Beaulieu Airfield (Hampshire) USAAF Station AAF 408 365th Group 'Thunderbolts' D-Day 1944

Royal Air Force Beaulieu is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire. It was also known as USAAF Station AAF 408 and this footage shows American fighter-bomber squadrons preparing, re-arming, taking off and landing again from the airfield located next to the village of East Boldre, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the village of Beaulieu and 5 miles (8.0 km) east-northeast of Lymington. (PLEASE NOTE; Beaulieu Airfield pundit code was 'BL' not BU as stated at the beginning of the video. This was laid in concrete to help aircraft check their location rather like an address postcode. This is visible in front of the Control Tower area). During the First World War there was a Royal Flying Corps training airfield, RFC Beaulieu, at East Boldre that was closed in 1919; the new RAF Beaulieu was built on the opposite side of the road. Opened on Saturday 8 August 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and then later United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used as a bomber and fighter airfield. After the war, it was used for experimental work before it was closed in 1959. Today the remains of the airfield are on heathland managed by the Forestry Commission. Areas of the old airfield are now designated as a flying area for model aircraft.