Latitude 52°40′37″N Longitude 02°17′04″W

   

ACQUISITION

Temporarily loaned by arrangement with Ministry of Aircraft Production from April 1944

 

OPENED

 

 

COMMISSIONED

 

 

PAID OFF

20 February 1945

 

CLOSED

20 February 1945

 

   

FUNCTION

Relief Landing Ground used as satellite to R.N.A.S. Hinstock for Instrument Flying Training.

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station,

Weston Park,

Nr Shifnal
Shropshire

eNGLAND

 

LOCALITY

The airfield is situated 12 miles SE. Of R.N.A.S. Hinstock and 8 miles NW. of Wolverhampton. R.A.F. Cosford lies 4 miles S.

 

LANDMARKS

 Weston Park Stately Home and grounds adjacent N., Noprton Mere adjacent W., R.A.F. Cosford lies 4 miles S.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Cosford halt G.W.R.

   

CONTROL

No control building.

 

ELEVATION

260' above M.S.L.

 

LANDING AREA

Grass,


WSW/ENE ...... 850 (?) Yds.

 

TRACKS

Not Known

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation:
Circuit:
Approach:

Not known

Not known

Not known.

 

APPROACH

Not known 

 

WIND INDICATOR

Not known 

   
   

HOMING—VISUAL

By day:

By night:

Not known

Not known

 

HOMING--RADIO

D/F: Beacon:

 

Not known

Not known

 

APPROACH—VISUAL

By day:  

By night:  

Not known
Not known

 

APPROACH—RADIO

Not known

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

W/T and R/T:

VH/F:

Not known

Not known

 

GROUND RADAR

None.

   

ACCOMMODATION

Capacity:

 

Officers:

Unknown.

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

Unknown.

W.R.N.S. Officers:

Unknown.

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

Unknown.

 

ARMOURIES

None.

 

COMPASS BASE

None.

DISPERSAL

None.

 

HANGARS

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

Unknown

?' x ?'

?'

 ?'

 

MEDICAL

Not known

 

METEOROLOGICAL

None.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

Not known.

M/T:

Not known.

Oil :

Not known.

 

TEST BASE

None.

 

TEST BUTT

None.

 

WORKSHOPS

None.

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

None.

   
   

Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45

 

List of first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units based at this location

 

758

Naval Advanced Instrument Flying Training Unit.

Moved here from RNAS Donibristle on 15 August 1942 as the Beam Approach School, title later changed to the Blind Approach School, and finally (by April 1943) to the Naval Advanced Instrument Flying School. Initially operating Oxfords with Anson, Reliant, Tiger Moth, and Wellington XIs being added during 1943; the Wellingtons were withdrawn by the end of 1943 and Harvard IIbs, and later Harvard IIIs, were added to the strength. By 1944 Squadron strength increased to over 100 aircraft, mainly Oxfords, with smaller numbers of other types also in use. From 28 February 1945 the squadron began flying from RNAS Peplow, Hinstock's satellite airfield; on 18 March 1946 the squadron absorbed part of Ifo.798 Squadron, but was itself disbanded on 14 May 1946, to become 'B' Flight of 780 Squadron.


 

 

Situated on the South-eastern fringe of the Western Park estate in Shropshire, the site was opened in June 1941 as Relief Landing Ground (SLG) No.33 for use by No. 9 Maintenance Unit (MU)  at R.A.F. Cosford, and later shared with  No. 27 MU at R.A.F. Shawbury . Within a month of opening 25 Spitfires were in storage on the site dispersed among the trees. In 1943/44 the field was still being used for storing aircraft, this tine from No. 29 MU at R.A.F. High Ercall which took over the RLG for use as a dispersed storage site for reserve aircraft.

The strip consisted of several flat fields bordered  to the North by the wooded perimeter of the park and by the Offoxey Road to the South. There are reports of aircraft being stored amongst the trees within the park, access via a gate in the perimeter wall. The site had few permanent buildings, a watch hut and at least one Robins hangar are known to have been present.


RN use of the airfield

The site was temporarily loaned to the Admiralty by arrangement with the Ministry of Aircraft Production (M.A.P.) from April 1944 for use by the R.N.A.S. Hinstock for training pilots in the use of Beam Approach equipment.  Aircraft from No. 758 squadron, the RN Advanced Instrument Flying School began using the filed, flying mainly Oxford and Harvard types on Beam Approach training flights.

The need for the use of Western Park arose from a clash of homing beams between Hinstock and its near neighbour R.A.F. Peplow, their respective beams being only a mile apart so Weston Park became the site for Beam Approach training until R.A.F. Peplow itself was transferred to the Admiralty on loan on 28 February 1945.


Returned to Ministry of Aircraft production Control

With Peplow now open for naval flying the  RN operations ay Weston Park were relocated to R.N.A.S. Peplow and Western Park was returned to M.A.P. control.

 


 

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

 

 

 


View Larger Map

 

 

 

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