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Wheaton Aston Air Field to be commemorated

PRESS RELEASE
13 September 2024
Distinguished West Midlands airfields Hixon, Rednal and Wheaton Aston to be honoured with the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust’s latest memorials
As a result of long planning and co-operation between the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT) – the world’s first national airfield charity – and various more local elements, and following very successful similar unveilings in the same general area during April 2024, three further memorials will be unveiled during Wednesday to Friday 25-27 September 2024 to commemorate Hixon, Rednal and Wheaton Aston Airfields.
Hixon in Staffordshire originally opened in May 1942 as a major RAF bomber training airfield, becoming home to No 30 Operational Training Unit (OTU) which operated mainly Vickers Wellingtons for vital advanced instructional duties to support RAF Bomber Command. For most of its time here, the OTU’s satellite airfield was Seighford, where ABCT unveiled a similar memorial in April 2024. Eventually No 30 OTU transferred to Gamston in Nottinghamshire in February 1945, replaced by No 12 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit of RAF Flying Training Command which stayed here until disbandment in June of that year. Subsequently No 16 Maintenance Unit used Hixon for equipment storage up to November 1957. Today a major industrial estate, much remains of this airfield which is still significantly remembered.
Rednal in Shropshire similarly became an extremely important advanced training airfield during World War Two, though in this instance involving fighters. Once opened in April 1942, No 61 Operational Training Unit quickly moved from famous Greater London airfield Heston to primarily operate Supermarine Spitfires, though US-built North American Mustangs also began to appear in strength towards the end of World War Two; Montford Bridge acted as a satellite airfield. After over three years of intensive use, the OTU moved to Keevil in Wiltshire during June 1945, after which Rednal finally closed in April 1946. This airfield is still particularly tangible today, being used in diverse industrial and leisure activity roles, with a considerable amount of its original infrastructure continuing to be readily evident.
Wheaton Aston in Staffordshire during World War Two was originally meant to assist Hixon but instead initially became from December 1941 a Relief Landing Ground to famous Shropshire airfield Shawbury. At first assisting No 11 Service Flying Training School and its successor No 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, this airfield from August 1943 gained independence to act as home to No 21 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit. Twin-engined Airspeed Oxford trainers predominated throughout the airfield’s life up to this unit’s departure in December 1946, the airfield being so heavily used it was at one point one of Britain’s busiest airfields. Closed in July 1947, Wheaton Aston now mostly sees agricultural use but as with the two other airfields much of the landing area and original buildings are still in place to provide most helpful everyday social service.

All three memorials are of the main full-sized standardised design already widely utilised by ABCT https://www.abct.org.uk/airfield-markers/marker-programme/. The charity’s objective in this regard is to eventually commemorate each known major airfield in the United Kingdom with one of two forms of standardised granite memorial. Well over 200 have already been unveiled – following huge national public demand for them – to clearly major effect, with hundreds more being planned.

Event details as follows:
Hixon Airfield
https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/hixon/
Wednesday 25 September 2024, 10.30 am, close to entrance of Hixon Airfield Industrial Estate off New Road on SE side of airfield, NW of Hixon village, NE of Stafford
Postcode (nearest) ST18 0PE, What3Words: ultra.dented.blueberry
Rednal Airfield
https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/rednal/
Thursday 26 September 2024, 10.30 am, close to entrance of Rednal Karting on SW side of airfield alongside Grimpo Road, SE of Rednal hamlet and NE of West Felton, E of Oswestry
Postcode SY11 4HS, What3Words: pioneered.blown.thudded
Wheaton Aston Airfield
https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/wheaton-aston/
Friday 27 September 2024, 10.30 am, on SW side of airfield, at junction of Sweetplace Lane/Marston Road/Little Onn Road, between Wheaton Aston and Church Eaton villages, SW of Stafford
Postcode (nearest) ST20 0FN, What3Words: rooms.tracks.narrating
Also see ABCT’s extremely popular 3,500 pages website https://www.abct.org.uk and associated social media pages for further details.

Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT)