilian, primarily agricultural, use.

The site of the former airfield has largely reverted to agricultural land, which was its original purpose. However, significant remnants of its wartime past are still visible. Portions of the main runway, perimeter tracks, and some aircraft hardstands remain, though in a deteriorated condition. The former technical and communal sites are now occupied by light industrial units and private housing. A small, active private airfield, Andrewsfield Aerodrome, operates on a grass strip laid out along the line of the original main runway, serving the general aviation community. A memorial dedicated to the American airmen of the 322nd Bombardment Group who served and died while based at the airfield is located on-site.

RAF Andrews Field, also known as USAAF Station 485, holds significant historical importance as the first 'Class A' heavy bomber airfield to be constructed entirely by US Army Engineers in the United Kingdom during World War II. Built in 1942-1943, it was named in May 1943 in honor of Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews, the commander of US Forces in the European Theater of Operations, who was killed in an air crash in Iceland. The airfield was initially home to the USAAF Eighth Air Force's 96th Bombardment Group, which flew B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. Shortly after, it became a key base for the USAAF Ninth Air Force's 322nd Bombardment Group, famous for flying the B-26 Marauder medium bomber. The 322nd flew numerous missions from Andrews Field, including low-level attacks and later medium-altitude bombing runs, playing a crucial role in the strategic preparations for D-Day and supporting the subsequent Allied invasion of Normandy. The group remained until September 1944, when it moved to an airfield in liberated France.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen RAF Andrews Field as a major military or commercial airport. The land is privately owned and has been integrated into the local landscape for agriculture and light industry for over 75 years. The existence of the small Andrewsfield Aerodrome for general aviation represents the only ongoing aviation activity on the site, but there is no indication of any expansion or a return to its former scale.