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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:
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