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Monument Types

• STANTON SHELTER (World War II, World War II - 1939 AD? to 1945 AD?)
• MILITARY AIRFIELD (World War II, World War II to Mid 20th Century - 1943 AD to 1962 AD)

Summary

The airfield was used from 1st June 1943 by a training unit. The Bombing Analysis School was formed there in 1944, and it was the site of Frank Whittle's first jet flight (Power Jets Ltd used the site to test before using Bitteswell). It was sold off after 1965.

Additional Information

The base was home to 29 OTU. The airfield was a USAF base from 15th February 1957 to 28th September 1962. It remains an airfield as well as a vehicle proving ground. Original buildings survive. (See also MLE15962 for information on one of the hangars.)

<1> M Chorlton, 2003, Leicestershire & Rutland Airfields in the Second World War, p72-80 (Bibliographic reference). SLE197.

There is more information in 'Leicestershire & Rutland Airfields'.

<2> Cartwright, T C, 2002, Birds Eye Wartime: Leicestershire 1939-1945 (Bibliographic reference). SLE383.

There is an aerial photograph in 'Birds Eye Wartime'.

<3> Bonser, Roy, 2001, Aviation in Leicestershire and Rutland, p109-126 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1484.

The airfield was used from 1st June 1943 by a training unit. The Bombing Analysis School was formed there in 1944, and it was the site of Frank Whittle's first jet flight (Power Jets Ltd used the site to test before using Bitteswell). It was sold off after 1965.

<4> Barrymore Halpenny, Bruce, 1981, Action Stations Vol 2 - Military airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands (Bibliographic reference). SLE4079.

The airfield opened in November 1942 and housed part of No. 29 Operational Training Unit. This unit flew mainly Wellingtons. In 1943 No. 1683 Bomber Defence Training Flight with an establishment of Tomahawk Iia aircraft took up residence. The airfield was used for a short time in 1945 by Power Jets Ltd for flight testing of the Meteor jet fighter. For a few years it was a redundant airfield, then in 1957 it was re-allocated to the USAF. A single runway 3,400 yards long was built to accept high performance jet bombers. The USAF abandoned the base in 1962 and it became a Vehicle Testing Station.

<5> 2020, Pillbox Study Group (Digital archive). SLE6354.

SP60128800 - "Stanton Shelter."
SP60198804 - "Stanton Shelter."
SP60208841 - "Stanton Shelter. Shown on the 1963 1:2500 OS map."
SP60638926 - "Stanton Shelter. Shown on the 1963 1:2500 OS map."
SK60152060 - "Stanton Shelter. Shown on the 1963 1:2500 OS map."

Sources

Associated Finds

None recorded

Designations

None recorded

Associated Images

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