RNAS Hinstock (HMS Godwit)

The airfield was used by the Royal Air Force during the early years of the Second World War. Initially it was opened to No. 37 MU from RAF Burtonwood, as No. 21 Satellite Landing Ground (SLG) called RAF Ollerton. This followed by No. 27 MU from RAF Shawbury[2] and at some point No. 29 MU from RAF High Ercall. During this initial phase it was a grass airfield.

The following Royal Air Force Maintenance units were stationed here:[3]

• No. 27 Maintenance Unit RAF
• No. 29 Maintenance Unit RAF
• No. 37 Maintenance Unit RAF

Ollerton was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) on 13 August 1942 and became known as Royal Navy Air Station (RNAS) Hinstock or HMS Godwit. Upon the admiralty taking control, it was used initially as a satellite airfield for RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap). Hinstock was used as a training station for the FAA Central Naval Instrument Flying Training School. In connection with the training school it had temporary use of two satellite airfields: RAF Weston Park and RAF Bratton.[4] In July 1943 the runway was rebuilt using heavy steel track.

The first FAA squadron, 758 Naval Air Squadron, moved to RNAS Hinstock, on the 15 August 1942.[4] It was initially known as the Beam Approach School, then later known as the Blind Approach School. In 1943 it was titled Naval Advanced Instrument Flying School and as well as Airspeed Oxford aircraft, the squadron also operated Avro Anson, Stinson Reliant, de Havilland Tiger Moth, and Vickers Wellington aircraft. Later in the year North American Harvard aircraft replaced the Wellingtons and by 1944, 758 NAS had over 100 aircraft. The relief landing grounds, at RNAS Weston Park (HMS Godwit II)[5] and RAF Bratton,[6] were used by 758 NAS for Instrument Flying Training, until Hinstock gained Peplow as a satellite airfield, from 28 February 1945 and the squadron then operated from RNAS Peplow (HMS Godwit II). On the 18 March 1946 the squadron absorbed part of 798 Naval Air Squadron,[5] however, 758 NAS disbanded on the 14 May 1946, at Peplow, becoming 'B' Flight of 780 Naval Air Squadron.[7]

729 Naval Air Squadron formed on 1 January 1945 at RNAS Hinstock as an Instrument Flying Training squadron and as an offshoot of 758 NAS, the Royal Naval Advanced Instrument Flying Training Unit, for service in the Far East. It made use of 758 NAS's Harvard and Oxford aircraft, enabling working up while based on the U.K. The squadron personnel took passage for India on 16 April 1945, without aircraft.

On the 1 June 1945 702 Naval Air Squadron reformed as an offshoot of 758 NAS, equipped with Oxford and Harvard aircraft, as an Instrument Flying Training & Checking Squadron. Seven weeks later the squadron personnel took passage to RNAS Schofields in Australia.[4]

734 Naval Air Squadron, an Engine Handling Unit, which used modified, ex-Royal Air Force Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk VII aircraft to train aircrew, moved from RNAS Worthy Down to RNAS Hinstock, on the 21 August 1945, however, it operated out of Hinstock's satellite airfield, RNAS Peplow (HMS Godwit), also located in Shropshire, which was a former Royal Air Force bomber base, with long runways, that could easily accommodate the Whitley. The squadron disbanded on 21 February 1946.[8]

798 Naval Air Squadron was an Advanced Single Engine Conversion & Refresher Flying Training Unit which moved to Hinstock from RNAS Halesworth on the 28 November 1945, equipped with Fairey Barracuda, Fairey Firefly, Harvard, Supermarine Seafire and Tiger Moth aircraft. The squadron disbanded at Hinstock on the 18 March 1946.[4]

780 Naval Air Squadron[3]