Former RAF Atherstone (later RAF Stratford)

United Kingdom / England / Stratford-upon-Avon /
 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, historical layer / disappeared object, former air force base
 Upload a photo
RAF Atherstone is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.25 miles (3.62 km) south of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north-west of Shipston on Stour.The airfield opened in 1941 when it was used by No. 22 Operational Training Unit as a satellite from RAF Wellesbourne Mountford. Through its life the airfield was home to a number of units before closing in 1945.Atherstone had its name changed during operations when, in May 1942, it became RAF Stratford.

The authorisation for a satellite for No. 22 Operational Training Unit (OTU) was given on 18 June 1940 yet it took over a year until 5 July 1941 that the station was finally opened by a advance party from RAF Wellesbourne Mountford with their Vickers Wellingtons.During 1942 the station's name was changed from RAF Atherstone to RAF Stratford because there was another airfield called Atherstone.

No. 22 OTU used the airfield until 15 November 1942, when control was passed to No. 23 OTU based at RAF Pershore. When RAF Gaydon opened, pressure was reduced on the station but when No. 22 OTU was ejected from RAF Defford because the station was transferred to No. 10 Group RAF.

312 Ferry Training Unit (FTU) flying the Wellington used the airfield for just under eight months between 24 April 1943 and 17 December 1943 with the unit based at Wellesbourne Mountford with RAF Gaydon and Stratford used as a satellites. However on 7 March 1944 the airfield was transferred back to No. 22 OTU because the unit now had 81 Wellington III/X's with 33 of these coming from No. 23 OTU which had disbanded on 7 March 1944. Although before long No. 22 OTU had left and the station came under control from the Signals Flying Unit from RAF Honiley but not long after flying ceased at Stratford and the station was placed on a care and maintenance basis.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Atherstone
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°9'46"N   1°41'0"W

Comments

  • The name wasn't changed because of another RAF base called Atherstone, it was changed because of the town of the same name near Nuneaton. The problem was that almost all long distance wartime travel in the war was by rail and when Railway Travel Officers responsible for arranging travel looked up Atherstone, Warks they came up with the other town and despatched troops there. Result drafts of men turning up at the other end of the county, over an hour and a half drive away, and on the wrong railway system LMS, not GWR. There were no direct trains and to get back to Stratford travellers would have to take three trains either via Tamworth and Birmingham or Coventry and Leamington. As there were hundreds of trainee aircrew as well as instructors travelling back and forth this was no minor problem and renaming the airfield ensured that the personnel arrived at the right place.
This article was last modified 13 years ago