RNAS Hinstock (HMS Godwit) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Located by the village of Hinstock, in Shropshire in England | |||||||
![]() HMS Godwit | |||||||
Coordinates | 52°49′59″N 2°30′19″W / 52.83306°N 2.50528°W | ||||||
Type | Royal Naval Air Station | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Admiralty Air Ministry | ||||||
Operator | Royal Navy Royal Air Force | ||||||
Controlled by | Fleet Air Arm RAF Maintenance Command | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 1941 | ||||||
In use |
| ||||||
Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||
Garrison information | |||||||
Garrison | Fleet Air Arm | ||||||
Occupants | Central Naval Instrument Flying Training School, with accessory training Advanced Single Engine Conversion & Refresher Flying Training Unit. | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
Elevation | 80 metres (262 ft) AMSL | ||||||
|
Royal Naval Air Station Hinstock (RNAS Hinstock, also known as HMS Godwit) is a former Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm station, located 4 miles (6 km) South West of Market Drayton in Shropshire, England. It was operational between 1941 and 1947, being used by both the Royal Air Force (1941-1942) and the Royal Navy (1942–1947).[1]
The airfield lies 1.75 miles (3 km) West of the village of Hinstock in Shropshire. Stoke on Trent lies 13 miles (21 km) North East and Shrewsbury 11.5 miles (19 km) South West. Birmingham lies 30 miles (48 km) South East.[2]
The airfield opened as RAF Ollerton in 1941 as No. 21 Satellite Landing Ground, as an emergency landing ground for RAF Tern Hill. It was utilised by RAF Maintenance Units[1] and also used as a satellite landing ground for RAF Burtonwood and RAF Shawbury. It was then transferred to the Admiralty who used it from 1942 until 1947, home to a small number of Naval Air Squadrons,[3] known as the Central Naval Instrument Flying Training School,[4] specialising in instrument and blind approach flying training and operating a variety of aircraft. The airfield was closed in February 1947.[3]
The airfield was used by the Royal Air Force during the early years of the Second World War. Initially it was opened to No. 37 MU from RAF Burtonwood, as No. 21 Satellite Landing Ground (SLG) called RAF Ollerton. This followed by No. 27 MU from RAF Shawbury[5] and at some point No. 29 MU from RAF High Ercall. During this initial phase it was a grass airfield.
The following Royal Air Force Maintenance units were stationed here:[6]
RAF Ollerton was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy on 13 August 1942. It was initially called Royal Naval Air Station Ollerton, School for Instruction in Blind Approach and Instrument Flying, but was later renamed to Royal Naval Air Station Hinstock. Upon the admiralty taking control, it was used initially as a satellite airfield for RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap).[2]
It was commissioned on 14 June 1943 as an independent command bearing the ship's name Godwit, with accounts carried in HMS Blackcap. Commander RNVR (P) J. B. W. Pugh, OBE, AFC, was the appointed commanding officer. In July 1943 the runway was rebuilt using heavy steel track. On 1 April 1944 RNAS Hinstock was commissioned as HMS Godwit. Its role was as a training station for the Central Naval Instrument Flying Training School. In connection with the training school it had temporary use of two satellite airfields: RAF Weston Park and RAF Bratton.[2]
The accommodation consisted the Officers quarters at Hinstock Hall, 1.75 miles (2.82 km) east, Ratings quarters at Childs Ercall, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south, and WRNS quarters at Steppes farm, Childs Ercall. The available capacity was for 130 Officers, 363 Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings, 7 WRNS Officers and 144 WRNS Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings.[4][2]