RAF Tatenhill

RAF Tatenhill is a former Royal Air Force satellite airfield in Tatenhill, Staffordshire, England, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) west of Burton on Trent. It was originally known as RAF Crossplains.[2]

RAF Tatenhill

Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
LocationTatenhill, Staffordshire
Built1941 (1941)
In use1941-1947 (1947)
Elevation AMSL440 ft / 134 m
Coordinates52°48′53″N 001°45′40″W
Map
RAF Tatenhill is located in Staffordshire
RAF Tatenhill
RAF Tatenhill
Location in Staffordshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/22 0 0 Concrete
08/26 0 0 Concrete
18/36 0 0 Concrete

History

The field was built in 1941 as a satellite for No. 27 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) at RAF Lichfield later becoming a satellite airfield for RAF Wheaton Aston.[3] The design was the wartime RAF standard of three co-intersecting runways, east-west, north-south diagonal. The east-west runway was the only one suitable to safely accommodate bomber take off and landings (1,600 yards (1,500 m)) which hampered its operability.[4]

It was used as a bomber crew training field, which continued in varied training functions until 1944 with Vickers Wellington, Airspeed Oxford and Avro Anson aircraft for RAF Bomber Command. Later a single engine training unit arrived using the Miles Master aircraft. It was then used by the RAF School of Explosives after the disastrous explosion at nearby RAF Fauld, from October 1945 until January 1947.[1] During the post Second World War period when it was still under RAF Control, RAF Tatenhill was used to break up unused and unwanted ammunition before it was dumped at sea.[5]

The airfield had a bomb dump on the south-east side and a number of frying pan dispersals were built on land to the north of the B5234 road, with hangars in this area too.[6]

Current use

The airfield remains in use as Tatenhill Airfield. A wartime Bellman hangar remains in use as of 2013.

References
  1. "RAF Tatenhill". Control Towers. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  2. "Tatenhill (Burton-on-Trent)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  3. Historic England. "Tatenhill Airfield (929224)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  4. Delve 2007, p. 305.
  5. "Bygones: Alas! wrote Churchill on report of RAF Fauld blast". Derby Telegraph. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  6. Delve 2007, p. 303.

Bibliography
  • Delve, Ken. The military airfields of Britain; Wales and West Midlands. Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-861269-17-1.
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