This was a small WW2 explore as we had a free morning and it's not to far from us. I'm fascinated by all thing WW2 so while there wasn't a massive amount to see what was left was interesting.
History - The site at Cranage was chosen for use as a training station and aircraft maintenance unit in August 1939. Originally just a grass airfield, three runways were later built from American metal plank. The airfield unusually had eight blister hangars for maintenance use.
The first flying unit was No.2 School of Air Navigation RAF which was formed on 21 October 1940. It operated the twin-engined Avro Anson for training navigators. In 1942 the unit was renamed the Central Navigation School and the strength was increased to 58 Ansons, they were joined two years later by a number of Vickers Wellingtons in the same role.
As well as the training role, the airfield also housed an operational squadron from December 1940 with the formation of 96 Squadron which was equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. This unit operated in the night air-defence role, mainly in the protection of the industrial and port areas of Liverpool. 96 Squadron was command by Edward crew, prior to his role commanding the squadron he shot down 15 enemy aircraft and was one of the top-scoring aces against the V-1 flying bomb.
A Vickers-Armstrong shadow factory assembling Wellingtons, was situated at Byley but close to the airfield. The completed aircraft would be towed from the factory to the airfield for their first flight and onward delivery. In July 1942 1531 Flight was formed as a Beam Approach Training Flight using the Airspeed Oxford Aircrew were taught the techniques of the-then new airfield approach aid. A US Army Air Force liaison flight, operating Sentinels, also worked from the site in 1944.
For a small airfield, without hard surface runways, Cranage was home to eighteen different types of aircraft.
Explore - This place is a chilled out explore. As with many of these sites it's spread across a large area of fields and farms. The only exception to this is the battle HQ and light machine gun post which is in the middle of a fenced compound for exercising dogs run by a company called Safe and Hound. It caters to dog's who have difficulty around people or other dogs so if anyone decides to have a look it's probably best to make sure the field isn't in use. The battle HQ is interesting, it is in relatively good condition and is a scheduled monument along with the other defensive positions on the site.
Aerial view of the base prior to demolition:
As it is now on google maps with the stuff we found marked:
Battle HQ:
Light machine gun and anti-aircraft post:
Underground ammunition store for machine gun post:
One of the remaining taxi-ways, running to what was runway 4:
Pillboxes:
I'm unsure what this building is. From the listing on scheduled monuments i think it's some kind of sleeping quarters:
Thanks for looking.
History - The site at Cranage was chosen for use as a training station and aircraft maintenance unit in August 1939. Originally just a grass airfield, three runways were later built from American metal plank. The airfield unusually had eight blister hangars for maintenance use.
The first flying unit was No.2 School of Air Navigation RAF which was formed on 21 October 1940. It operated the twin-engined Avro Anson for training navigators. In 1942 the unit was renamed the Central Navigation School and the strength was increased to 58 Ansons, they were joined two years later by a number of Vickers Wellingtons in the same role.
As well as the training role, the airfield also housed an operational squadron from December 1940 with the formation of 96 Squadron which was equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. This unit operated in the night air-defence role, mainly in the protection of the industrial and port areas of Liverpool. 96 Squadron was command by Edward crew, prior to his role commanding the squadron he shot down 15 enemy aircraft and was one of the top-scoring aces against the V-1 flying bomb.
A Vickers-Armstrong shadow factory assembling Wellingtons, was situated at Byley but close to the airfield. The completed aircraft would be towed from the factory to the airfield for their first flight and onward delivery. In July 1942 1531 Flight was formed as a Beam Approach Training Flight using the Airspeed Oxford Aircrew were taught the techniques of the-then new airfield approach aid. A US Army Air Force liaison flight, operating Sentinels, also worked from the site in 1944.
For a small airfield, without hard surface runways, Cranage was home to eighteen different types of aircraft.
Explore - This place is a chilled out explore. As with many of these sites it's spread across a large area of fields and farms. The only exception to this is the battle HQ and light machine gun post which is in the middle of a fenced compound for exercising dogs run by a company called Safe and Hound. It caters to dog's who have difficulty around people or other dogs so if anyone decides to have a look it's probably best to make sure the field isn't in use. The battle HQ is interesting, it is in relatively good condition and is a scheduled monument along with the other defensive positions on the site.
Aerial view of the base prior to demolition:
As it is now on google maps with the stuff we found marked:
Battle HQ:
Light machine gun and anti-aircraft post:
Underground ammunition store for machine gun post:
One of the remaining taxi-ways, running to what was runway 4:
Pillboxes:
I'm unsure what this building is. From the listing on scheduled monuments i think it's some kind of sleeping quarters:
Thanks for looking.
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