RAF High Ercall

{{Short description|Former Royal Air Force station in Shropshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF High Ercall USAAF Station AAF-346 | ensign = 90px60px | ensign_size = | native_name = | partof =  | location = High Ercall, Shropshire | nearest_town =  | country = England | image = 250px | alt = | caption = | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Royal Air Force station parent station 1941-43 sector station 1943-45 | coordinates = {{coord|52.763|-2.590|type:landmark_region:GB-SHR|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Shropshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Shropshire | pushpin_label = RAF High Ercall | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Fighter Command 1941-45 No. 9 Group RAF * No. 81 (OTU) Group RAF RAF Maintenance Command 1945-62 | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code = HC{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=109}} | built = {{Start date|1938}}/41 | used = April 1941 - February {{End date|1962}} | builder = G. Walker & Slater Ltd | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition = | battles = European theatre of World War II | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|67|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=109}} | r1-number = 00/00 | r1-length =  | r1-surface = Concrete | r2-number = 00/00 | r2-length =  | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 00/00 | r3-length =  | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force High Ercall''' or more simply '''RAF High Ercall''' is a former Royal Air Force sector station situated near the village of High Ercall, {{convert|7|mi}} northeast of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.

==History== [[File:Target Dossier for High Ercall, Shropshire, England - DPLA - 716c13761be3c65a542295e44362f071 (page 1).jpg|thumb|right|RAF High Ercall on a target dossier of the German Luftwaffe, 1941]] Construction of the airfield began in 1938 and was mostly complete by 1940. The airbase was initially run by RAF Maintenance Command and civilians from the Ministry of Aircraft Production also worked at the airfield. From 1941 onward the airbase was taken over by RAF Fighter Command, and was used mainly by night fighter units, such as No. 68 Squadron and No. 255 Squadron.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/military-sites/32089-raf-ercall-shropshire-november-2015-a.html#.XSOWPehKhPY|title=RAF High Ercall, Shropshire|last=|first=|date=26 November 2015|website=Derelict Places|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref> From 1942 the airfield was also used by the United States Army 8th Air Force's 309 Fighter Squadron, which flew British Supermarine Spitfires with USAAF markings.<ref name="Pastscape">{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1397458 |title=RAF High Ercall|publisher=English Heritage - Pastscape|accessdate=4 February 2013}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/nostalgia/2018/09/26/haunting-images-of-disused-airfield/|title=Haunting images of High Ercall's wartime airfield revealed|last=Neal|first=Toby|date=26 September 2018|website=Shropshire Star|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref> In 1943 the role of the airbase changed to become focused on training; it was used mainly by No. 60 Operational Training Unit for this purpose.<ref name=":0" />

From 1951 the station became a Relief Landing Ground for flying and navigation training. If pilots were unable to land at their main base they could divert to High Ercall. The Station fulfilled this role from March 1951 for No. 6 Flying Training School RAF, and from 1957 for the Central Navigation and Control School which was based at RAF Shawbury.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stations-H |url=http://rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-H.htm#High%20Ercall |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=rafweb.org}}</ref>

===Squadrons=== * No. 41 Squadron RAF{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=38}} * No. 68 Squadron RAF<ref name="Jefford2001p46">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=46.}}</ref> * No. 247 Squadron RAF<ref name="Jefford2001p77">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=77.}}</ref> * No. 255 Squadron RAF<ref name="Jefford2001p79">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=79.}}</ref> * No. 257 Squadron RAF<ref name="Jefford2001p79"/> * No. 285 Squadron RAF<ref name="Jefford2001p83">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=83.}}</ref> * No. 535 Squadron RAF<ref name="Jefford2001p96">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=96.}}</ref>

===Other units=== * No. 3 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF.<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/high-ercall |title=High Ercall |publisher=Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust|accessdate=4 February 2013}}</ref> * No. 60 Operational Training Unit RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> was reformed here in May 1943 to train intruder crews using the de Havilland Mosquito.{{sfn|Sturtivant|2007|pp=198–206}} * No. 1456 (Fighter) Flight RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 29 Maintenance Unit RAF (MU)<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 99 Maintenance Unit RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 222 Maintenance Unit RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 236 Maintenance Unit RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 6 Flying Training School RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> * 27th Fighter Squadron (USAAF)<ref name="ABCT"/> * 92d Fighter Squadron (USAAF)<ref name="ABCT"/> * 309th Fighter Squadron * 810 Naval Air Squadron<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 1489 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF<ref name="ABCT"/>

==Post-military use== In 1946, a Handley Page Halifax bomber at High Ercall was purchased by Australian pilot Geoff Wikner who used the plane to fly home. Wikner also charged a number of passengers to embark on the flight with him. This marked the first post-war commercial flight between the United Kingdom and Australia.<ref name=":1" />

The airbase closed in the early 1960s.<ref name=":1" />

Between the 1960s and 1990s, the site was the Multi-Occupational Training and Education Centre (MOTEC) which provided training for workers including HGV drivers and mechanics and hosted the RTITB National Junior Mechanic Competition 1987.

The majority of the runways have been removed leaving only small tracks however nine hangars still are present spread out over the site and near a local village. A local Wartime Aircraft Recovery Group also occupies a section of the site.<ref name="Pastscape"/>

In 2002 it was proposed to build a centre for asylum seekers on the site.<ref>BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2040324.stm</ref>

In 2014 the site was sold to the Greenhous Group who later successfully applied to the council to store new cars there before they were sold on the UK market.<ref>Shropshire Star, http://www.shropshirestar.com/shropshire-business/2014/03/11/for-sale-former-shropshire-military-base-where-time-stands-still/</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=50 jobs to be created as former RAF base near Telford will store cars|work=Shropshire Star|issue=15,764|date=19 May 2016|page=1}}</ref>

==References== ===Citations=== {{reflist|2}}

===Bibliography=== *{{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=Jonathan|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Jefford|2001}}|reference=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, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Sturtivant|2007}}|reference=Sturtivant, R. ''RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912''. Air Britain, 2007. {{ISBN|0-85130-365-X}}.}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:High Ercall}} High Ercall Category:Telford and Wrekin High Ercall Category:Military installations closed in 1962 Category:Military installations established in 1941