Raf Zeals

RAF Zeals was a wartime Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire. The station was sited to the north of the village of Zeals, next to the village of Stourton and the Stourhead estate. The station was only in operation from 1942 to 1946. In that time it was successively occupied by the Royal Air Force, the United States Army Air Force and the Royal Navy. From opening until August 1943 the site was used by the RAF as an airfield for Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters. In August 1943 it was transferred to the United States Army Air Force with the intention of using the airfield for maintenance of C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft. However, the damp conditions prevented the operation of heavy aircraft so P-47 Thunderbolt fighters were flown from Zeals instead. From March 1944, it returned to the RAF who used it as a fighter airfield for de Havilland Mosquito fighters against German bombers. Following D-Day, the RAF used the airfield for military glider training in preparation for action against Japan. In April 1945 the station was taken over by the Royal Navy (as HMS Hummingbird or RNAS Zeals) who used the airfield for aircraft carrier training.

RAF Zeals was a wartime Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire. The station was sited to the north of the village of Zeals, next to the village of Stourton and the Stourhead estate. The station was only in operation from 1942 to 1946. In that time it was successively occupied by the Royal Air Force, the United States Army Air Force and the Royal Navy. From opening until August 1943 the site was used by the RAF as an airfield for Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters. In August 1943 it was transferred to the United States Army Air Force with the intention of using the airfield for maintenance of C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft. However, the damp conditions prevented the operation of heavy aircraft so P-47 Thunderbolt fighters were flown from Zeals instead. From March 1944, it returned to the RAF who used it as a fighter airfield for de Havilland Mosquito fighters against German bombers. Following D-Day, the RAF used the airfield for military glider training in preparation for action against Japan. In April 1945 the station was taken over by the Royal Navy (as HMS Hummingbird or RNAS Zeals) who used the airfield for aircraft carrier training.