About Upper Heyford Heritage Centre

RAF Upper Heyford first opened in 1918 as an advanced training station for the expanding Royal Air Force. The end of the Great War (1914-1919) led to closure and by 1920 the site had returned to agriculture.

A Defence Review in 1923 resulted in a decision by the RAF to return to Upper Heyford and create the first of the Wessex Bombing Area airfields to house a strategic bomber force. The new RAF Station opened in 1927. 

When the Second World War broke out in 1939 bomber squadrons based at RAF Upper Heyford flew to France and were replaced by bomber aircrew training units. During 1942 operations were flown from Upper Heyford to support RAF Bomber Command’s 1,000 Bomber raids on Germany and Occupied Europe.

In 1946 1 Parachute Training School moved in and was expanded to include glider pilot training from 1947.

RAF Upper Heyford was one of four stations chosen for use by the US Air Force’s Strategic Air Command’s nuclear bombers. Work to upgrade the airbase began in 1950 and control of the airbase passed to USAF in 1951.

USAF nuclear bombers were kept on Alert until 1965 when the primary nuclear deterrent passed to missiles and an Airborne Alert in the USA.

In 1966 France left NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and closed all USAF French bases. The 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing arrived at Upper Heyford from Laon leading to an expansion of the airbase to accommodate a larger number of USAF service personnel and their families.  

In 1970 the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing arrived and began to convert to F-111E low level strike aircraft. The primary mission was now Victor Alert, maintaining aircraft ready to launch a nuclear strike within 15 minutes. 

The fall of Soviet Russia brought about the end of the Cold War and the airbase closed in 1994.

The airbase is now being redeveloped as the thriving new community of Heyford Park.