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Molesworth |
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| Opened in World War One it was used by 75 Sqn RFC and abandoned at the end of that conflict. Rebuilt in 1940 it served as a RAF bomber command airfield until 1942 when it was transferred over to the USAAF and used for the remainder of the war by various medium and heavy bomber units. In July 1945 it was handed back to the RAF and a jet fighter conversion unit moved in. In October 1946 the base was closed and put into care. In 1951 the USAF moved back into Molesworth with the 582nd air resupply group. In 1959 the base was put into `standby` status and officially inactivated in 1973 for flying ops. While the runways were disused most of the other facilities were still kept and used by the USAF. In the early 1980`s Molesworth became a base for the USAF`s mobile Ground Launched Cruise Missiles which led to the removal of the runways and many other wartime buildings. With treaties signed with the USSR in 1987 all the missiles were removed by 1988 and as of 1990 Molesworth is now home to the US`s intelligence analysis centre. Although all the missiles have gone all of the storage bunkers and a launch tower are still in place. | ||