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((Short description|Former Royal Air Force station in Dorset, England))
((Use dmy dates|date=October 2017))
((Use British English|date=October 2017))
((More citations needed|date=February 2016))
((Infobox military installation
| name = RAF Tarrant Rushton
| ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
| ensign_size = 90px
| native_name = 
| partof = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location = [[Blandford Forum]], [[Dorset]]
| nearest_town = <!-- used in military test site infobox -->
| country = England
| image = [[File:RAF Tarrant Rushton - Airphoto.jpg|250px]]
| alt = 
| caption = 1944 Oblique air photo of RAF Tarrant Rushton, looking Northeast to Southwest
| image2 = <!--secondary image, major command emblems for airfields -->
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = 
| type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force station]]
| coordinates = ((coord|50|51|00|N|002|04|30|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title))
| pushpin_map = Dorset
| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Dorset
| pushpin_label = RAF Tarrant Rushton
| pushpin_label_position = 
| ownership = [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]
| operator = [[Royal Air Force]]
| controlledby = [[RAF Fighter Command]] 1943-
| open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
| site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| site_other = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types etc -->  
| site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc -->
| code = TK
| built = ((Start date|1943))
| used = October 1943 - September ((End date|1980))
| builder = 
| materials = 
| height = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level -->
| length = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs -->
| fate = <!--changed from demolished parameter-->
| condition = 
| battles = [[European theatre of World War II]]<BR>[[Cold War]]
| events = 
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group -->
| occupants = <!-- squadrons only -->
| designations = 
| website = 
| footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code -->
<!-- begin airfield information  -->
| IATA = 
| ICAO = 
| FAA = 
| TC = 
| LID = 
| GPS = 
| WMO = 
| elevation = ((Convert|78|m|0))((sfn|Falconer|1998|p=86))
| r1-number = 00/00
| r1-length = <!-- ((Convert||m|0)) -->
| r1-surface = Concrete
| r2-number = 00/00
| r2-length = <!-- ((Convert||m|0)) -->
| r2-surface = Concrete
| r3-number = 00/00
| r3-length = <!-- ((Convert||m|0)) -->
| r3-surface = Concrete
| h1-number = 
| h1-length = <!-- ((Convert| |m|0)) -->
| h1-surface = 
| airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| airfield_other = <!-- for other sorts of airfield facilities -->
<!--  end airfield information   -->
))
'''Royal Air Force Tarrant Rushton''' or more simply '''RAF Tarrant Rushton''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|station]] near the village of [[Tarrant Rushton]] east of [[Blandford Forum]] in [[Dorset]], [[England]] from 1943 to 1947.
It was used for glider operations during World War II and later revived for civilian operations. It is currently disused, though some buildings survive. Today it serves as a visual reference point (VRP) for [[Visual flight rules|VFR]] flights,<ref>((Cite web|url=http://www.thehangar.co.uk/waypoints/sql.php3?sql_order=+order+by+LAT+ASC|title=TheHangar.co.uk - Fuel Price Survey|website=www.thehangar.co.uk|access-date=2018-10-02))</ref><ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/uploadedFiles/CAA/Content/Standard_Content/Data_and_analysis/Analysis_reports/GA_occurence_reports/201406%20General%20Aviation%20Report%20June%202014.pdf|title=CAA Analysis Reports))</ref> in particular NW departures from [[Bournemouth Airport]].<ref>((Cite web|url=http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-302243C7C8E75D37A211C0E4CAAB9847/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/AIP/AD/EG_AD_2_EGHH_en_2019-01-03.pdf|title=UK AIP - Bournemouth Airport EGHH))</ref>

==History==
Building of the airfield commenced in May 1942, the airfield being intended for the use of airborne forces of [[No. 38 Group RAF|38 Wing RAF]]. On 17 May 1943 the base was handed over while still unfinished. Glider operations started in October 1943 and continued until 1945.

[[Airspeed Horsa]] gliders from Tarrant Rushton left for France on the eve of [[D-Day]], to begin  [[Operation Tonga]] with an action that would later become known as [[Pegasus Bridge]]. Among the glider pilots was [[Jim Wallwork]], on a Horsa nicknamed Lady Irene. The Tarrant Rushton gliders landed in occupied [[France]] shortly after midnight. Wallwork's aircraft was the first to touch down, but it landed heavily: the force of the impact catapulted both Wallwork and his co-pilot John Ainsworth through the front of the [[cockpit]]. Although stunned, this made them the first Allied troops to touch French soil on [[D-Day]].<ref>((cite web |url=http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_jim_wallwork.htm |title=British Armed Forces & National Service |website=Britisharmedforces.org |accessdate=2016-02-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120801075807/http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_jim_wallwork.htm |archivedate=1 August 2012 |df=dmy-all ))</ref>

[[File:The British Army in Normandy 1944 B5198.jpg|thumb|left|Hamilcar gliders from Tarrant Rushton arrive on Drop Zone 'N' carrying Tetrarch tanks, 6 June 1944.]]

As part of Operation Tonga, a few [[Tetrarch tank]]s of [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|6th Airborne's Reconnaissance Regiment]] were also flown from Tarrant Rushton in [[General Aircraft Hamilcar|Hamilcar]] gliders, towed by [[Halifax bomber]]s, to land on the French coast near the mouth of the [[Orne river]].<ref>[http://www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?_IXSS_=_IXMENU_%3dVehicles%26_IXACTION_%3dSUMMARY%26%253atext%3d%2522D%252dDay%2522%2bin%2bmus_current_location_Bay%2bindex%2bmus_text_location%26_IXMAXHITS_%3d12%26_IXSESSION_%3d94wteZtjWwi%26%2524%2bwith%2bmus_catalogue%3d%252e%26_IXFPFX_%3dtemplates%252ffull%252ftvod%252ft%26%253amus_administration_name%3dVEH&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXSPFX_=templates/full/tvod/t&_IXMAXHITS_=1&submit-button=summary&_IXSESSION_=94wteZtjWwi&_IXMENU_=Vehicles] Bovington tank museum</ref>

Other gliders were later flown from the airfield to [[Arnhem]] to take part in [[Operation Market Garden]].
During the closing stages of World War II, aircraft were used for [[Special Operations Executive|SOE]] operations.

In September 1946 the airfield was placed on Care and Maintenance status until abandoned in December 1947. However, 6 months later, in June 1948, [[Cobham plc|Flight Refuelling Ltd]] arrived to begin 30 years of occupancy. Almost immediately Flight Refuelling became involved in the [[Berlin Airlift]] and, between July 1948 and August 1949, carried out nearly 4500 sorties using [[Avro Lancastrian|Lancastrian]]s and [[Avro Lancaster|Lancaster]]s.

In the following 30 years most activity was centred on conversion of aircraft for in-flight refuelling and drone aircraft development, with FR Aviation refining their "Universal Drone Pack" on aircraft flown from the air field. The system allowed the test pilot to fly the aircraft from take-off to touch-down using only the push-buttons on a console identical to that of the ground operator of the drone, turning the  button pushes into control surface and throttle movements.
During this time, Tarrant Rushton was the home of 8 [[de Havilland Sea Vixen]]s, among them XP924, (now G-CVIX), a Sea Vixen that remained in flying condition for some time.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.seavixen.org/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.uybydmedaorinhjs |accessdate=28 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222204237/http://www.seavixen.org/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.uybydmedaorinhjs |title=Sea Vixen Target Drone (D3) Era.|archivedate=22 December 2008 ))</ref><ref>((cite web |url=http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c216614_1.html |title=Tarrant Rushton |website=worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070518161644/http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c216614_1.html |archive-date=18 May 2007 |url-status=dead))</ref>

In the 70s Flight Refuelling left the airfield and flying operations moved to [[Bournemouth Airport|Hurn]]. After that, it was only used by gliders and occasionally by light aircraft until it was officially closed on 30 September 1980.

A memorial to those who served at the airfield is located by the roadside next to one of the surviving hangars.

==Units==

((columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* [[No. 196 Squadron RAF]] (1944)((sfn|Jefford|1988|p=67))
* No. 210 Advanced Flying School RAF<ref name="ABCT">((cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/tarrant-rushton/ |title=Tarrant Rushton |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=24 September 2021))</ref>
* [[No. 295 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 297 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 298 Squadron RAF]] (1943-45)
* [[No. 644 Squadron RAF]] (1944-45)
* [[No. 1677 (Target Towing) Flight RAF]]<ref name="ABCT"/>
* [[No. 2733 Squadron RAF Regiment]]<ref name="ABCT"/>
* [[No. 2810 Squadron RAF Regiment]]<ref name="ABCT"/>
* [[No. 2851 Squadron RAF Regiment]]<ref name="ABCT"/>
* [[RAF Transport Command|Airborne Forces Tactical Development Unit RAF]]<ref name="ABCT"/>
* Dorset Gliding Club<ref name="ABCT"/>
))

==References==
===Citations===
((Reflist))

===Bibliography===
*((cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=J|title=RAF Fighter Airfields of World War 2 |year=1998 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=0-7110-2175-9))
*((cite book |last1=Jefford |first1= C.G. |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife |location= [[Shrewsbury]] |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 ))

==External links==
((Commons category|RAF Tarrant Rushton))
* [http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/dorset/tar.html RAF Tarrant Rushton on Dorset Airfields]
* [http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/tarrantrushton.html The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Tarrant Rushton]
* [https://archive.today/20070518161644/http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c216614_1.html Many views of the airfield then and now]
* [http://www.tarrantrushton.com/ Archive of Andrew Wright's extensive Tarrant Rushton airfield website]

((Royal Air Force))
((authority control))

((DEFAULTSORT:Tarrant Rushton))
[[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Dorset]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]]

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