RAF Broadwell

The closure was a direct result of the end of World War II. RAF Broadwell was a temporary wartime airfield built specifically for the war effort. With the subsequent demobilization and drastic reduction in the size and needs of the Royal Air Force, the airfield became surplus to requirements and was decommissioned.

The site is now almost completely redeveloped and is known as the Broadwell Gorse Industrial Estate. The original runway layout is still faintly visible from the air, but the runways themselves have been removed or repurposed as access roads for the industrial units. A large portion of the former airfield is now occupied by a solar farm. A few original wartime buildings, including some T2 hangars and smaller technical buildings, still stand and are used by various businesses on the estate. The control tower was demolished in the 1980s.

RAF Broadwell was a significant transport airfield during the later stages of World War II. It opened in November 1943 as a standard Class A bomber airfield, but was immediately allocated to RAF Transport Command. Its primary role was to support major airborne operations using Douglas Dakota aircraft.

Key Operations and Units:
- The station was home to No. 512 Squadron and No. 575 Squadron RAF.
- D-Day (Operation Overlord, June 1944): Aircraft from Broadwell were heavily involved in the Normandy landings, dropping paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division and towing Airspeed Horsa gliders.
- Operation Market Garden (September 1944): Squadrons from Broadwell participated in the ambitious airborne assault on the Netherlands, flying supply and reinforcement missions to the beleaguered troops at Arnhem.
- Operation Varsity (March 1945): The station played a crucial role in the Rhine Crossing, the largest single-day airborne operation in history, again towing gliders and dropping paratroops.

After the war in Europe ended, the station was used for trooping flights and transport duties before being transferred to Maintenance Command in late 1945 for storage and maintenance purposes until its final closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Broadwell as an operational airport. The land has been extensively redeveloped for industrial, commercial, and renewable energy purposes, which would make a return to aviation functionally impossible and economically unfeasible. The ICAO code 'GB-0139' is an unofficial identifier used by aviation enthusiasts and in flight simulation software for historical reference; it does not denote any official or potential operational status.