Dates: 1943 -

RAF Welford is a UK Royal Air Force station which is presently utilized by the United States Air Force. It is one of the largest ammunition compounds for the United States Air Force in Western Europe for heavy munitions.

Welford is now under the command of the 420 Munitions Squadron, and comes under the command of the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, which provides support to the Geographically Separated Units (GSU)s in the United Kingdom.

Its location on the Berkshire / Wiltshire border can be identified today by an access road enigmatically signposted "Works Unit Only", leading to the station from the eastbound M4 motorway to the west of the A34 junction with the M4. There is no access from the westbound motorway, so traffic leaving the station for the west must first travel east to the A34 junction before heading west. It is usually at its busiest when the US government deploys bombers to a forward air station at RAF Fairford.

Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving RAF Welford

" A MoD review has concluded that armed guards are not needed at RAF Welford in Berkshire, despite the base being one of the largest munitions stores in Europe. The base’s contents are so sensitive that it falls under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (2005), a law that was created to ..."

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