RAF Tern Hill

RAF Tern Hill was a grass-and-concrete airfield near Market Drayton in Shropshire, England, established during the First World War and expanded through the Second World War into the Cold War era. The station hosted training, fighter, and transport units, and played roles in the Battle of Britain air defence preparations, the Normandy landings, and post-war NATO-related activities. Its layered history connects to major figures and organizations such as the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Air Force, and later civilian aviation and preservation trusts.

History

Tern Hill's origins trace to 1916 when the Royal Flying Corps established an aerodrome to train pilots alongside other early stations like Farnborough and Biggin Hill, linking to the wider wartime expansion under the Air Ministry. Recommissioned and enlarged in the 1930s amid rearmament policies tied to the Ten Year Rule reversal, the site featured in preparations for the Battle of Britain and hosted squadrons tasked with home defence under commands like RAF Fighter Command and No. 12 Group RAF. During the Second World War the station supported units operating aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, and Avro Anson, contributing to operations connected with the Operation Overlord build-up and liaison with nearby RAF bases including RAF Shawbury and RAF Cosford. Post-1945, Tern Hill adapted to transport and advanced pilot training needs and integrated into Cold War networks alongside installations like RAF Wyton and RAF Benson, before reductions in the 1960s led to partial closure and handover to civilian and army users associated with organizations such as the Army Air Corps.

Operational Units and Roles

Tern Hill hosted a rotating sequence of squadrons and training schools historically linked to formation and conversion units familiar to RAF order-of-battle studies. Early No. 6 Squadron RAF and No. 11 Squadron RAF detachments operated reconnaissance and bomber types before the station became a fighter sector for squadrons like No. 5 Squadron RAF and No. 41 Squadron RAF. Training units including No. 6 Flying Training School and No. 5 Service Flying Training School used types such as the de Havilland Tiger Moth and later the North American Harvard for ab initio and advanced instruction, working in concert with officer training at establishments like RAF College Cranwell. During wartime, Tern Hill accommodated operational conversion units preparing crews for four-engine types and supported transport and glider-towing sorties for units involved with Airborne Forces operations associated with formations like the 1st Airborne Division and 6th Airborne Division. Post-war roles shifted to radio and navigational training and light transport duties with aircraft such as the de Havilland Devon and Avro Anson under groups administratively linked to RAF Transport Command.

Infrastructure and Facilities

The airfield evolved from grass runways to a mixed surface with blown concrete runways and perimeter tracks reflecting RAF modernization programs similar to work at RAF Coltishall and RAF Leuchars. Typical wartime facilities included hangars of the Bessonneau and later Bellman and Type 'C' designs, a control tower aligned with Ministry of Aircraft Production standards, and dispersed blister hangars for fighter upkeep used elsewhere at stations such as RAF Hornchurch. Technical sites housed workshops and armament stores conforming to standards used across depots like No. 1 Maintenance Unit RAF. Accommodation ranged from Nissen huts to brick married quarters paralleling provision at RAF Swinderby. Air traffic and meteorological services liaised with regional centres including Met Office forecasting units and RAF Signals Command elements.

Accidents and Incidents

Operational hazards at Tern Hill mirrored those across UK airfields, with recorded incidents involving training crashes, night-flying accidents, and ground collisions during high-tempo operations. Notable events involved stall and spin accidents during elementary flying training in types such as the Tiger Moth, and forced landings by operational fighters including Hurricane and Spitfire airframes returning from scrambles tied to Intruder operations. Wartime Luftwaffe raids on nearby infrastructure caused secondary damage and disrupted flying schedules, echoing attacks on installations like RAF Kenley. Post-war safety investigations were conducted under the auspices of the Accidents Investigation Branch and informed broader changes to RAF flying instruction and airfield safety procedures.

Post-military Use and Preservation

After drawdown, parts of the site transitioned to civilian aviation, industrial use, and heritage activities, following trajectories like RAF Duxford and smaller former stations maintained by local trusts. The airfield area hosted light aircraft and flying clubs, echoing community aviation at places such as Shobdon Airfield, while former technical buildings found reuse by contractors and businesses integrated with Shropshire Council economic initiatives. Preservationists and local history groups documented Tern Hill's legacy through museums, memorials, and publications collaborating with organizations like the Imperial War Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum. Ongoing heritage projects aim to maintain wartime structures and record squadron histories connected to personalities and units that served at the station, preserving links to the Battle of Britain Memorial ethos and regional commemorations.

Category:Royal Air Force stations in Shropshire