RAF Greenham Common
Former Royal Air Force flying base in Berkshire, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Royal Air Force Greenham Common or more simply RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the English county of Berkshire.[1] The airfield was southeast of Newbury, about 55 miles (89 km) west of London.
RAF Greenham Common | |||||||||||||
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Near Newbury, Berkshire in England | |||||||||||||
Coordinates | 51°22′43″N 001°16′56″W | ||||||||||||
Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||||
Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force US Army Air Forces (1943–1945) US Air Force (1951–1992) | ||||||||||||
Condition | Closed | ||||||||||||
Site history | |||||||||||||
Built | 1943 (1943) | ||||||||||||
In use | 1943–1993 | ||||||||||||
Fate |
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Events | Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp (1981–2000) | ||||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||||
Identifiers | ICAO: EGVI, WMO: 037435 | ||||||||||||
Elevation | 121 metres (397 ft) AMSL | ||||||||||||
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Opened in 1942, it was used by the United States Air Force during the Second World War and during the Cold War, and later as a base for nuclear weapons. After the Cold War ended, it was closed in September 1992. The airfield was also known for the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp held outside its gates in the 1980s in protest against the stationing of cruise missiles on the base. In 1997 Greenham Common was designated as public parkland.