ww2 airfields in manchester

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16 years 5 months

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i have a friend living in manchester who has mentioned that he lives on the outskirts of an old airfield, but he cant find any information on it, however he doesnt think its an RAF Base, can anyone help listing the names of airfields in and around manchester with locations please??

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15 years 11 months

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Whereabouts in Manchester, and I'll have a look for you

Steve

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around the middleton area, just to the west i believe

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15 years 11 months

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Middleton as in nearer Rochdale? If so, I have nothing for miles around, on my usually very reliable map.

If you mean another Middleton in west Manchester (which my map does not show me), could be X4NW Newton le Willows (now Haydock Park), EGCB Manchester (still a grass strip airfield) or X4WY Withenshaw (now the M60!), or it could be X4LD Lymm Dam (now agriculture)

Can you be any more specific as to area, postcode for example or road name?

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from the information told to me....he was in the ERV driving round manchester at the time (hes a paramedic) he explained that it was middleton just to the west of the M62 Pic attached..let me know if its any good

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15 years 11 months

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I cannot see anything in the whole screenshot, and as I say, it's usually pretty accurate.

Sorry, maybe someone else knows better?

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u wont be able to in the screen shot, but thats the area he gave me and told me too look west of middleton and up the M62, there is litterally just a tiny bit of grass and he said it was the only remains of the airfield

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16 years 7 months

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Chadderton maybe?

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15 years 11 months

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u wont be able to in the screen shot, but thats the area he gave me and told me too look west of middleton and up the M62, there is litterally just a tiny bit of grass and he said it was the only remains of the airfield

I didn't mean I was looking at the screen shot! :D

Pagen - was there a strip at Chadderton or was it just a factory which shipped fuselages out by road to Woodford? In any case, Scott's friend should know, because its a BAe site now?

Down the M62 is X4HD Huddersfield, thats still an airstrip though.

Ah, I think I have it. Do you mean Middleton south of Leeds? If so, X0MI Middleton, WWI use only, strip opened in 1916, located just off Ring Road Middleton, now housing, football pitches and some warehousing. I can't find any other history than that

Quite a long way from Middleton, Manchester though!

Steve

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when he gets online ill get an exact location :)

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wcfcfan, it was just a factory, but wondering if the aviation link was what his friend might be on about.

Was / is Half Penny Green in the area? That was an old WWII airfield.

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15 years 11 months

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wcfcfan, it was just a factory, but wondering if the aviation link was what his friend might be on about.

Was / is Half Penny Green in the area? That was an old WWII airfield.

You mean 'Wolverhampton International Business Spaceport' as someone on here referred to it not long ago :D Sorry, I forget who it was, or I would have quoted you.

As stated above, its near Wolverhampton.

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24 years 2 months

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I think you are referring to this area, Bader drive, heywood, ol10.

There are some military style buildings, but i'm not sure it was an airfield.

Just found this RAF NO 35 MU HEADQUARTERS HEYWOOD

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I think you are referring to this area, Bader drive, heywood, ol10.

There are some military style buildings, but i'm not sure it was an airfield.

Just found this RAF NO 35 MU HEADQUARTERS HEYWOOD

Taken from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/68/a2195868.shtml

When I went before a Selection Board at the Air Ministry for my commission I asked if it were possible to take a commission as an Equipment Officer. This request was granted and I was chosen as one of the first WAAF’s to go on an Equipment course at Grange Over Sands in Lancashire. I passed the course successfully and was posted to Manchester to No. 35 M.U.
(Maintenance Unit). This was not an RAF Station but a civilian-manned unit at Heywood. The H.Q. was in Heywood itself but the various sites, which stocked balloon equipment, aircraft spares and motor transport spares etc. covered an area up to 10 - 15 miles.

http://www.meteorflight.com/histories/wl168.htm

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You mean 'Wolverhampton International Business Spaceport' as someone on here referred to it not long ago :D Sorry, I forget who it was, or I would have quoted you.

As stated above, its near Wolverhampton.

Blimey, I am behind the times!

Sounds like Philh has got it.

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15 years 11 months

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Sounds like Philh has got it.

I'm tempted to agree. Presumably would have been an air strip as well if it was a Maintenance Unit? Strangle if it was, as I've not got it down as one.

Steve

Edit - Just read that quote from the BBC site, sounds like it was not an airfield

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Not nescesarily wcfcfan, there were some MUs that weren't based on airfields, more to do with storage and training I believe.

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You mean 'Wolverhampton International Business Spaceport' as someone on here referred to it not long ago :D Sorry, I forget who it was, or I would have quoted you.

Wolverhampton Intergalactic Business Spaceport. Get it right. ;)

It may well have been me, but it was only reportage, not of my devising.

That name came into common use amongst the GA community when the field got pretensions of grandeur and renamed itself about three times in a year getting more ludicrously inflated and pompous each time.

Moggy

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AIRFIELDS NEAR MANCHESTER

It is possible that the remains of the airfield are what was RAF BOWLEE. I remember it as such but do not remember seeing any flying there. It may have been a balloon unit. I seem to recollect that it became a sub-site of RAF Heywood (possibly No 7 site) until final closure (late 50s or early 60s?).

RAF Heywood was the home of No 35 Maintenance Unit, one of the "Big Five" depots (the others were 7MU, Quedgeley (Glos) 25MU, Hartlebury (Worcs), 16MU Stafford, and 14MU, Carlisle.

Although largely civilian manned (it was known locally as the "Air Ministry"!), RAF Heywood was a self-accounting RAF station with a Group Captain commanding, two wing commanders and a handful of junior officers. It closed in 1967.

I hope this helps!