Lymington ALG

An Advanced Landing Ground, there were many airfields built in Britain during WW2 and most had a complete infrastructure and runways. With ALG's these were built as an airfield that can be erected quickly and also removed very quickly and placed back into food production. With D-Day looming, more space and runways were needed in the south of England. They came up with ALG's. Temporary runways of Sommerfeld Tracking (a wire mesh strengthened with steel rods and pinned to the turf with steel spikes like tent pegs). Pierced Steel planking was also used for aircraft hard standings and marshaling areas. Very few huts were built and most lived in tents or the odd requisitioned house/farm. Aircraft servicing was done in one of the three Blister hangars and one large Butler Combat Hangar. Fuel was stored in underground tanks and ammunition/bombs were stored in open compounds. The reason for a lot of this lac of infrastructure was to come into its own when D-Day arrived and ALG's were built all across the French countryside as the Allies advanced into Germany. Some airmen never slept under a solid roof for over six months.

Air Ministry Plan 2963/43 & 8297/43.

In 1944 this Advanced Landing Ground was the base for eighty P47D Thunderbolts Fighter-Bombers of the 50th Fighter Group of the Ninth Tactical Air Force. The airfield was constructed in 1943 on Farmland between Newtown, Pyewell and Lymington by a flight of 5004 Airfield Construction Squadron RAF using Sommerfeld Tracking laid on the fields they had leveled. Early in 1944 the tracking on the east-west runway was replaced by Pierced Steel Planking. Five Blister hangars and one Butler Combat Hangar were constructed, but the living sites were hidden in nearby woods and had only tented accommodation. The airfield was not used until 5th April 1944 when the 10th, 81st & 313rd Squadron of the 50th Fighter group arrived from America to receive their Thunderbolts. After intensive preparations and training flights they flew their first mission over France on the 1st May 1944 and for the next five weeks flew fighter sweeps, escort missions and dive bomber attacks in preparation for the D-Day landings. On D-Day, 6th June, the Group provided top cover over the landing beaches. After the 6th June they staged many attacks in support of the allied invasion troops. The three squadrons of the 50th Fighter Group moved from Lymington to an airfield in Normandy from the 24th June 1944. After the war this site was used as an Admiralty Storage Area until 1946, when it was returned to farming.

P-47 42-25744 of the 81st Fighter Squadron, 50th Fighter Group, known as 'The Galveston Gal'.

P-47 'Galveston Gal'. One of its pilots was Rex David.

Sadly crashed Two propellers of P-47D-10-RE (no.42-75116) at the site it crashed, near Lymington, on the 19th of April 1944. The pilot 2nd Lt. Edwin R. Johnston had been in collision with the aircraft of Capt. William R. Fleming and both crashed, Fleming was killed. I believe six planes crashed from Lymington whilst it was in use.

The air photo was taken by a Lightening of the 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.

North/South Runway North Blister Hangar and aircraft dispersed around the north/south runway. About 15 aircraft seen here, there were 80 here before they left for France.

The service track with the perimeter track to the left and beyond that the runway.

Blister Hangar A very simple method of creating hangar space, cheaply and efficiently. First flatten the ground area and roller it hard. Build a framework of welded steel and hold it to the ground with steel spikes. Then clad it with corrugated iron sheets.

Runway

North/ South runway South The East/West runway had to have its Sommerfeld Tracking replaced by PSP due to the heavy weight of the Thunderbolt on take of & landing. The all up weight of a P-47 Thunderbolt was 14,500lbs. Around 7tons.

Runway looking South

East/West Runway East This was more the business end, with Pyewell House used and in the north side two Blister Hangars and the aviation fuel instillation. Large buried petrol tanks and a small pump house that survives.

East/West runway looking south across it.

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43 To the right corner you can see the Petrol Installation building.

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43 About 305USGal of fuel would be carried plus more if they were carrying drop tanks.

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43 I think the square holes were for the pipe inlets.

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43 Blast wall covering the entrance door. Fuel would be delivered by POOL tankers form Fawley, Hants. and then taken out to awaiting airplanes by USAAF tankers.

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43 Steel door still in place.

10 - Petrol Installation Aviation 1839/43 Pump room.

A-10 Carentan The Group finally left Lymington in the middle of June 1944 for the newly constructed strip A-10 at Carentan in France. A-10 , the airfield consisted of a single 5000' (1500m) Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing aligned 08/26. Constructed by the 826th Engineer Aviation Battalion. There were around 3,000 air and ground crew working here at its height. On the 25th of July the 50th Fighter Group made more than 280 take offs/landings.

Pyewell House