View source for RAF Meir

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = RAF Meir
| ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
| ensign_size = 90px
| native_name =
| partof = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location = [[Stoke-on-Trent]], Staffordshire
| nearest_town = <!-- used in military test site infobox -->
| country = England
| image =
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| image2 = <!--secondary image, major command emblems for airfields -->
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| coordinates = {{Coord|52|58|13|N|2|05|45|W|display=inline,title}}
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| pushpin_map = Staffordshire
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| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Staffordshire
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| pushpin_label = RAF Meir
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| ownership = [[Air Ministry]]
| operator = [[Royal Air Force]]
| controlledby = [[RAF Flying Training Command]]
| open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
| site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| site_other = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types etc -->
| site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc -->
| code = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US -->
| built = {{Start date|1920}}
| used = 1920-{{End date|1973}}
| builder =
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| height = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level -->
| length = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs -->
| fate = <!--changed from demolished parameter-->
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| battles = [[World War II|Second World War]]
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| current_commander = <!-- current commander -->
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group -->
| occupants = <!-- squadrons only -->
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| footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code -->
<!-- begin airfield information  -->
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| elevation = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
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| airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| airfield_other = <!-- for other sorts of airfield facilities -->
<!--  end airfield information   -->
}}
'''Royal Air Force Meir''' or more simply '''RAF Meir''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] station located in [[Stoke-on-Trent]], [[Staffordshire]], England.
==Formation==
In the late 1920s, [[Stoke-on-Trent]], like many towns and cities in the UK, felt a need for a municipal airport, and after considering several sites, selected a site at [[Meir, Staffordshire]].{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=129}} The airfield opened on 18 May 1934, and was used by the North Staffordshire Aero Club.{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=122}} Scheduled airline services at Meir began on 12 August 1935, with [[Railway Air Services]]' [[Croydon Airport|Croyden]]–[[Belfast]]–[[Glasgow]] route, using [[de Havilland DH.86]] airliners, calling at Meir on request.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=129}}{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=122}} On 11 September 1937, Meir Aerodrome was used as a turning point for the final of the [[King's Cup (air race)|King's Cup air race]].{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=122}}{{sfn|Lewis|1970|pp=299, 302–305}}
On 1 August 1938, the aerodrome gained a new role when [[No. 28 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF]] (28 E&RFTS) was formed. The Elementary and Reserve schools were civilian ran units with RAF instructors and aircraft, which provided basic training during weekdays with [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve|Volunteer Reserve]] pilots flying during the weekends. 28 E&RFTS was run by [[Reid and Sigrist]], and operated the [[Miles Magister]] elementary trainer, [[Hawker Hart]] and [[Hawker Hind]] advanced trainers and the [[Avro Anson]] twin-engined trainer.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=130–131}} Meir lost its scheduled air service in 1939.{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=122}}
==Second World War==
The [[United Kingdom declaration of war on Germany (1939)|declaration of war against Germany]] on 3 September 1939 prohibited private flying, and as a result, the civilian-ran Elementary and Reserve schools were shut down.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=131}} Meir was unused for several months until February 1940 when the advanced party for what would become No. 1 Practice Flying Unit (1 PFU) arrived. This was intended to receive pilots who had graduated from Flying Training Schools and keep them current in flying practice until they could be posted to operational units. The unit was planned to accommodate 240 pilots (120 officers and 120 sergeant pilots), and so needed a large inventory of aircraft - the planned establishment was over 50 aircraft, while in practice the unit had about 40 [[Hawker Hector]]s and Hinds, together with some [[de Havilland Dominie]]s and [[Gloster Gladiator]]s. Little flying was done, consisting mainly of training with locally based army units, and 1 PFU was disbanded on 16 June 1940, with its role being taken over by [[List of Royal Air Force Operational Training Units|Operational Training Unit]]s (OTUs).{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=131–133}}{{sfn|Smith|1981|pp=122–123}}{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=251}}
The PFU was replaced at Meir by the [[Miles Magister]]s of [[No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School RAF|5 Elementary Flying Training School]] (5 EFTS) which moved in from [[London Air Park|Hanworth]] in [[Middlesex]], which was vulnerable to enemy action. 5 EFTS started operations at Meir on 17 June.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=133–134}}{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=123}} While instructors and civilian personnel were housed in nearby requisitioned houses, pupils were accommodated at [[Longton Town Hall]], in poor conditions and {{convert|2|mi|km}} from the airfield. In October 1940, the situation was improved when Meir Drill hall, only {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} from the airfield was handed over from the Army to the RAF, and used to house pupils for 5 EFTS.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=134}} As winter came, operations from Meir were hindered by parts of the grass landing ground turning to mud, and poor visibility due to [[smog]] from the industry of [[the Potteries]]. The proximity of high ground to the airfield also caused problems for trainee pilots, and [[RAF Abbots Bromley]] was used as a relief landing ground for Meir.{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=123}}{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=135–136}} In October 1941, in an order to reduce congestion, 5 EFTS was downgraded from a Class A unit, handling 120 pupils and having an establishment of 72 aircraft, to a Class B unit with 90 pupils and 54 aircraft.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=140}}{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=105}} 5 EFTS was disbanded on 23 December 1941,{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=140}}{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=105}} with Meir continuing as a relief landing ground for [[No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School RAF|16 Elementary Flying Training School]] (16 EFTS) based at [[Derby Airport (England)|RAF Burnaston]], [[Derby]].{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=123}} In August 1942, [[No. 45 Gliding School RAF|45 Gliding School]], operating at weekends for the rest of the war.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=140–141}}
==Shadow factory==
In late 1941, construction began of a [[British shadow factories|Shadow Factory]] for production of aircraft at nearby [[Blythe Bridge]]. The factory was allocated to be operated by [[Rootes Group]], and initially was employed in building Bristol Blenheims, which after completion, would be taxied the {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} to RAF Meir for flight testing.{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=123}}{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=141–142}} In order to support operations of Blenheims, which were much heavier than the Magister, a {{convert|3000|ft|m}} long x {{convert|150|ft|m}} wide concrete runway was built. The Blenheim IV was produced at Blythe Bridge from May to October 1942, with production then switching to the Blenheim V, which was built until June 1943.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=142–143}} In January 1943, a second type, the [[Bristol Beaufighter]] entered production at the Blythe Bridge factory, starting with the Beaufighter VI, and later changing to the Beaufighter TF.X torpedo bomber.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=143–144}}
In 1944, the factory gained the task of modifying [[North American Mustang]] fighters and [[North American Harvard]] trainers, received from America under the [[Lend-Lease]] scheme, for use by the RAF.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|pp=144–145}} Aircraft work at the Blythe Bridge factory ended in September 1945,{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=123}} although Rootes continued to operate the factory.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=148}}
==Post war operations==
Following the end of the Second World War, civil flying returned, with a few light aircraft using the airfield, while Staffordshire Potteries used it as a base for executive aircraft.{{sfn|Smith|1981|p=123}}{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=148}} 45 Gliding School remained at the airfield, and was renamed [[No. 632 Gliding School RAF|632 Gliding School]] on 1 September 1955.{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=148}}{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=164}} The RAF finally left the airfield for good in 1963, when 632 Gliding School moved to [[RAF Tern Hill]].{{sfn|Chorlton|2007|p=148}}{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=169}}
Meir Aerodrome closed in the early 1970s<ref>{{cite book |first=Roger |last=Lycett-Smith |title=Airfield Focus 34: Stoke on Trent (Meir) |place=Peterborough |publisher=GMS Enterprises |year=1998 |isbn=1-870384-68-7}}</ref> and the site has now become the Meir Park housing estate. The earlier parts have mainly aviation-associated street names. The last official flight was on 16 August 1973 when Fred Holdcroft flew a Piper Tri-Pacer carrying a ''[[The Sentinel (Staffordshire)|Sentinel]]'' journalist to Manchester.<ref>{{cite news |first=Geoff |last=Holdcroft |title=My father made last flight from Meir |publisher=The Sentinel |date=9 May 2006}}</ref> The last unofficial flight "a year or two" later by Eric Clutton was in a home-made folding machine called [[Clutton-Tabenor FRED|FRED]] (Flying Runabout Experimental Design) which the pilot towed home behind his car.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Cartlidge |title=FRED deserves flight accolade |publisher=The Sentinel |date=15 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Eric |last=Clutton |title=An Aeroplane called FRED |location= Tullahoma, Tennessee |year=2003}}</ref>
==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |last=Chorlton |first=Martyn |title=Staffordshire Airfields in the Second World War |year=2007 |location=Newbury, UK |publisher=Countryside Books |isbn=978-1-84674-056-5}}
* {{cite book |last1=Lake |first1=A |title= Flying units of the RAF |year=1999 |publisher= Airlife |location= [[Shrewsbury]] |isbn= 1-84037-086-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Peter |title=British Racing and Record Breaking Aircraft |year=1970 |location=London |publisher=Putnam |isbn=0-370-00067-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=David J. |title=Action Stations: 3. Military airfields of Wales and the North-West |year=1981 |location=Cambridge |publisher=Patrick Stephens Limited |isbn=0-85059-485-5}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sturtivant |first1=Ray |last2=Hamlin |first2=John |last3=Halley |first3=James J. |title=Royal Air Force Flying Training and Support Units |year=1997 |location=Tunbridge Well, UK |publisher=Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. |isbn=0-85130-252-1}}
{{Royal Air Force}}
[[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Staffordshire|Meir]]