67th EVAC HOSP USAFBI 29 Nov 43 ETO 19 Jun 44 France 24 Sep 44 Luxembourg 31 Oct 44 Belgium 14 Feb 45 Germany 13 May 45 Czechoslovakia 16 Aug 45 Germany 30 Nov 45 France (responsible for feeding of non-patient RAMPS, awaiting air evacuation at Weimar airstrip) (returned to ZI where inactivated at Cp. Hospital construction in Britain was lagging behind in 1943, andUS implementation of the required bed capacity (about 90,600 fixed beds) proved impossible to meet. 226th GEN HOSP ETO 5 Mar 45 France Their numbers were swelled by thousands of German POWs returning from abroad. 541 Squadrons following in September 1946. Our Trustees | About Us | RAF Benevolent Fund 60th MED BN ETO 6 Jun 44 France (component of 6th ESB) 38 ETO Oct 44 Belgium 347th STA HOSP ETO 17 Jun 44 England 15th STA HOSP ETO England M-411 MED DEP ETO 29 Nov 44 Belgium (satellite facility of M-409 Medical Depot, located at Lige) The bases primary unit is the 52nd Fighter Wing, which specializes in the suppression of enemy air defenses. After the attack against Pearl Harbor, the War Department activated the Headquarters, United States Army Forces in the British Isles (USAFBI), the date was January 8, 1942, Chief Surgeon was Col. Paul R. Hawley. HOSP TRAIN No. Most of the factory's workforce initially consisted of displaced personsfrom across Europe, but more Germans were employed as time went on. 152d GEN HOSP USAFBI 43 Directives were issued June 18, 1942 compiling policies and procedures governing H & E, but were only finalized in November of the same year. The SWO is responsible for discipline and is therefore comparable to the regimental sergeant major in a British Army unit. 190th GEN HOSP ETO Sep 44 England Oct 44 France (in fact never really functioned, all personnel went on DS to other medical facilities, such as the 203d Gen Hosp in Garches (Paris) (some sources state that the unit was disbanded 15 Mar 45) [33], During 2016, the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron moved from RAF Odiham to Benson. The latter was co-founded in Hanover by Major John Chaloner who was assigned to the Public Relations and Information Services Control, a unit rebuilding the German media industry underthe supervision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 590th MTR AMB CO ETO May 44 England 15 Jul 44 France (component of 33d MED BN), 618th MED CLR CO ETO 19 Jun 44 France 16 Dec 44 Belgium Apr 45 Germany (component of 134th MED GP) 109th GEN HOSP ETO England In the British zone, the ArmyassistedUNRRA byproviding transportation, supplies and security. BrowseAIR 21 for courts martial records from 1918 to 1965. 78 Squadron, reformed in late 2007 to operate six Merlin HC3As which had been purchased from the Royal Danish Air Force. This page is not available in other languages. 58 Squadron. Today we said a socially-distanced thank you and goodbye to our incredible Station Warrant Officer. 83 ETO Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace, 3d STA HOSP USAFBI 30 Jun 42 44 France 28 Apr 45 Belgium(activated 18 Mar 42) 51st EVAC HOSP 27 Aug 44 Southern France 27 Mar 45 Germany Oct-Nov 45 France(inactivated in ZI Jan 46) The Soviets followed suit in October 1949 with the establishment of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). 267 Squadron, both operating from Benson until the early 1970s. 180th GEN HOSP ETO Aug 44 France 9 May 45 Germany (inactivated in France 31 Jan 46) 193d GEN HOSP ETO Jul 44 France Thatsame month, West Germany joined Nato. 503d MED BN USANIF Mar 42, 426th MTR AMB CO ETO Aug 44 France Planned, directed and controlled numerous major events on and off base ceremonial parades. 45th STA HOSP ETO Germany (ex-45th EVAC HOSP 1 May 45) 634th MED CLR CO ETO 6 Jun 44 France (component of 60th MED BN, 6th ESB) 64th FLD HOSP ETO 18 Nov 44 England France Germany (to SWPA 16 Aug 45, diverted at sea to ZI 25 Aug 45) RAF Honington bids farewell to Station Warrant Officer Mac MacDonald Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Mr Marshman is leaving after two and a half years, and moving on to take up a Para STANEVAL position at @RAFBrizeNorton. Records of RAF airmen who served after 1939, and of men whose service numbers were above 562875 are still with the RAF. 126th EVAC HOSP ETO 1 May 45 Germany (responsible for PW, DPs and RAMPS servicing) RAF Benson opened in 1939 and during the Second World War it was tasked with training aircrews on the Fairey Battle light bomber and Avro Anson training aircraft. For more information about the RAF, you may wish to: Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on Royal Air Force personnel and the associated records. 522d MTR AMB CO ETO Aug 44 France 70th MED BASE DEP CO ETO 20 Nov 44 France 81st GEN HOSP ETO England 1 Jul 45 France 279th STA HOSP ETO 12 Jan 44 England 1 Jan 45 Wales 26 May 45 France 18 Sep 45 Germany American Forces Network Europe. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Rob V. is the founder of OperationMilitaryKids.org. 95th GEN HOSP ETO Mar 44 England Aug 44 France late 44 Belgium (part of the 819th HOSP CEN 18-28 Oct 44, went into strategic reserve Jun 45 in France) 65th MED GP ETO 44 Luxembourg 44 Belgium Mar 45 Germany 200th GEN HOSP ETO 10 Feb 45 France Sports [47], No. 62d GEN HOSP USAFBI 8 Mar 44 3 Sep 44 France (ceased operations Jul 45) 1, became the 826th CONV CEN 1 Dec 44) By May 1945, when the peak in Hospital beds overseas was reached, there were 335,000 fixed beds and about 87,000 mobile beds in all Theaters. 118th EVAC HOSP ETO Apr 45 Germany (responsible for PWs,DPs and RAMPS servicing) 232d STA HOSP ETO 24 Mar 44 England (activated 25 Feb 43 ZI) (inactivated Jan 46 ZI) Consideration was given to closing at least one JHC airfield, with Benson's support helicopters potentially relocating to RAF Lyneham. 617 Squadron in May 1943. 26th GEN HOSP USAFBI 20 Oct 42 (inactivated 15 Sep 45) (activated 1 Feb 42, inactivated 15 Sep 45) 78th FLD HOSP- ETO England Italy France Germany Soldiers of all ranks resisted the ban on fraternisation. 160th GEN HOSP ETO Feb 44 England Itwas also encouraged to build a new military, the Bundeswehr, which took its place alongside the BAOR as anally in the burgeoning Cold War. No. Indeed, with around 800,000 Commonwealth soldiers in Germany by the end of 1945, finding barracks and camps for them all in a ruined country was major headache. 169th GEN HOSP ETO Jul 44 England 66th MED GP ETO Sep 44 France Mar 45 Germany 5 7 Mar 44 England 23 Apr 44 Scotland 606 (Chiltern) Squadron (Royal Auxiliary Air Force), "8 Things You Need to Know About The Battle of Britain", Coastal Command Group Dispositions - July 1945, "BBC - WW2 People's War - Corporal Lena of RAF Benson 423254", "Cambridge and London Universities: Air Squadrons Written Answers (Lords)", "Lodger Units Support Helicopter Force Headquarters", "Helicopter Searches House of Commons Hansard Written Answers", "RAF Hand Over Merlins to the Royal Navy", "CHF family reunited as Merlins complete their move from Oxfordshire to Yeovilton", "Six Chinooks and 160 staff transfer to RAF Benson", "DIO starts work on Northolt runway resurfacing -", "Defence Estates Development Plan 2009 Annex A", "MoD To Invest 90 Million In RAF Training Centre", "90m announced for 'immersive' South Oxfordshire helicopter simulators", "Serco awarded extension to helicopter pilot training contract at RAF Benson", "Royal Air Force forms combined Puma and Chinook unit", "History of Oxford University Air Squadron", "Two K8 Telephone Kiosks at RAF Benson (1393996)", UK Military Aeronautical Information Publication Benson (EGUB), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RAF_Benson&oldid=1150186220, Support Helicopter Standards Evaluation Wing, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 19:36. 12 21 May 44 England ETO Normandy Northern France Rhineland 122d EVAC HOSP ETO Simply enter your email address below to start receiving our monthly email newsletter. SS guards forced to bury their victims at Belsen, 24 April 1945, Heinrich Himmler's body after his suicide atLneburg, May 1945. Search for a Royal Air Force airmans service records (AIR 79) on findmypast (). 108th GEN HOSP USAFBI 17 Oct 43 29 Jul 44 France (FIRST Hospital to enter Paris on 29 Aug 44, and to open in the French Capital on 2 Sep 44, designated to study the Trenchfoot problem on behalf of US Army, treated a lot of German PW patients at theBeaujon Hospital) Overall Mission: Ramstein Air Base is the headquarters for USAF operations in Europe and Africa. 28 Squadron. On 7 May 1945, after months of fierce fighting, the Germans agreed to Allied demands for unconditional surrender, finally ending six years of warfare that had left millions dead and much of Europe in ruins. The British Army also helped found 'Der Spiegel' magazine. [49], The National Police Air Service (NPAS) operate an Airbus H135 helicopter from Benson. By late 1947, over 50,0000 Germans were employed as labourers, drivers, mechanics and in many other roles. 47th FLD HOSP ETO 1 Sep 44 France 7 Sep 44 Belgium 1 Oct 44 Holland 27 Oct 44 Belgium 20 Mar 45 Germany 16 Jul 45 Austria 12 Sep 45 Germany 8 13 Mar 44 England British troops visiting the Soviet Displaced Person's camp at Elmshorn, 1945. 4th CONV HOSP 16 Oct 43 USAFBI ETO 28 Jun 44 France 2 Oct 44 Holland 26 Oct 44 Belgium 22 Mar 45 Germany This aircraft replaced a genuine Spitfire PR.Mk XIX that was being restored to flying status. M-452 MED DEP ETO 44 Southern France (most completely mechanized and organized Medical Depot in the ETO, located in Marseille), 1st MED DEP CO USAFBI Jul 43 England ETO 6 Jun 44 France Nov 44 Belgium Mar 45 Germany 7th GEN HOSP USAFBI 5 Dec 43 England (activated 10 Jun 43) RAF Honington said a very sad farewell to its Station Warrant Officer (SWO) on Tuesday. 228th STA HOSP ETO Jun 44 England France (ex-72d GEN HOSP inactivated and reorganized) 123d GEN HOSP ETO 3 Aug 44 England In1949,Marshall Aid was extended tothe newly formed West Germany. On 7May 1945, after months of fierce fighting, the Germans agreedto Allied demands for unconditional surrender, finally ending six years of warfare that had left millions dead and much of Europe in ruins. 8048th GEN HOSP ETO 19 May 45 France (Provisional German PW Hospital) Six Hospital Center Headquarters were activated in the Southwest Pacific, such as the 26th 27th 28th 821st HC). Effective evacuation to the Zone of Interior reduced this number to 138,486 by June 30, 1945. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Churchill,Truman and Stalin at Potsdam, July 1945. 7th FLD HOSP ETO 19 Sep 43 England ETO 10 Jul 44 France 25 Feb 45 Belgium 17 Mar 45 Germany 8 Sep 45 France (activated 10 Sep 43)(opened 2 separate Hospitals in the UK, on 9 Nov 43 and 22 Dec 43) (later operated as 3 independent Hospitalization Units in France and Germany) (inactivated 15 Nov 45 Germany) 12th HOSP CEN Great Malvern (established Mar 44) comprised 52d Gen Hosp 53d Gen Hosp 55th Gen Hosp 81st Gen Hosp 93d Gen Hosp 96th Gen Hosp 107th Gen Hosp 114th Gen Hosp 122d Gen Hosp 123d Gen Hosp 135th Gen Hosp 155th Gen Hosp 156th Gen Hosp 297th Gen Hosp 77th Sta Hosp 123d Sta Hosp 232d Sta Hosp 279th Sta Hosp 307th Sta Hosp (previously V Hospital Group, Provisional) HOSP TRAIN No. HOSP TRAIN No. 68th MED GP ETO 10 Jun 44 France Sep 44 Belgium Apr 45 Germany Additional Hospital Centers were later set up on the Continent, under jurisdiction of ComZ. The American medical build-up gathered momentum in summer andfall of 1942 with the steady increase of US troops in the European Theater . 348th STA HOSP ETO 3 Feb 45 England 45 France 28 Jul 45 Germany VII Hospital Group (Prov) Newmarket, Cambs., UK. 38 Group (part of RAF Support Command which relocated from RAF Odiham) and the Tactical Communications Wing (TCW), both of which arrived in 1972. Following their victory, the Allies feared that Nazi fanatics might wage a partisan war against the occupation, and gather in the mountains of Bavaria and Austria, in the so-called 'Alpine Redoubt'. 198th GEN HOSP ETO 12 Feb 45 France The very first were set up in March 1944 in the Western, Eastern, and Southern Base Sections. [52], Since 2012, Benson's gate guardian has been a full-scale replica of a wartime Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mk XI. Some planners arguedthat Germany should be reconstructed purely as anagrarian state, one that lacked the heavy industry needed to wage afuture war. Many goods were supplied to illegal traders by Allied servicemen. [17] The Support Command Flight Checking Unit disbanded in early 1987, with its role transferred to No. In mid-February 1945, to achieve greater efficiency, the Seine Section streamlined and decentralized Hospital Train loading and unloading procedures to the Gare de lEst (Paris) and used the Gare St.- Lazare (Paris) only for loading outgoing trains bound for the Cherbourg area. 62d FLD HOSP ETO 44 England Germany 428th MED BN ETO 28 Jun 44 France The same month, i.e. 7451st GEN HOSP ETO 1 Jun 45 England (Provisional German PW Hospital) Facilities | RAF Benson | Royal Air Force 131st EVAC HOSP ETO Jan 44 England Jul 44 France Apr 45 Germany 9 May 45 Austria 25 Jun 45 France (set up at KZ-Mauthausen, for treating & servicing DPs, worked alongside the 130th EVAC HOSP and provided medical support at KZ-Gusen I (subcamp Mauthausen) later replaced by the 59th FLD HOSP and the 616th MED CLR CO, which started operating 15 Jun 45, returned to France 23 Jun 45, in fact already inactivated 16 Jun 45) They also feared the possibility of civil unrest developing, with an accompanying upsurge inCommunist influence, if Germans' living standards did not improve. 101st EVAC HOSP ETO 12 Jul 44 France 31 Dec 44 Belgium 7 Feb 45 Luxembourg 13 Mar 45 Germany 304th STA HOSP USAFBI 15 Sep 43 19 Oct 43 England 3 Jun 45 France 3 Aug 45 Germany SURGICAL HOSPITAL 400 beds > 385 Off & EM. 39th FLD HOSP ETO 11 Mar 44 England 22 Jun 44 France 30 Sep 44 Belgium 11 Mar 45 Holland 30 Mar 45 Belgium 24 Apr 45 Germany 18 Jun 45 France (first assignment to Ninth US Air Force/IX Army Air Force Service Command (AAF Sta519),as a USAAF Hospital, each of the 3 Platoons operated as separate Air Force Clearing Stations) [34], BAe 146 aircraft of No. Warrant Officer Martland was given an insight into the current operational and training commitments and met with airmen and women from across the Station. US Military Observers were sent to Great Britain to keep abreast of British wartime technical developments and to study the overall British war effort (the United States was not yet at war).