Upottery (Smeatharpe)

19th September 2004

Upottery Airfield in June 1944, just before D-Day	Airfield Map	PB4Y-1 85 'E' VPB-112 as seen from the main entrance to the airfield
	Glider troops waiting	A total of 81 C-47's line up for a rehearsal of Operation Neptune in May 1944
Lead aircraft loading up for D-Day		C-47 flying on 6th June 1944

One of a clutch of three former World War II airfields that can be found in the Blackdown Hills, a natural plateau on the Devon/Somerset border. Although Upottery Airfield is situated close to the Devon village that bears it's name, it is in fact much closer to the village of Smeatharpe and although those stationed at the airfield were encouraged to refer to it by it's official designation number, it was better known during war time as Smeatharpe. The airfield was commissioned and built relatively late during the war, being completed in February 1944. There were a total of seven domestic sites at Upottery, some of which remain relatively intact today. Upottery had always been destined for American use and in it's rather short history had a variety of different occupants, including most notably, the 107th and 112th US Navy Bomber Patrol squadrons flying PB4-Y's. Following the war, the RAF briefly regained control of the airfield and it was used as a storage depot by Maintenance Command until it's closure in 1948. Today the airfield has reverted back to agricultural use, although part of the airfield is now a motor racing circuit known as Smeatharpe Stadium. In addition, one of the surviving runways is sometimes used for motorcycle sprint racing and there is also occasional microlight aircraft activity.