RAF Upottery

Post-WWII military drawdown. RAF Upottery was a temporary wartime airfield constructed specifically for the needs of the Allied invasion of Europe. With the end of the war, the vast number of airfields built across the UK became redundant, and Upottery was surplus to requirements.

The site is now known as Smeatharpe and is used for a variety of purposes. A significant portion of the former airfield is occupied by Smeatharpe Stadium, a popular venue for stock car and banger racing. Another part of the site is home to the Mansell Raceway, a professional karting circuit. The Devon and Somerset Gliding Club also operates from the old runways. Much of the remaining land has been returned to agricultural use, but the layout of the three main runways is still clearly visible from the air. Some original Nissen huts and airfield buildings remain, with some being used by the gliding club. A memorial stone stands at the side of the road near the airfield entrance, dedicated to the American forces who served there.

RAF Upottery, also known as Smeatharpe, holds immense historical significance as a key base for the D-Day landings. Designated as USAAF Station 462, it was home to the 439th Troop Carrier Group of the Ninth Air Force. Its primary role was to transport paratroopers into Normandy. On the night of June 5-6, 1944, C-47 Skytrain aircraft departed from Upottery carrying paratroopers from the U.S. 101st Airborne Division. This included elements of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, famously depicted in the book and TV series 'Band of Brothers', making it one of the primary departure points for that unit's D-Day mission. The airfield was also used for subsequent major airborne operations, including Operation Market Garden (the invasion of Holland) and resupply missions during the Battle of the Bulge. After the USAAF departed in 1945, it was briefly used by RAF Coastal Command and Maintenance Command before its final closure.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening RAF Upottery as a commercial or full-scale military airport. The site has been extensively and successfully redeveloped for motorsports, gliding, and agriculture for many decades. The cost of acquiring the land and restoring the infrastructure to modern aviation standards would be prohibitive, and there is no strategic or economic need for another airport in this specific location.