There was a glider base between the villages of Harwell and Chilton during World War II. It was used in the D-Day landings in Normandy, and in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands.
The glider field was on the large nearly flat field between Harwell and Chilton. See Harwell Field on this map — the large area surrounded by roads, with the two paths (dashed and crossed green lines on this Ordnance Survey map) crossing near its center. The main roughly level area of the field is about 1.5 by 1 kilometers.
Harwell is just south-west of Didcot, south of Abingdon, which is south of Oxford. Buses run from Oxford to Harwell every 30-60 minutes. They're local buses, taking about 45 minutes in each direction. Buses number 32 and 33 connect from Oxford, a £6 pass lets you ride the area buses all day.
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South-west of the field are areas labeled as "Harwell International Business Centre" and "Rutherford Appleton Laboratory". Also see the marked ambulance and fire station. |
The ambulance and fire station and some of the older buildings now in the business centre date from the World War II air base. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority built a large research facility, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. It seems that the International Business Centre is a recent development, connecting the UKAEA with industry.
An abandoned concrete structure near the north end of Harwell Field.
Looking south from the north end of Harwell Field.
Looking south from part way from the north end to the path crossing at the center of Harwell Field.
Looking back north from part way from the north end to the path crossing at the center of Harwell Field. That's the Didcot power station in the distance.
Looking back north from the south end of Harwell Field. The clump of trees in the distance is at the path crossing near the center of Harwell Field.
The Rose & Crown pub in Chilton.
A sign at the edge of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
A commemorative marker near the public phone call box shown on the map near the south end of Harwell Field. This is looking toward the large and exotic looking Rutherford Appleton Laboratory building. If you're using GPS, it's around SU 483 863.
"This stone marks the end of the runway from which aircraft of No. 38 Group, Royal Air Force, took off on the night of 5th June 1944 with troops of the 6th Airborne Division who were the first British soldiers to land in Normandy in the main assault for the liberation of Europe."
The old runway surface, running south-west off the south end of Harwell Field toward the present laboratory building.
Looking back across Harwell Field from near that marker.
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