RAF Melton Mowbray

RAF Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in England
RAF Buildings on the old technical site.
RAF Melton Mowbray is located in Leicestershire
RAF Melton Mowbray
RAF Melton Mowbray
Shown within Leicestershire
RAF Melton Mowbray is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Melton Mowbray
RAF Melton Mowbray
RAF Melton Mowbray (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates52°44′01″N 000°53′47″W / 52.73361°N 0.89639°W / 52.73361; -0.89639
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Transport Command
Site history
Built1941 (1941)
In use1942 - 1964 (1964)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation114 metres (374 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00  Asphalt
00/00  Asphalt
00/00  Asphalt

Royal Air Force Melton Mowbray or more simply RAF Melton Mowbray is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) south of the centre of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and 13.6 miles (21.9 km) south east of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England.

History

The Class A airfield was originally intended for aircraft maintenance but was taken over by RAF Transport Command. Many types of aircraft were flown from the airfield, including Supermarine Spitfire, de Havilland Mosquito, Vought Corsair, Vultee Vengeance, Grumman Hellcat, Douglas Dakota and Handley Page Halifax aircraft, plus Airspeed Horsa and Waco Hadrian gliders.[citation needed]

Units

  • No. 4 Aircraft Preparation Unit between 5 July 1944 and 9 October 1944.[1]
  • Mk X AI Conversion Flt between 29 August 1944 and 8 September 1944.[1]
  • No. 306 Ferry Training Unit between 13 October 1943 and 15 January 1944.[1]
  • No. 307 Ferry Training Unit between 14 October 1943 and 15 January 1944.[1]
  • No. 304 Ferry Training Unit between 3 January 1944 and 9 October 1944.[1]
  • No. 1 Ferry Pilot Pool between 14 January 1944 and 16 March 1944.[1]
  • No. 1341 Special Duties Flt during 1944.[1]
  • 'J' Flt between 28 September 1945 and 5 October 1945.[1]
  • No. 12 Ferry Unit between 9 October 1944 and 7 November 1945.[1]

Post war

Between 1946 and 1958 the site was used as a Polish Resettlement Corps camp housing Polish Air Force personnel and their relations.[2]

Melton Mowbray served as a Thor Strategic missile site between 1959 and 1963, when 254(SM) Squadron[3] operated a flight of three missiles from the base.[4]

Current use

The airfield now houses a small industrial estate including padstore self storage, terminal 1, lounds pallets and JCR commercial Ltd. Little of the original infrastructure has Survived (2 Runways, 3 Access Road and A Small Brick House)

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "RAF Melton Mowbrey". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Memoirs of a Polish airforce veteran". Leicestershire Villages.com. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  3. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 79.
  4. ^ John Pike. "RAF Melton Mowbray". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2 May 2011.

Bibliography

  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
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