Type

Monument

Title / Name

New Zealand Farm

Summary

A World War II airfield.

AIRFIELD, Second World War (1939 to 1945)

Source Detail: Priddle, R., 2003

Title: Wings Over Wiltshire: An Aeronautical History of Wiltshire

Summary: Publication Source ID: SWI22354

Description: New Zealand Farm was established as a Relief Landing Ground from 09/10/1940, mainly for night flying training. The farmhouse was demolished to make way for the Nissen hutted camp. The hutted camp was encircled by trees except for the main entrance on the north side and at the south exit for the landing ground. One Over Blister hangar and two Standard Blister hangars were in use. Two grass runways were in use, one East/West and the other North/South. There was a small timber watch tower; and around the perimeter of the site, tank traps and Pill boxes were constructed. From 1942 additional buildings were added and a Beam Approach system was installed. The control tower was removed in the early 1980s. Improvements were made to the camp after the war when semi-submerged observation galleries were built.

Source Detail: Priddle, R., 2003

Title: Wings Over Wiltshire: An Aeronautical History of Wiltshire

Summary: Publication Source ID: SWI22354

Description: Zealand Farm Relief Landing Ground, ST 974 508. Originally the airfield was situated at Lavington Hill but was resited to New Zealand Farm because of difficult air pockets associated with the hill. It was opened in 1940. The airfield camp comprising Nissen huts is ringed by trees and is still extant. The landing areas were two grass strips with blister aircraft hangars for aircraft. During the war it was mainly used for flying training purposes by Central Flying School units based at Upavon. After the war the Airfield became an outstation of the Boscombe Down Aeroplane and Experimental Establishment , until about 1960. After this it was transferred to the Army Air Corps. It is still used by the Army, for example as a drop zone for parachute training and by military aircraft using the nearby Imber ranges.

Source Detail: Berryman, D., 2002

Title: Wiltshire Airfields in the Second World War

Summary: No summary information. Source ID: SWI26229

Additional Information: Countryside Books

Description: The original name of the airfield was Lavington Relief Landing Ground, it was soon changed to New Zealand Farm.