Royal Air Force Poulton or more simply RAF Poulton (X4PL) is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located near Poulton, Cheshire and was operational from 1 March 1943 until 1945. It was used as an Operational Training Unit (OTU) and Tactical Exercise Unit (TEU) for Hawker Hurricanes.

RAF Poulton
Poulton, Cheshire in England
RAF Poulton, July 2022
RAF Poulton Shown within Cheshire
Coordinates	53°07′46″N 002°53′42″W
Type	Satellite Station
Code	PU
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command
Site history
Built	1942 (1942)/43
Built by	George Wimpey & Co Ltd
In use	March 1943 - August 1945 (1945)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	15 metres (49 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 01/19 1,800 metres (5,906 ft) Concrete 06/24 1,245 metres (4,085 ft) Concrete 14/32 1,254 metres (4,114 ft) Concrete

History

It was part of 12 Group and was used as a satellite of RAF Hawarden. It had 8 Blister and 1 Bessonneau hangars.[2]

Based units and aircraft

• No. 3 Tactical Exercise Unit RAF (TEU), using the Hawker Hurricane. Arrived Nov 43.[3] Possibly moved to Aston Down on 18 Dec 44 and re-designated as No 55 OTU.[4]
• No. 12 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF ((P) AFU), using the Airspeed Oxford.[5]
• No. 1515 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF, almost certainly using the Airspeed Oxford.[6]
• No. 41 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) (Day Fighter Wing), possibly using the Hawker Hurricane. Moved to Poulton from Hawarden 1 Feb 45, and was re-designated as...
• No. 58 OTU on 15 Mar 45, using the Supermarine Spitfire. Disbanded 20 Jul 45.[4]
• Detachment from No. 595 Squadron RAF[7]

Current use

Part of the site remains in use as a private airfield.[8]

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Falconer, J (1998). RAF Fighter Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2175-9.
• Ferguson, Aldon, Cheshire Airfields in the Second World War. Countryside Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1-8530-6927-7.
• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Jones, I, Airfields and Landing Grounds of Wales: North. Tempus Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7524-4510-6.

External links

• RAF Poulton (at Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust)