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Coordinates: 53°19′41″N 1°27′58″W / 53.328°N 1.466°W / 53.328; -1.466
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Coal Aston Aerodrome
RAF Greenhill
RAF Coal Aston
Norton, Sheffield in England
Coal Aston Aerodrome is located in South Yorkshire
Coal Aston Aerodrome
Coal Aston Aerodrome
Coordinates53°19′41″N 1°27′58″W / 53.328°N 1.466°W / 53.328; -1.466
Site history
Built1915–1916
In use1916–1921

RAF Coal Aston was a First World War era aerodrome operated by the Royal Flying Corps, and then the Royal Air Force, between 1915 and 1921. Originally built as a both a day and night landing ground, the site became the Northern Aircraft Repair Depot (NARD). The base had several names, but it was mostly known as Coal Aston.

History

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The base was built in 1915, and even though it was in the Norton area of Sheffield, it was always known as Coal Aston.[1] The village of Coal Aston is in Derbyshire, but the base was within South Yorkshire.[2] To confuse matters further, another airfield, at nearby Apperknowle, was also later known as Coal Aston.[3][note 1][6] It was built at Greenhill, a Sheffield suburb, for the defence of Sheffield (to the north) in 1916, then later became the Northern Aircraft Repair Depot (NARD), and was known as RFC Greenhill, No. 2 NARD, RAF Coal Aston, and finally RAF Greenhill.[7]

The initial landing area, developed in late 1915, covered an area of 203 acres (82 ha) and measured 1,800 yards (1,600 m) by 600 yards (550 m).[8] A detachment of No. 33 (HD) Squadron RFC was based at Coal Aston from February 1916 to October 1916

In December 1921, the land and assets were passed to the Disposal and Liquidation Committee.[9] This described the site as having "...officers' and men's quarters and messes, regimental institute, women's hostel, reception station, vehicle sheds, flight sheds (hangars), workshops, offices, stores and subsidiary buildings."[10] Flying continued at the site, and air displays were held yearly, with one accident occurring in 1932 when an RAF flight lieutenant was injured when his low-flying aircraft clipped a stationary aircraft on the ground. 15,000 people witnessed the accident.[11] The large grassed aerodrome field was used as the ground for the Great Yorkshire Show in 1935.[12]

The site of the North Aircraft Repair Depot and aerodrome grassed landing and take-off area is now the St James retail development.[13]

See also

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  • RAF Norton, non airfield site close by (to the east) used during the Second World War

Notes

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  1. ^ The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust label the first airfield as Coal Aston I (Greenhill) (Sheffield), and Apperknowle as Coal Aston II (Sheffield), even though it is in Derbyshire.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ "Story: Coal Aston Aerodrome | Lives of the First World War". livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Coal Aston conservation area" (PDF). dronfield.gov.uk. November 2003. p. 4. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Accident Blackburn L.1C Bluebird IV G-AATM, Saturday 27 August 1932". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Coal Aston I (Greenhill) (Sheffield) - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK". abct.org.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Coal Aston II (Sheffield) - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK". abct.org.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ McLelland, Tim (2012). Action stations revisited, volume 6. Manchester: Crecy. p. 79. ISBN 9780859791120.
  7. ^ Handley & Rotherham 2023, p. 1.
  8. ^ Chorlton, Martyn (2014). Forgotten airfields of World War I. Manchester: Crécy. p. 211. ISBN 9780859791816.
  9. ^ "Naval And Military Royal Air Force". The Times. No. 42893. 2 December 1921. p. 12. ISSN 0140-0460.
  10. ^ "By direction of the disposal board Coal Aston Aerodrome near Sheffield". The Guardian. No. 23, 606. 12 April 1922. p. 2.
  11. ^ "Crash at air display". The Western Gazette. No. 10, 178. 2 September 1932. p. 16.
  12. ^ "Great Yorkshire to be Yorkshire's greatest". Hull Daily Mail. No. 15, 508. 9 July 1935. p. 14. ISSN 1741-3419.
  13. ^ Armstrong, Julia (23 May 2019). "Sheffield RAF Greenhill airfield features in history project". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 10 October 2024.

Sources

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  • Handley, Christine; Rotherham, Ian D., eds. (2023). WW1 Airfield to City Suburb: Meadowhead, Norton, Greenhill. Sheffield: Wildtrack Publishing. ISBN 9781904098737.
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