\nWENVOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Maybe not, but 80 years ago it was a different story. As a child I remember my mother who at the time was living with her parents in Ely, telling me that they had a rather handsome American serviceman billeted with them.<\/p>\n
Much to the consternation of my father, who at the time was fighting his own war in Jamaica, and judging by the photographs of the time, involved a lot of sun bathing, sipping Blue Mountain coffee and consuming copious amounts of locally brewed beer. Following the recent anniversary of the D-Day landings, I started to ponder the story that my mother had told me as a child. Where would this American serviceman have been based? Well I need not look any further than our own village of Wenvoe. Just to the west of the Wenvoe Castle estate was a military base made up of huts and tents, with its own airfield running alongside Port Road East.<\/p>\n
NOW<\/p>\n 1943 it was the Air Observation Post L4 that accompanied the U.S. Army Artillery Battalion. 1944 the 115th. Field Artillery Battalion U.S. Army. A division of the 90th. V11 Corps.<\/p>\n After they departed to the D-Day embarkation ports they were replaced by follow up troops of the 38th. Field Artillery Battalion of the 2nd. Division V Corps.<\/p>\n For a short time the base was used to house German and Italian POWs. Today there is nothing left to show of the airbase that housed a small town larger than Wenvoe. Nature has taken back control, the concrete parade ground and hut bases no longer visible.<\/p>\n The memories of our American allies who, for a short time made Wenvoe their home will now all have gone. But let us not forget them or the sacrifices made by those who did not return to their families and loved ones.<\/p>\n Robert Bird F.B.H.I. (retired)<\/p>\n For those wishing to explore the area Grid Ref. ST12470 <\/em><\/p>\n (Photograph courtesy of the Welsh Assembly Photographic Archive)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n WENVOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Maybe not, but 80 years ago it was a different story. As a child I remember my mother who at the time was living with her parents in Ely, telling me that they had a rather handsome American serviceman billeted with them. Much to the consternation of my father, who at the time was fighting his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[334,228],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-3wx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11871,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=11871","url_meta":{"origin":13549,"position":0},"title":"Seventy Years Of Wenvoe In Transit","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"FORWARD OR BACK?: SEVENTY YEARS OF WENVOE IN TRANSIT Recent weeks have seen the celebration of the Queen\u2019s platinum jubilee, including a great display of local memorabilia organised by Mike and Glenys Tucker, which together with the Barry Festival of Transport gave me food for thought on the changes in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Picture8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Picture8.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Picture8.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15901,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=15901","url_meta":{"origin":13549,"position":1},"title":"When The Battle of Britain Came To Wenvoe","author":"Alan Williams","date":"27th August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"WHEN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN CAME TO WENVOE September brings the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. While the events are mostly associated with the southeast of England, the Vale of Glamorgan played an important part in the victory over the Luftwaffe. The Vale villages, including Wenvoe, also found\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Spitfire.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Spitfire.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Spitfire.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13688,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13688","url_meta":{"origin":13549,"position":2},"title":"Wenvoe Playgroup’s Christmas Fayre","author":"Alan Williams","date":"31st October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Wenvoe Playgroup's Christmas Fayre. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Event Notices"","block_context":{"text":"Event Notices","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=237"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Picture20.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Picture20.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Picture20.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11857,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=11857","url_meta":{"origin":13549,"position":3},"title":"Wenvoe Jubilee Celebrations 2","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"WENVOE JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS 2 \u00a02nd JUNE to 5th JUNE 2022 \u00a0 \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Jubilee2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Jubilee2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Jubilee2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Jubilee2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Jubilee2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13049,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13049","url_meta":{"origin":13549,"position":4},"title":"Wenvoe FC at Station Road in 1975","author":"Alan Williams","date":"14th March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"WENVOE HISTORY This is Wenvoe FC in the playing fields at Station Road in 1975. In the background is Whitehall quarry which was still producing stone at this time and to the left of photograph is the old cricket pavilion. The old cricket pavilion . When the present village Scout\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Picture9.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15694,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=15694","url_meta":{"origin":13549,"position":5},"title":"Wenvoe Croquet Club","author":"Alan Williams","date":"5th July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"WENVOE CROQUET CLUB There is always a warm welcome at the Wenvoe Croquet Club, where the leisurely sport of croquet is played out in the beautiful and tranquil environment of Wenvoe Castle Golf Club. Join our friendly and good-spirited members for an enjoyable game of Croquet, where players of all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Event Notices"","block_context":{"text":"Event Notices","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=237"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13549"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13549"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13555,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13549\/revisions\/13555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Picture12.png?resize=500%2C547\")
THEN<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/G-Earth-2.jpg?resize=497%2C545\")
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