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‘D’ Day Landings

May 31, 2024 / David Jennings

‘D’ Day Landings,
a Chaddleworth News ‘History Bit’ Feature

As some of you know, if not all, back on March 23rd 1944, a huge military exercise involving the 101st Airborne was held on land adjacent to RAF Welford, belonging to the Baylis family at Court Oak Farm.

The air drop was by the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 506th PIR, from Ramsbury and Aldbourne, and also the 377th PFAB from Benham Valence near Newbury.

Along with these, the 1st Bn. of the 506th and further units of the Regiment stood in line for inspection.

Sir Winston Churchill, Eisenhower and all the top brass were there to witness it all, as shown in the first photo. Welford would be around to the left of the photographer in this shot, so they are all looking East here. Boxford would be along to the right.

The big air drop in March 1944, watched by Churchill, Eisenhower and the top brass of the military looking East from the Welford base side of the Boxford Road

The second photo is from the museum, hence the caption. The third photo shows Churchill shaking hands with Brigadier General Don. F. Pratt. He was the first top brass man to be killed when his Waco glider crashed on landing in Normandy. He was sitting upright in a jeep at the time.

Winston Churchill shakes hands with Brigadier General Don F. Pratt, 23^rd March 1944. General Eisenhower and Major-General Maxwell D. Taylor commanding 101st Airborne in background.

Churchill and Major-General Maxwell D.Taylor, C.O of the 101st Airborne Div., the General Eisenhower, Brigadier Don F. Pratt assistant Divisional Commander of the 101st Airborne Division and British Naval Commander who was Churchill’s Aide.

Anyway, the Baylis family visited our museum yesterday and there are big plans afoot to put up display boards on and around the drop zone, giving the details of that historic day’s exercise, in preparation for D-Day. Alan Baylis was an 8-year-old at the time and he and his family were invited to watch it all, by standing in a hedge alongside the drop zone. Jenny Smith, nee Baylis is co-ordinating everything so, on June 2^nd, there will be conducted guide tours around the drop zone, and of course, on June 6^th, things will be in full flow. This all happens on both sides of the Hangman’s Stone Lane that runs past RAF Welford to Boxford, just past Bradleywood Farm on the right, or between the Leckhampstead turning and the M4 motorway bridge. As I’ve previously mentioned, the USAF at Welford have no plans of their own to stage anything there on June 6^th, but along with our museum, will be joining forces with Greenham Control Tower group to stage a big spectacular there on June 6^th.

Glenn Miller

C-47 pulling two Waco gliders taking off from RAF Welford 1944

With my thanks and recognition, this article is written by my friend and colleague Mick Dowdeswell. Thank you so much for it.

Grahame Murphy

The RAF Welford Historical Society site is www.rafwelfordhistoricalsociety.org

Chaddleworth Fete 2024

May 16, 2024 / David Jennings

Parish Council Meeting Dates

July 4, 2023 / David Jennings

Meeting Dates for 2024/5 are on Tuesdays every other month starting at 7.30pm in the Chaddleworth Village Hall.

This agenda is published 3-working days before the meeting.

Meetings planned for year 2024/25 are:

• 4th March 2025 – Ordinary Meeting – Agenda

Meetings planned for year 2025/26 are:

• 6th May 2025 – Annual Meeting
• 3rd June 2025 – Annual Parish Meeting (APM)

Please contact the Clerk via email Chaddleworth.PC@outlook.com or phone/text on 07827 309401 as needed.

Chaddleworth Annual Parish Meeting

June 5, 2023 / David Jennings

The Chaddleworth Annual Parish Meeting will be hosted on Tuesday 6^th June at 8pm in Chaddleworth Village Hall

The Annual Parish Meeting, which used to be known as the Assembly, is a meeting for the electors of the Parish who have the right to attend and to speak on any matter of local interest.

All from Chaddleworth Parish are welcome to attend

Community groups are also welcome to attend, provide a talk on their group’s activities or simply to have a table to showcase their materials.

An outline Agenda for the meeting is available.

Please contact the Clerk for any more information or to confirm your group’s interest.

David Jennings, Clerk
email chaddleworth.pc@outlook.com
or SMS/call 07827 309401

Chaddleworth Defibrillator

March 1, 2023 / admin

Chaddleworth has a defibrillator located in the red telephone box opposite The Ibex Inn.

If you come across someone who has had a cardiac arrest, its vital to call 999 and start CPR.

They will give you the code to the cabinet where you will find the defibrillator. You shouldn’t be afraid of using a defibrillator as anyone can use them in an emergency by following clear spoken instructions, you don’t need training to use one.

Any questions or technical matters concerning the defibrillator, please contact the Clerk to Chaddleworth Parish Council via chaddleworth.pc@outlook.com

Defibrillators are devices that send an electric pulse or shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. They are used to prevent or correct an arrhythmia, an uneven heartbeat that is too slow or too fast. If the heart suddenly stops, defibrillators can also help it beat again. If you should find yourself in the situation where someone needs a Defibrillator, on calling 999, they will be able to tell you where the nearest Defibrillator is located and provide the cabinet code to take the Defibrillator to the patient. The Defibrillator will then instruct you on what to do while waiting for an ambulance. This could save someone’s life!

Local defibrillators, including in Chaddleworth, are registered with the National Defibrillator Network via ‘The Circuit‘ which, in turn, provides the NHS ambulance services with vital information about defibrillators across the UK.

Welcome to Chaddleworth Parish

February 24, 2023 / admin

The parish of Chaddleworth lies below the southern slopes of the Berkshire Downs, just east of the A338 road, which runs between Hungerford and Wantage to form the western parish boundary. The south-east corner of the village is called Nodmore and the hamlet of Southend sits only a mile to the north-east. In the north of the parish is Woolley and in the south is Poughley, both barely hamlets now. Woolley Down rises above the former. The parish mostly consists of farmland, with some scattered woodland such as Nine Acre Wood, Spray Wood, Down Copse, Rooksnest Copse and Bassdown Copse. The West Berkshire Golf Course, on Buckham Hill, and the northern edge of RAF Welford are in Poughley.