RAF Ibsley

Royal Air Force Station Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about 2 miles (3 km) north of Ringwood and about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of London.

Opened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. In the Second World War it was used primarily as a fighter airfield. After the war it was closed in 1947.

Today the remains of the airfield are mostly quarry lakes, with an abandoned control tower overlooking the water.

History

United States Army Air Forces use

Ibsley was known as USAAF Station AAF-347 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "IB".

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Ibsley were:

Ibsley

Coordinates: 50°53′01″N 1°47′23″W / 50.8835°N 01.7896°W / 50.8835; -01.7896

Ibsley is a village in Hampshire, England. It is about 2.5 miles (4 km) north of the town of Ringwood.

Overview

The village of Ibsley lies to the east of the River Avon on the main road between Ringwood and Fordingbridge, and has some picturesque thatched cottages. To the southeast is a series of lakes known collectively as Blashford Lakes, which have been created as the result of sand and gravel extraction since the 1950s.

Ibsley was a civil parish until 1974, when the parish was amalgamated with the parishes of Ellingham and Harbridge. The hamlets of South Gorley, Furze Hill, and Mockbeggar were all part of Ibsley parish.

History

Ibsley is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was held by a certain Ralph from Hugh de Port. The name of the settlement at that time was Tibeslei and it means "Tibb(i)'s wood/clearing". In the 14th century Ibsley was split into two moieties divided between John atte Bere and William de Melbury.