Royal Air Force Staverton or more simply RAF Staverton is a former

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

station about west of

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England. The station was used for training and operations from 1936 until the 1950s. The site is now

Gloucestershire Airport Gloucestershire Airport , formerly Staverton Airport, is a small airport located in Churchdown, England. It lies west of Cheltenham, near the city of Gloucester and close to the M5 motorway. Its operator claims it to be Gloucestershire's larg ...

History

Staverton aerodrome aerial photograph 1941 IWM MH 26559

From 1931 there was an airfield near

Down Hatherley Down Hatherley is a civil parish and village in the Tewkesbury Borough, between Cheltenham and Gloucester, Gloucestershire. It has approximately 165 houses and a population of 450, reducing to 419 at the 2011 census. The village is situated a ...

, and plans were in place pre-war to develop the new site. The RAF took over the site as a training school on 16 July 1936 for training until August 1946. Flying training was conducted at the site on

de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary traine ...

s, but for the first 18 months, during construction, the practical element of the course had to be undertaken at the relief landing ground at

RAF Worcester Royal Air Force Worcester, or more simply RAF Worcester, is a former Royal Air Force relief landing ground (RLG) which was located north east of Worcester city centre, Worcestershire, England and south west of Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. ...

. No. 31 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School was based at Staverton between 29 September 1938 and 3 September 1939. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

a number of units and flights were based at the airfield including No. 44 Group Communication Flight RAF, which operated between 15 August 1941 and 9 August 1946. No. 6 Air Observers Navigation School RAF was also based at Staverton from 1 November 1939 until 17 January 1942. Post-war, a number of small units and detachments used the airfield including a sub-site of No. 7 Maintenance Unit RAF between 4 June 1945 and 11 August 1953. The Ministry of Aircraft Production Guard Dog School was formed in late 1942, located at Woodfold in

. In 1946 the unit, by now called the RAF Police Dog Training School, moved from Woodfold to Staverton. In February 1951, the School left Staverton and moved to

RAF Netheravon The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of the Royal Flying Corps (R ...

. The following units were also here at some point: * No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School RAF became No. 6 Flying Instructors School (Supplementary) RAF became No. 6 Flying Instructors School RAF became No. 6 Flying Instructors School (Elementary) RAF became No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School RAF * No. 6 Civil Air Navigation School RAF became No. 6 Air Observers Navigation School RAF became No. 6 Air Observers School RAF became No. 6 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF * No. 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF * No. 24 Group Communication Flight RAF * A detachment of No. 225 Squadron RAF between 1 July 1940 and 29 July 1941 operating

Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander is a British Army cooperation aircraft, army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War. After becoming obsolete in the army co-operat ...

IIs & IIIs

Staverton Airport

In civilian hands, the site was known as Staverton Airport before changing its name to

in 1993.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* *

External links

BBC History – Continuation of My War Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staverton Royal Air Force stations in Gloucestershire Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom