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The only flying unit on the airfield after the war was No. 190 Gliding School which was formed in May 1945 and operated from the site for two years. With their departure, flying ceased at
Cranage. The airfield was used for storage and maintenance until it closed in 1958.
368:
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.
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unveiled plans to store gas in the former salt brine caverns underneath the site. Despite appeals, this was granted in 2004 and work started soon after. Work progressed slowly due to the appeals process and also due to
Scottish Power selling the concern to
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51:
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Since the closure of the station, the M6 has been built and it cuts through the former north east corner of the airfield. The Air
Defences around the site are well preserved and were listed in 2002.
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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
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RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912
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As well as the training role, the airfield also housed an operational squadron from
December 1940 with the formation of
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399:. This unit operated in the night air-defence role, mainly in the protection of the industrial and port areas of
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718:. The caverns were first supplied with gas for storage in 2011, with full capacity reached in 2013.
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and the strength was increased to 58 Ansons, they were joined two years later by a number of
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871:"World War II defences of the former airfield of RAF Cranage (Grade N/A) (1020762)"
710:
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1703:
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345:
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1114:"ScottishPower sells underground natural gas storage unit for [pounds]96m"
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529:
422:. Aircrew were taught the techniques of the-then new airfield approach aid. A
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which was formed on 21 October 1940. It operated the twin-engined
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Action
Stations 3: Military airfields of Wales and the North-West
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838:
1324:
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Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United
Kingdom
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The caverns can store up to 6 billion cubic feet of gas.
1292:
Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912
635:
No. 20 Personnel
Transit Centre (April 1947 - December 1954)
1235:
Action
Stations Revisited Volume 5; Wales and the Midlands
380:
for training navigators. In 1942 the unit was renamed the
772:
770:
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was formed as a Beam
Approach Training Flight using the
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shadow factory assembling Wellingtons, was situated at
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No. 90 Initial Training Wing (FE) (May - October 1944)
604:
No. 4 Air Crew Holding Unit (June 1945 - August 1946)
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731:List of scheduled monuments in Cheshire since 1539
600:The following units were also here at some point:
1273:Royal Air Force flying training and support units
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1059:
1047:
1035:
1023:
1008:
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659:United States Army Air Forces units and aircraft
1271:Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997).
56:Disused buildings on the former airfield (2017)
1336:
8:
563:No. 1531 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
1373:
1343:
1329:
1321:
1193:Cheshire Airfields in the Second World War
20:
788:
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642:No. 422 (Fighter Interception) Flight RAF
623:No. 11 Service Flying Training School RAF
861:
859:
759:
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630:No. 12 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
616:No. 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
609:No. 5 Service Flying Training School RAF
441:
1108:
1106:
977:Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust
911:
899:
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1714:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
536:Renamed the Central Navigation School
348:. It was located just to the North of
1637:List of equipment of the RAF Regiment
947:
825:
499:No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron
430:, also worked from the site in 1944.
7:
1857:Royal Air Force stations in Cheshire
1831:
960:Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997
936:Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997
924:Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997
16:Former RAF base in Cheshire, England
1538:Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service
1290:Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007).
74:
1778:Combined Cadet Force (RAF section)
1195:. Newbury, UK: Countryside Books.
876:National Heritage List for England
522:No. 2 School of Air Navigation RAF
14:
1085:"How can 10,000 people be wrong?"
1830:
1694:Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
1294:. UK: Air-Britain (Historians).
1275:. UK: Air-Britain (Historians).
1237:. Manchester: Crecy Publishing.
238:European theatre of World War II
73:
66:
50:
26:
1788:RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
1668:List of serving senior officers
1256:. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens.
653:No. 2787 Squadron RAF Regiment
648:No. 2778 Squadron RAF Regiment
374:No. 2 School of Air Navigation
1:
542:Central Navigation School RAF
424:United States Army Air Forces
1176:. UK: Ian Allan Publishing.
1174:RAF Airfields of World War 2
1072:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
1060:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
1048:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
1036:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
1024:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
1009:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
997:Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007
618:(April 1944 - February 1945)
1563:RAF Mountain Rescue Service
1558:RAF Search and Rescue Force
583:No. 61 Maintenance Unit RAF
180:RAF Flying Training Command
1878:
1719:Warrant Officer of the RAF
1414:Operational Training units
1140:"Holford gas Storage News"
806:www.forgottenairfields.com
625:(September - October 1941)
621:Relief Landing Ground for
614:Relief Landing Ground for
607:Relief Landing Ground for
426:liaison flight, operating
372:The first flying unit was
1811:
1663:List of notable personnel
1594:Royal Auxiliary Air Force
1460:Satellite Landing Grounds
1358:
461:
382:Central Navigation School
320: Sommerfeld Tracking
312: Sommerfeld Tracking
292:
287:
282:
278:
61:
49:
35:
1798:RAF Football Association
1699:Air Member for Personnel
1419:Schools / Training units
1191:Ferguson, Aldon (2008).
839:"Welcome to RAF Cranage"
680:No. 14 Liaison Squadron
395:which was equipped with
271:50 metres (164 ft)
222:October 1940 - June 1945
1709:Air Member for Materiel
1233:McLelland, Tim (2012).
331:Royal Air Force Cranage
438:RAF units and aircraft
1599:RAF Volunteer Reserve
1252:Smith, David (1981).
1210:Jefford, C G (1988).
1172:Falconer, J. (2012).
843:www.rafcranage.org.uk
506:Boulton Paul Defiant
428:Stinson L-5 Sentinels
87:Shown within Cheshire
1632:List of RAF missiles
1615:List of RAF aircraft
1533:RAF Medical Services
1518:RAF Chaplains Branch
687:Stinson L-5 Sentinel
487:Boulton Paul Defiant
344:operated during the
244:Airfield information
1793:RAF Benevolent Fund
1728:symbols and uniform
1361:Ministry of Defence
1316:Middlewich Heritage
705:Holford Gas Storage
463:No. 96 Squadron RAF
386:Vickers Wellingtons
303:Sommerfeld Tracking
186:RAF Fighter Command
113: /
1773:Air Training Corps
1689:Chief of Air Staff
1553:RAF Music Services
552:Vickers Wellington
408:Vickers-Armstrongs
388:in the same role.
293:Length and surface
176:Controlled by
117:53.2210°N 2.4013°W
1844:
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1673:Personnel numbers
1568:RAF Marine Branch
1548:RAF ground trades
1494:
1493:
1202:978-1-85306-927-7
1183:978-1-85780-349-5
1089:Chester Chronicle
973:"Cranage (Byley)"
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397:Hawker Hurricanes
342:Satellite station
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137:Satellite station
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1764:associated civil
1528:RAF Legal Branch
1523:RAF Intelligence
1409:Conversion units
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1301:978-0851-3036-59
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512:Detachment from
471:Hawker Hurricane
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346:Second World War
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151:Site information
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122:53.2210; -2.4013
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644:(December 1940)
632:(February 1945)
571:Airspeed Oxford
550:
478:Night-fighter.
440:
420:Airspeed Oxford
366:
339:Royal Air Force
333:or more simply
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192:No. 9 Group RAF
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170:Royal Air Force
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1120:. 28 July 2005
1118:HeraldScotland
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1147:eonenergy.com
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1091:. 25 May 2004
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1026:, p. 34.
1025:
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999:, p. 43.
998:
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978:
974:
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950:, p. 70.
949:
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937:
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925:
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913:
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902:, p. 53.
901:
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868:
862:
860:
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844:
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834:
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1151:. Retrieved
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198:Site history
160:Air Ministry
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1658:Other ranks
1424:Ferry units
1218:: Airlife.
416:1531 Flight
393:96 Squadron
335:RAF Cranage
249:Identifiers
219:In use
183:1940, 1941-
120: /
96:Coordinates
81:RAF Cranage
24:RAF Cranage
1851:Categories
1803:RAF Museum
1578:Operations
1543:RAF Police
1501:components
1434:Misc units
1368:formations
1263:0850594855
1216:Shrewsbury
948:Smith 1981
826:Smith 1981
737:References
587:1945-1954
567:1942-1945
549:Avro Anson
546:1942-1944
530:Avro Anson
526:1940-1942
503:1940-1941
483:1940-1941
467:1940-1941
378:Avro Anson
350:Middlewich
105:53°13′16″N
38:Middlewich
1646:personnel
1608:equipment
1481:Squadrons
1399:Squadrons
1370:and units
802:"Cranage"
742:Citations
709:In 2000,
672:Aircraft
514:RAF Jurby
451:Aircraft
401:Liverpool
289:Direction
268:Elevation
108:2°24′05″W
1821:timeline
1745:Roundels
1469:Regiment
1443:stations
1384:Commands
1153:29 March
1124:29 March
1095:29 March
982:24 April
882:29 March
848:29 March
811:29 March
725:See also
454:Variant
354:Cheshire
261:SJ733694
166:Operator
42:Cheshire
1836:commons
1816:history
1750:Uniform
1620:current
1486:Flights
1404:Flights
716:E.ON UK
364:History
358:England
283:Runways
224: (
208: (
188:1940-41
1826:future
1735:Ensign
1625:future
1455:Former
1450:Active
1389:Groups
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683:1944-
675:Notes
669:Dates
457:Notes
448:Dates
301:
1740:Badge
1476:Wings
1394:Wings
1377:units
1143:(PDF)
666:Unit
590:None
445:Unit
412:Byley
317:00/00
309:00/00
298:00/00
203:Built
156:Owner
1296:ISBN
1277:ISBN
1258:ISBN
1239:ISBN
1220:ISBN
1197:ISBN
1178:ISBN
1155:2017
1126:2017
1097:2017
984:2023
884:2017
850:2017
813:2017
273:AMSL
226:1945
210:1939
206:1939
143:Code
133:Type
253:WMO
214:/40
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