RAF Benson Royal Air Force Station Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in South Oxfordshire , England . It is home to the Royal Air Force ' s support helicopters , the Aérospatiale Puma and the EH - 101 Merlin , known as the Puma HC . Mk 1 and the Merlin HC . Mk 3 and Mk 3a . Benson is currently home to 28 Squadron , 78 Squadron , 33 Squadron , 230 Squadron and also to Oxford University Air Squadron and No . 6 Air Experience Flight . In January 2008 , 78 Squadron was formally stood up at RAF Benson to create , alongside 28 Squadron , a Merlin Force . Also included in the Merlin Force is the Merlin Force Engineering Squadron . No 78 Sqn were previously a Sea King / Chinook Squadron based at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands ) . In November 2009 , 230 Squadron with its Puma helicopters took residence here having been posted to RAF Station Aldergrove , in Northern Ireland since the early 1990s . Previous units once located there include the Queen ' s Flight . The Chiltern Air Support Unit helicopter ( a Eurocopter EC135 ) and the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance helicopter ( a Eurocopter EC 135 , call sign " Helimed24 " ) are also both located here as lodger units . The airfield is a well - known frost hollow , often recording the coldest temperatures in the UK . In early 2009 the Met Office at RAF Benson recorded a temperature of - 11 . 8 degrees , and on 7 January 2010 , - 17 . 1 degrees . History . Building work for RAF Benson began in 1937 . RAF Benson was officially opened on Saturday 1 April 1939 and its first aircraft were two squadrons of Fairey Battle light bombers which began to arrive a few days later . No . 103 Squadron RAF started flying in on 3 April 1939 , to be joined in the next few months by No . 150 Squadron RAF . The Battles were replaced in December 1940 with Vickers Wellington medium bomber s . At the same time the Supermarine Spitfire s of No . 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF an RAF Coastal Command unit arrived . It gained considerable fame as the home of photographic reconnaissance for the remainder of the Second World War . In June 1943 , No . 1 PRU was formed into No . 106 Wing , with five squadrons ( No ’ s 540 to 544 inclusive ) and an Operational Training Unit . The Wing was elevated to the status of No . 106 ( PU ) Group in April 1944 , with two Mosquito and two Spitfire Squadrons ( No . 543 Squadron having been disbanded when the aircraft strength per Squadron was increased ) . The No . 106 Group was assigned to the Coastal Command ' s Photo Reconnaissance assets with the whole of Northern Europe as its operational area . Its Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flew missions over occupied Europe , for example bringing back battle damage assessment pictures after Operation Chastise . This period of the station ' s history is reflected in the use of a full - scale replica of a wartime Spitfire PR . Mk XI on the main gate - this having replaced a genuine Spitfire PR . MK XIX that has been restored to flying status . Vera Lynn , ' the forces Sweetheart ' , visited RAF Benson to entertain the troops , reportedly singing " " The White Cliffs of Dover " " at the station . The station retained a reconnaissance role for some years after the war , with Avro Lancaster , Spitfire , Mosquito , Gloster Meteor PR . Mk 10 and English Electric Canberra PR . Mk 3 aircraft . On 1 June 1962 No . 105 Squadron RAF reformed at the station , flying Armstrong Whitworth AW . 660 Argosy s as part of the RAF Transport Command fleet . In January 1968 , 114 and 267 Squadrons were flying Argosys as a Wing on the station . The King ' s Flight moved from RAF Hendon and would stay ( renamed as the Queen ' s Flight after the death of King George VI ) until after the war , moving to RAF Northolt in 1995 . The station is today the home to four squadrons of Support Helicopters , 28 Squadron , 78 Squadron with Merlin helicopters and 33 Squadron and 230 Squadron with Puma helicopters . RAF Benson is also home to the Grob Tutor light aircraft of the Oxford University Air Squadron . Also a flying club exists at RAF Benson which consists of service and civilian personnel . Massive investment has been made in a modern flight simulator facility for the Chinook ( not located at Benson ) , Merlin and Puma . RAF Benson is now also home to a mobile Catering Support Unit and the Chiltern Air Support Unit ( Police ) bases one of its Eurocopter EC 135 helicopters at Benson . A yellow MBB Bo 105 belonging to the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust ( headquartered at Grove Park ) , Maidenhead , moved from White Waltham to Benson in January 2007 . The future of RAF Benson was in doubt for some time , while Project Belvedere was looking into closing at least one of Joint Helicopter Command ' s airfields . These included Benson , Odiham , Aldergrove , Yeovilton , Middle Wallop , Wattisham and Dishforth ; with the Support Helicopters based at RAF Benson being considered for a move to RAF Lyneham . Belvedere has been abandoned on cost grounds , and Benson ' s future is now believed to be safe .