RAF Ansty

{{Short description|Former RAF base in Warwickshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Ansty | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | nearest_town = Ansty, Warwickshire | country = England | image = | alt = | caption = | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Royal Air Force station | coordinates = {{Coord|52|25|45|N|001|24|31|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Warwickshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Warwickshire | pushpin_label = RAF Ansty | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Flying Training Command | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code =  | built = {{Start date|1935}} | used = 1936 - {{End date|1953}} | builder = | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition = | battles = | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|381|ft|0}} | r1-number = 03/21 | r1-length = {{Convert|3703|ft|0}} | r1-surface = Asphalt | r2-number = 08/26 | r2-length = {{Convert|3488|ft|0}} | r2-surface = Asphalt | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Ansty''', or more simply '''RAF Ansty''', was a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Ansty, {{Convert|5|mi|0}} east of Coventry city centre, Warwickshire, England, {{Convert|7|mi}} north-west of Rugby, Warwickshire. The airfield was opened in 1936, and after training many pupils closed in 1953.<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/ansty-coventry|title=Ansty (Coventry) |publisher=Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust|accessdate=11 April 2012}}</ref>

==History== thumb|right|A DH-82A Tiger Moth similar to the ones that flew from the airfield. The airfield was mainly used for schools with taught navigation and flying to new recruits using a varied range of aircraft such as de Havilland Tiger Moths and Avro Ansons. The first school teaching navigation to arrive was No. 4 Civilian Air Navigation School RAF with the Anson between September 1938 and October 1939 before being renamed No. 4 Air Observer Navigation School RAF (AONS) using Blackburn Bothas as an additional aircraft type between September 1939 and July 1940 before moving to another airfield.<ref name="AA">{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/flying_units.htm|title=Military flying units in the south west Midlands |publisher=Aviation Archaeology|accessdate=11 April 2012}}</ref>

The other schools were used for flying training with the first school arriving on 6 January 1936 which was the No. 9 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF which flew Ansons, Hawker Harts, Hawker Hinds, Tiger Moths and Saro Clouds.{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=109}} The school was operated by Air Services Training, under contract from the Air Ministry.{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=109}} The school was renamed the No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School RAF on 3 September 1939 days after the Second World War broke out. The school used Moths until 31 March 1944 which provided initial assessment before pupil pilots were sent abroad in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan which was operated by Air Service Training.<ref name="AA"/>

One of the pilots who received his initial training at Ansty was Jack Currie, who, many years after the war, wrote a successful series of books about his air force experiences. After Ansty, Currie's subsequent training was in the United States.<ref>Jack Currie. Wings Over Georgia. Goodall Publications Ltd. 1989 p. 31</ref>

A number of maintenance units used the site for a small amount of time like when a sub site of No. 27 Maintenance Unit RAF joined in October 1940 and No. 48 MU which used the airfield for temporary dispersal between 1940 and February 1941.<ref name="AA"/> After the Second World War the airfield hosted No. 2 Basic Flying Training School RAF, equipped with the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk from 21 March 1951 until 31 March 1953 operated by Air Service Training.{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=81}}

==The Coventry Blitz== The first bombs of the war dropped in the vicinity of Coventry were when five dropped on RAF Ansty on 25 June 1940. There were no casualties. This was two days before any civilians were killed near Coventry, when the Hillfields area was bombed and 16 people died.<ref name="HC">{{cite web|url=http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/stats.php|title=Coventry's Blitz|publisher=Historic Coventry|accessdate=11 April 2012|archive-date=6 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106021356/http://historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/stats.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Accidents and incidents== During life as a RAF training base accidents were not far away with a number of airmen killed during training.

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Date !! Incident !! Reference |- | February 1940 || During WW2 aircraft maintenance units tried using this airfield for storage purposes but apparently it was often water-logged. There is a story that six Blackburn Botha types flown in to Ansty from Hawarden in February 1940 may have sunk in so deep they were never rescued. ||<ref name="Uk Airfields & Airports">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/Ansty |title=UK Airfields & Airports|accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref> |- | 5 March 1941 || A Tiger Moth of 9 EFTS was landing when it collided with another Tiger Moth on the ground. Both were burnt out, but there were no casualties. ||<ref name="AACrashes1941">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/Ansty |title=Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands – 1941 |publisher=Aviation Archaeology|accessdate=11 April 2012}}</ref> |- | 14 May 1941 || Tiger Moths N5456 and N5472 of 9 EFTS are recorded as crashing. || <ref name="AACrashes1941"/> |- | 8 July 1941 || Tiger Moth N6649 of 9 EFTS hit a bus on approach. || <ref name="AACrashes1941"/> |- | 1 August 1941 || A pair of Tiger Moths from 9 EFTS collided in the air at Whitley. || <ref name="AACrashes1941"/> |- | 16 February 1942 || A pair of Tiger Moths from 9 EFTS collided near the airfield ||<ref name="AACrashes1942">{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1942.htm |title=Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands – 1942 |publisher=Aviation Archaeology|accessdate=11 April 2012}}</ref> |- | 29 May 1943 || Tiger Moth R4921 of 9 EFTS crashed near the airfield after engine failure. ||<ref name="AACrashes1943">{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1943.htm |title=Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands – 1943 |publisher=Aviation Archaeology|accessdate=11 April 2012}}</ref> |}

==Current use==

Rolls-Royce currently occupies the majority of the site as an engine overhaul and repair facility. The company won a contract overhauling the EJ2000 engine, which is used in the Eurofighter Typhoon with some of the work being performed at Ansty, which will also help to keep 3,000 jobs for the company throughout the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://evaint.com/industry-news/-865m-engine-contract-for-raf-s-fastest-jets|title=£865m Engine contract for RAF's fastest jets |publisher=Evaint|accessdate=12 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=105280|title= RAF £865m Jet Investment |publisher=4 Northern Ireland|accessdate=12 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=1413&thisSection=military|title=New engine support contract for RAF Typhoons|publisher=Key Aero Publishing|accessdate=12 April 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120803002812/http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=1413&thisSection=military|archivedate=3 August 2012}}</ref>

The northern side has been turned into a business park called Ansty Park, companies on the site include AVL, MTC, Sainsburys, London Electric Vehicle Company, HTRC, Cadent Gas and Fanuc Robotics.<ref name="ABCT"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

* {{cite book |last1=Sturtivant |first1=Ray |last2=Hamlin |first2=John |last3=Halley |first3=James J. |title=Royal Air Force Flying Training and Support Units |year=1997 |location=Tunbridge Wells, UK |publisher =Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. |isbn=0-85130-252-1}}

== External links== * [http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/stats.php Historic Coventry – Blitz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106021356/http://historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/stats.php |date=6 November 2016 }} * [http://www.aircrew-saltire.org/lib084.htm Scottish Saltire Aircrew Association – Combatting Stress – Then and Now] * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/99/a7838599.shtml BBC History WW2 People's War – Henry Kaye, Flying Instructor by Ron Goldstein] * [http://213squadronassociation.homestead.com/Secondworldwar.html 213 Squadron Association – Second World War 1937 – 1945] * [http://www.planningportal.rugby.gov.uk/fastweb_upload/Planning%20Scanned%20Applications/R09-0035/R09-0035%20140K%20Application%2013.11.08.pdf Rugby Counical – Planning Portal – Ansty Park] * [http://www.bbcattic.org/ww2peopleswar/stories/36/a4333736.shtml BBC History – Flt. Lieut. John Anderson – Who knows what the future holds?] *[https://archive.today/20130505073157/http://www.thehennesseys.co.uk/BuddFamilyTree/The_Second_World_War.html William Budd’s time in the RAF]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansty}} Category:Defunct airports in England Category:Royal Air Force stations in Warwickshire Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom Category:Military airbases established in 1936 Category:Military airbases closed in 1953