RAF Southam

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Coordinates: 52°15′03″N 001°22′25″W / 52.25083°N 1.37361°W / 52.25083; -1.37361
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RAF Southam
Southam, Warwickshire in England
DH-82A Tiger Moth
RAF Southam is located in Warwickshire
RAF Southam
RAF Southam
Shown within Warwickshire
RAF Southam is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Southam
RAF Southam
RAF Southam (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates52°15′03″N 001°22′25″W / 52.25083°N 1.37361°W / 52.25083; -1.37361
TypeRelief Landing Ground
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Flying Training Command
Site history
Built1940 (1940)
In use1940 – 1944 (1944)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation85 metres (279 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
09/27 645 metres (2,116 ft) Grass

RAF Southam is a former Royal Air Force relief landing ground (RLG)[1] located 0.7 miles (1.1 km) east of Southam, Warwickshire, England and 7.3 miles (11.7 km) south east of Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England.

The airfield opened in 1940 and was mainly used by 9 Elementary Flying Training School[2] training pilots. The airfield closed 18 December 1944.[3]

Based units[edit]

No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School (9 EFTS) using Tiger Moths. The School was mainly based at RAF Ansty but Southam was used as a satellite station and operated from 3 September 1939 until 31 March 1944.[2]

No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (18(P)AFU) flew Airspeed Oxfords and Boulton Paul Defiants mostly from RAF Church Lawford but also from other sites including RAF Hockley Heath and Southam. The unit operated from 27 October 1942 until 29 May 1945.[2]

Accidents and incidents[edit]

Date Incident Reference
14 July 1941 Tiger Moth T6236 of 9 EFTS crashed after overshooting. [4]
31 January 1943 Auster LB346 of No. 654 Squadron RAF was blown away in a gale at Southam and damaged beyond repair. [5]
15 July 1943 Vickers Wellington HF812 of No. 22 Operational Training Unit RAF crash landed with a failed engine. [6]

Current use[edit]

There is now a housing estate and Southam Town Council owned community hall on the site of the airfield, known as Flying Fields. Many of the street names are named after WW2 aircraft types and a large metal sculpture of a Wellington bomber stands at the entrance of the estate.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Airfields". Wartime Memories Project. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Military flying units in the south west Midlands". Aviation Archaeology. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  3. ^ "RAF Southam". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south-west midlands during 1941". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south-west midlands during 1943". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Aviation Archaeology – crashes in the south-west midlands during 1943". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 18 April 2012.

External links[edit]

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