Monument record 4091 - RNAS Stretton/HMS Blackcap Airfield

<1> John Woodside, Various, Bones Aviation Page, 30/06/2003 (Web Site). SCH4445.

Despite the M56 ploughing right through the airfield a lot of it is still intact. It is now referred to as Appleton and is used primarily for vehicle testing. The runway would still be usable by a light aircraft in an emergency although the surface would be a bit rough - only the perimeter track is maintained. Opened in 1942 and run as Royal Navy HMS Blackcap AMU in December 1944.

<2> Tom Feise, 1999/2001, Bases of the 8th and 9th USAAF , the RAF and others in Britian, 11/07/2003 (Web Site). SCH4447.

The airfield was shut in 1958.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2001, 20th Century Defences in Britain : An Introductory Guide (Book). SCH4453.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1995-2017, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 Scale Map (Maps and Plans). SCH2427.

From the Ordnance survey maps; the main runway seems to have been extended to the East at some time.

<5> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

Airfields built by the Royal Navy followed different standards than the Royal Air Force (see 3). This resulted in different looking airfields. The main difference from an aesthetic point is that the Royal Navy Airfields had four intersecting runways instead of three. Also the Royal Air Force runways were 20 yards (23.30m) wider, at 50 yards wide (45.75m). These two facts together strongly suggest that the airfield at Stretton was constructed by the RAF, as the airfield is A-Shaped, with three 50 yard wide intersecting runways. At some point after construction the airfield was taken over by the Royal Navy as (1) states that in 1944 the Royal Navy were in control. The buildings around the airfield should therefore be a mixture of RAF standard buildings and Royal Navy standard buildings.

<6> Francis F, Flagg R & Crisp G, 2015, Nine Thousand Miles of Concrete, Appendix (Report). SCH8247.

Naval airfield. Approximately 55% of the hard runways (concrete or tarmac) and taxiways survive and 20% of the main sites buildings.