RAF Watchfield

The closure as an active airfield was a direct result of the post-World War II military drawdown and a fundamental shift in military strategy. The large-scale use of combat gliders, for which Watchfield was a primary training base, became obsolete with the advent of larger transport aircraft and the development of helicopter assault tactics. The specific need for a Heavy Glider Conversion Unit was eliminated, leading to the base's conversion for other military purposes.

The site is now an integral part of the extensive Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, which has its main campus at the adjacent Shrivenham site. The former airfield is known as the 'Watchfield Training Area'. The original concrete runways and perimeter tracks are still clearly visible from the air and are now used as internal roads and for driver training for military vehicles. The area is also home to the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search School (DEMSS). The site is an active and secure Ministry of Defence (MoD) establishment and is not accessible to the public.

RAF Watchfield was a significant airfield during the latter stages of World War II. Opened in January 1944, its primary and most crucial role was as the home of No. 3 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit (HGCU). Here, pilots were trained to fly large assault gliders, specifically the Airspeed Horsa and the General Aircraft Hamilcar. These gliders were essential for landing troops, vehicles (like jeeps and light tanks), and equipment behind enemy lines. Crews trained at Watchfield participated in major Allied airborne operations, including Operation Market Garden (Arnhem) in September 1944 and Operation Varsity (the Rhine Crossing) in March 1945. The airfield was also used by No. 1 Parachute Training School. After the war, it became the depot for the Glider Pilot Regiment until the regiment was relocated in 1950, marking the end of flying operations.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening RAF Watchfield as an airport. The land is a critical, active, and high-security military training area for the UK's armed forces. Its current strategic importance to the Ministry of Defence and its integration into the Defence Academy at Shrivenham preclude any possibility of it ever returning to aviation use.