Although the last mission by the 364th took place on 25 April 1945, the group did not depart until November, returning to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, for inactivation. Even then, Honington remained the lone Eighth Air Force outpost in the UK becoming Fighter Command HQ on 5 October. was the last USAAF station to be returned to the RAF. By the beginning of 1946, the airfield remained the only active station which had been used by the Eighth Air Force and a fitting ceremony was planned to mark its closure and official handing back to the Royal Air Force. On 26 February, Brigadier General Emil Kiel – the Eighth Fighter Command commander – was present to hand over the keys of the station to Air Marshal Sir James Robb, AOC RAF Fighter Command. An RAF band played "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the Stars and Stripes were lowered for the RAF Ensign to be hoisted in its place. The airfield, which was the first transferred to the United States Army Air Forces for its use in 1942, was the last to be returned to the Air Ministry.