Cranage
CRANAGE: Military aerodrome (Aka BYLEY)
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: RAF Training Command 21 Group
AFU (Advanced Flying Unit)
2 SAN (School of Air Navigation) (Avro Ansons)
RAF Fighter Command
96 Sqdn (Boulton-Paul Defiants and Hawker Hurricanes)
US Army Air Corps (Liaison)
Location: 1nm NW of Holmes Chapel, 2.5nm NNE of Middlewich
Period of operation: 1940 to 1945
Runways: (American metal plank) 16/34 997 grass 05/23 1155 grass
10/28 1173 grass
NOTES: At one point in 1944 it seems that no less than twenty six Stinson L-5 Sentinels were based here plus two Cessna UC-78 Bobcats.
In the lead up to D-Day a lot, and I do mean a lot, of US Army troops were assembled in Cheshire, and other areas in the 'belt' running up from the West Midlands. In many ways an ideal location for training, well away from any potential attacks from the odd Luftwaffe bomber still intent on attacking targets in the UK.
So perhaps, not surprising that so many liaison aircraft were based here.
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