RAF Shawbury
RAF Shawbury
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| Near Shawbury, Shropshire in England | |||||||||
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 EGOS
Shown within Shropshire
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| Coordinates | 52°47′53″N 002°40′05″W / 52.79806°N 2.66806°WCoordinates: 52°47′53″N 002°40′05″W / 52.79806°N 2.66806°W | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator |
Royal Flying Corps 1917–1918 Royal Air Force 1918-1920 & 1938–present |
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| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1916, rebuilt in 1937 | ||||||||
| In use | 1917–1920, 1938–Present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander |
Group Captain Norris | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: EGOS | ||||||||
| Elevation | 76 metres (249 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force Shawbury or more simply RAF Shawbury is a Royal Air Force station by the village of Shawbury near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
The station at Shawbury was first used for military flying training in 1917 by the Royal Flying Corps, No. 29 (Training) Wing formed on 1 September 1917 with three Training Squadrons, No.s 10, 29 and 67. Several different types of aircraft were operated which caused difficulties with training and maintenance. Two of the squadrons combined to form 9 Training Depot Station on 1 March 1918, the other moving away to Gloucestershire. Training continued on a more organised basis until the end of the war.
The airfield closed in May 1920 when strength of the RAF was drastically reduced. The hangars and other buildings were demolished and the land was returned to agricultural use.
In February 1938 it was reactivated as a training establishment firstly used by No. 11 Service Flying Training School and an Aircraft Storage Unit (ASU) which was operated by No. 27 Maintenance Unit RAF. The airfield also had Relief Landing Grounds at RAF Bridleway Gate and RAF Bratton with additional satellite landing grounds at RAF Hinstock, RAF Hodnet and RAF Weston Park. It primarily prepared pilots for operational squadrons, with the main aircraft being the Airspeed Oxford. In 1944 it became the home of the Central Navigation School, primarily concerned with improving the standard of air navigation in bombers.
In 1950 the School of Air Traffic Control also moved to Shawbury, combining to form the Central Navigation and Control School. In 1963 the Navigation Wing moved to RAF Manby.
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