RAF Down Ampney

The closure was a direct result of the large-scale demobilization of military forces following the end of World War II. With the drastically reduced need for a large number of airbases, many temporary wartime airfields like Down Ampney were deemed surplus to requirements by the Air Ministry and were returned to their previous owners or sold for agricultural use.

The site of the former airfield has largely been returned to agricultural land, with fields of crops covering the former runways. However, remnants of its past are still visible. Portions of the main runways and perimeter tracks exist as broken concrete paths and farm tracks. Some original buildings, including two T2-type hangars and various Nissen huts, survive and have been repurposed for agricultural storage or light industrial use. A memorial to the men who flew from the base stands in the village of Down Ampney, and the village church, All Saints', features a stained-glass memorial window dedicated to the fallen airmen of Nos. 48 and 271 Squadrons.

RAF Down Ampney was a critically important transport airfield for the Royal Air Force during World War II. Opened in February 1944, it was home to No. 48 and No. 271 Squadrons of RAF Transport Command, flying Douglas Dakota aircraft. The station's primary historical significance lies in its crucial role in three major Allied airborne operations:
1. **D-Day (Operation Overlord):** On the night of June 5-6, 1944, aircraft from Down Ampney dropped paratroopers of the 3rd Parachute Brigade and towed Horsa gliders carrying elements of the 6th Airborne Division into Normandy as part of the initial invasion.
2. **Operation Market Garden (Arnhem):** The airfield is most famously and tragically associated with the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. Crews from Down Ampney flew perilous, low-level missions to drop supplies and reinforcements to the besieged British 1st Airborne Division, suffering exceptionally heavy casualties from intense anti-aircraft fire. It was for his extreme courage during one of these missions that Flight Lieutenant David Lord of No. 271 Squadron was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry.
3. **Operation Varsity:** The station also participated in the successful Rhine Crossing in March 1945, the final major airborne operation in the European theatre.
After the war, it was briefly used for trooping flights to Europe and the Middle East before its closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Down Ampney as an airport. The site is now privately owned agricultural and industrial land, and the original aviation infrastructure is far too degraded to be restored for modern aviation use. Its legacy is preserved as a historical site through memorials rather than any operational capacity.