Three large grain fields destroyed in major High Ercall field fire
| RAF Loftier Ercall USAAF Station AAF-346 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loftier Ercall, Shropshire in England | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| RAF High Ercall Shown within Shropshire | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°45′47″N ii°35′24″West / 52.763°N 2.590°Due west / 52.763; -2.590 Coordinates: 52°45′47″N ii°35′24″W / 52.763°North 2.590°West / 52.763; -ii.590 | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Code | HC | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry building | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1941-45 RAF Maintenance Command 1945-62 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1938 (1938)/41 | ||||||||||
| Built past | G. Walker & Slater Ltd | ||||||||||
| In use | Apr 1941 - February 1962 (1962) | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield data | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 67 metres (220 ft)[i] AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Royal Air Strength Loftier Ercall or more simply RAF Loftier Ercall is a old Royal Air Force sector station situated near the village of High Ercall, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.
History [edit]
Construction of the airfield began in 1938 and was by and large complete by 1940. The airbase was initially run by RAF Maintenance Command and civilians from the Ministry of Aircraft Production also worked at the airfield. From 1941 onward the airbase was taken over past RAF Fighter Command, and was used mainly by night fighter units, such as No. 68 Squadron and No. 255 Squadron.[2] From 1942 the airfield was also used past the United states of america Army 8th Air Force's 309 Fighter Squadron, which flew British Supermarine Spitfires with USAAF markings.[3] [4] In 1943 the role of the airbase changed to get focused on training; it was used mainly by No. 60 Operational Preparation Unit for this purpose.[2]
Squadrons [edit]
- No. 41 Squadron RAF[five]
- No. 68 Squadron RAF[half-dozen]
- No. 247 Squadron RAF[vii]
- No. 255 Squadron RAF[8]
- No. 257 Squadron RAF[8]
- No. 285 Squadron RAF[ix]
- No. 535 Squadron RAF[x]
Other units [edit]
- No. 3 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF.[11]
- No. 60 Operational Training Unit RAF[11] was reformed hither in May 1943 to train intruder crews using the de Havilland Musquito.[12]
- No. 1456 (Fighter) Flying RAF[11]
- No. 29 Maintenance Unit (MU)[xi]
- No. 99 MU[xi]
- No. 222 MU[11]
- No. 236 MU[11]
- No. half-dozen Flying Grooming School RAF[eleven]
- 27th Fighter Squadron[11]
- 92nd Fighter Squadron[11]
- 810 Naval Air Squadron[11]
- No. 1489 (Fighter) Gunnery Flying RAF[xi]
- Central Navigation and Command School RAF[11]
Post-military apply [edit]
In 1946, a Halifax bomber stationed at High Ercall was purchased by Australian pilot Geoff Wikner who used the plane to fly domicile. Wikner also charged a number of passengers to embark on the flight with him. This marked the offset post-war commercial flight between the United Kingdom and Australia.[four]
The airbase airtight in 1965.[4]
Between the 1960s and 1990s, the site was the Multi-Occupational Training and Teaching Centre (MOTEC) which provided training for workers including HGV drivers and mechanics and hosted the RTITB National Junior Mechanic Competition 1987.
The bulk of the runways have been removed leaving but small tracks however nine hangars yet are present spread out over the site and most a local village. A local Wartime Aircraft Recovery Group too occupies a section of the site.[3]
In 2002 it was proposed to build a centre for asylum seekers on the site.[thirteen]
In 2014 the site was sold to the Greenhous Group who later successfully applied to the council to store new cars there before they were sold on the Uk market.[14] [15]
Run into also [edit]
- Listing of former Regal Air Force stations
References [edit]
Citations [edit]
- ^ Falconer 1998, p. 44.
- ^ a b "RAF Loftier Ercall, Shropshire". Derelict Places. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ a b "RAF Loftier Ercall". English Heritage - Pastscape. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ^ a b c Neal, Toby (26 September 2018). "Haunting images of High Ercall'southward wartime airfield revealed". Shropshire Star . Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 38.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 46.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 77.
- ^ a b Jefford 2001, p. 79.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 83.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 96.
- ^ a b c d eastward f g h i j yard l m "High Ercall". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 4 Feb 2013.
- ^ Sturtivant 2007, pp. 198–206.
- ^ BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/ane/hello/england/2040324.stm
- ^ Shropshire Star, http://www.shropshirestar.com/shropshire-business/2014/03/eleven/for-sale-old-shropshire-military-base of operations-where-fourth dimension-stands-however/
- ^ "50 jobs to exist created every bit erstwhile RAF base near Telford volition shop cars". Shropshire Star. No. 15, 764. nineteen May 2016. p. 1.
Bibliography [edit]
- Falconer, J (1998). RAF Fighter Airfields of World State of war ii. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN0-7110-2175-ix.
- Jefford, C.Thousand. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Tape of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Sturtivant, R. RAF Flying Preparation and Support Units since 1912. Air United kingdom, 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_High_Ercall
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