RAF Worcester explained

RAF Worcester
Ensign:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Ensign Size:90px
Location:Worcester, Worcestershire
Country:England
Pushpin Map:Worcestershire
Pushpin Map Caption:Shown within Worcestershire
Pushpin Label:RAF Worcester
Ownership:Air Ministry
Operator:Royal Air Force
Controlledby:RAF Flying Training Command
Used:1940-
Battles:Second World War
Elevation:30m (100feet)
R1-Number:12/30
R1-Length:900m (3,000feet)
R1-Surface:Grass

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.

Posted units

The following units were here at some point:[1]

Accidents and incidents

5 June 1940 Bristol Blenheim L1232 of No. 5 Operational Training Unit overshot at night and hit a house.[2]

17 October 1941 de Havilland Tiger Moth T5856 of No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) crashed when landing.[3]

15 July 1942 Miles Magister R1956 of No. 6 Flying Instructors School (FIS) hit a gunpost on take-off.[4]

September 1942 Douglas Dakota en route from Pershore with a film crew crashed blocking the Bilford Road. The co-pilot was the American film actor Clark Gable who was involved with a planned gunnery training film.[5]

16 May 1943 Airspeed Oxford R9983 of No. 15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF crashed on takeoff.[6]

Postwar

Between 1954 and 1968 a Spitfire was used as a gate guard at the site. Since 2005 the spitfire in question has been in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.[7]

The airfield has been turned into Perdiswell Park and Ravenmeadow Golf Course.[1]

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Worcester II (Perdiswell) . Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. 27 May 2020.
  2. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1940.htm Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south west midlands during 1940
  3. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1941.htm Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south west midlands during 1941
  4. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1942.htm Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south west midlands during 1942
  5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2005/10/12/clarke_gable_perdiswell_feature.shtml Clarke Gable Perdiswell Feature – BBC
  6. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1943.htm Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south west midlands during 1943
  7. News: Banner . Tom . 18 August 2020 . What happened to the Worcester Spitfire? Iconic plane's story revealed . Worcester News  . 29 September 2023.