Saved!!!
Upottery airfield looks to have been bought by a man with a passion for history. Hopefully we may see the restoration of the control tower if nothing else. Read on:
A devon airfield which saw US airmen parachute into France on D-Day went up for auction, raising more than £1 million for the farming family selling it. It was standing room only for the auction of Smeatharpe Airfield and adjoining Godleigh Farm at the Castle Hotel in Taunton, with keen bidding not just from local farmers but also from military enthusiasts.
The airfield on the Blackdown Hills was a base for the paratroopers of the US 101st Airborne Division who dropped down into northern France on the night of June 5 1944. Their exploits were immortalised in the Steven Spielberg television series Band of Brothers.
Seven parcels of land and a farmhouse changed hands, a total of about 350 acres of arable land, for £1.13 million. A further lot, the site of the stock car stadium and part of the runway on the site, sold before the auction.
The most historically significant lot , including the air traffic control tower and barracks, sold to Second World War history enthusiast Nicholas Boyett of London.
Mr Boyett arrived with ten seconds to spare to successfully bid £150,0000 for the lot, which also includes 50 acres of arable land and part of the runway.
He had seen details of the sale just five days previously and had inspected the airfield, just inside Devon, minutes beforehand. He is selling his home in London to fund the purchase. His main interest is the air traffic control tower, dating from the war, which is still in reasonable condition.
He said: “These control towers are historic, they should not be allowed to rot into the ground. These buildings tell a definite story and have different campaigns under their belt.”
The land is being sold by farmer Dennis Sanders and his brothers William and Sidney because one of the brothers is retiring.
Mr Sanders is still retaining a few acres at Smeatharpe, where he will continue to keep pigs. The rest of the stock and farm machinery were sold last week.
Most of the land was compulsorily purchased from the Sanders family by the Ministry of Defence to build the airfield during the war. Mr Sanders’ grandfather bought it back during the 1960s and the family have farmed it ever since.
Auctioneer Charles Clark, of Chard-based Greenslade Taylor Hunt which organised the sale, said: “We have been inundated with enquiries, particularly Americans from the D-Day connection, really wanting to know what is going to happen to it.
“It has a fascinating history. The bidding was very spirited.”
The page can be visited here:
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=141529&command=displayContent&sourceNode=141513&contentPK=14509829&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
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