RAF Atherstone

RAF Atherstone
250px A section of perimeter track at the airfield
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Atherstone on Stour
Built	1940
In use	1941-1945
Elevation AMSL	193 ft / 116 m
Coordinates
Map
RAF Atherstone Location in Warwickshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 02/20 4,855 1,480 Concrete 06/24 4,000 1,220 Concrete 14/32 3,550 1,080 Concrete
Operational dates.

RAF Atherstone was 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 RAF 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.

Posted units

The authorisation for a satellite for No. 22 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) was given on 18 June 1940 yet it took over a year until 5 July 1941 that the station was finally opened by an 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 located 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 located 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.

Accidents and incidents

During life as a RAF training airfield accidents were not far away, with a number of airmen killed during training.

Date	Incident	Reference
23 April 1944	Vickers Wellington BK541 of No. 22 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) crashed on overshoot following engine failure.
11 June 1944	Wellington BK186 of 22 OTU had to crash land after an engine failure.
8 December 1944	Wellington LN845 –C of No. 11 Operational Training Unit RAF overshot a forced landing and ran onto the railway at the end of the runway. The aircraft was only lightly damaged until it was hit by a train.
19 October 1945	Wellington PF882 of the Signals Flying Unit overshot landing and ran into the railway embankment.

Current use

Today the airfield is home to a small number of warehouses however the original basic layout can still be made out, including the runways and a large amount of the perimeter track which used to connect the runways with the dispersal hardstandings and the technical site.

References

Bibliography

• Bowyer, M.J.F. Action Stations 6: Military airfield of the Cotswolds and the Central Midlands. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1983. ISBN 0-85059-529-0.
• Lake, A Flying Units of the RAF. Shrewbury, Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1999. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.

External links

• BBC History WW2 People's War - RAF Wellesbourne Mountford (Part 1)