Wrexham flying sites
Note: I think this map shows the location for RAF WREXHAM in WW2, but I would much appreciate confirmation.
WRECSAM see various listings below under WREXHAM
WREXHAM see also BORRAS LODGE FARM
WREXHAM see also HIGHTOWN BARRACKS
WREXHAM see also WREXHAM MAELOR HOSPITAL
WREXHAM: Military airstrip?
Military user: US Army 32nd Field Artillery Battalion
NOTES: Were they in fact based at RAF BORRAS?
In July 2021 I was contacted by Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide'. He tells us that: "There was an airstrip on the aerodrome for use by USAAF light aircraft such as Piper L-4 'Grasshoppers', in support of the 400th Armoured Field Artillery and No.33 Signals Construction Battalion, who were billeted in local houses, most notably Acton Hall."
"As well as the one on the airfield, there were four others, two in Acton, one just outside the airfield, and one in Gresford, opposite the entrance gates of the Gresford Colliery. These were used by the 322nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 83rd Infantry Division. None of these sites lasted more than a year."
It has to be remembered that in the lead up to D-Day, the road system in the UK, mostly not much more lanes really, were clogged up with the vast amounts of military vehicles trying to make their way to the embarkation points. So for many purposes, such as delivering documents and maps etc the light aircraft was the only means of getting these delivered swiftly. The British Army had the same problem, using mostly Austers.
WREXHAM: WW2: Military aerodrome later private airstrip
(Also known as RAF BORRAS)
Note: This picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Compared with a WW2 map of the airfield, much of the extent of the airfield can still be discerned.
Military users: RAF Flying Training Command 21 Group
9 AACU (Miles Masters)
57 OTU [Operational Training Unit] (Vickers-Supermarine Spifires)
9 Group AAC (Bristol Blenheims & Westland Lysanders)
RAF Fighter Command
96 Sqdn (Boulton Paul Defiants)
Location: N of A534, NW of Llan-y-Pwll, 2nm NE of Wrexham town centre
Period of operation: 1941 to 1945 (Civil later on?) Intriguingly BORRAS is shown as an active airfield even on some modern motoring maps, but I can find nothing listed in the flight guides)
Runways: WW2: 17/35 1234x46 hard 05/23 1006x46 hard
11/29 1426x46 hard
NOTES: The BORRAS LODGE FARM location used by Alan Cobhams 1932 tour later become part of the site occupied by this RAF WW2 aerodrome. I find it quite appalling to read that in the military over 800 serious flying incidents and accidents have occurred in Denbighshre and Flintshire alone! Mind you, this pales in comparison to 2300+ in Shropshire! And, not one of these was as a result of enemy action. But, then again with a record like this did they actually require an enemy?
It is also well worth reading Wings Across the Border by Derrick Pratt & Mike Grant not only for many detailed accounts of some of these accidents, but also the sort of chaotic shambles that resulted here, (and many other airfields), when flying operations commenced before the contractors had finished work on the aerodrome! The makers of the Carry On films for example missed a perfect opportunity here, the script was already written and probably couldn’t be bettered.
Mr Graham Frost tells us: "That at some time before the sixties the site was taken in hand by Sir Alfred McAlpine, and use was made of the 11/29 runway only. The aerodrome was given the code EGCE. There were other aircraft using this site as a base over the years. Notably the Beech 65 Queen Air 80 G-ASIU, the Beech A.100 King Air G-BABX and the Britten-Norman BN.2A Islander G-BCWU."
The latter being sold in the West Indies, to St Vincent in October 1983 as J8-VAK. G-ASIU was later sold to West Germany, but G-BABX came to grief crashing at STURGATE in January 1977.
WREXHAM RACECOURSE: Flying demonstration venue, (also known as PLAS COCH), later commercial heliport
Operated by: Gustav Hamel (presumably on behalf of the Grahame-White Co?)
Location: W of Wrexham
Period of operation: October 1912 and June 1913. As a heliport; 2nd June 1950 to 31st March 1951
NOTES: I think it well worth while to quote an account given by Derrick Pratt and Mike Grant in their excellent ‘Wings Across the Border’ books. “On Sunday, 6 October 1912, Hamel literally dropped in at Wrexham, landing in a large field at Whitegate Farm, Hightown. He had covered the 26 miles from Crewe in 20 minutes, pursued by his groundstaff and mechanic in a racing car. Hamel had landed en route to ask the way it seems! On the Monday, after being liberally entertained in the Officers’ Mess at the Barracks, he took off again for the Racecourse on the other side town, where exhibitions of flying werescheduled for the Wednesday, and where a hangar had already been erected”. I realise it was a risky business but with this sort of lifestyle no wonder those early pilots appeared so glamourous to so many people. They were obviously the film stars or rock stars of the period and from reading between the lines led a similar social life with many ‘fringe’ benefits!
On his second visit he collided with the racecourse railing at the end of his landing run causing a fair bit of damage. He wired London, (presumably the Grahame-White Co HENDON?), for replacement parts to be sent so the aircraft could be repaired in time for the following days display. He then returned to London by train with the aim of flying back so I think he intended using a replacement aircraft? As it turned out he became ill he didn’t return till the 28th June. Or at least that’s the day he made his display it seems
AN 'AERIAL STATION'
In 1919 this site was mooted for being the Wrexham ‘aerial station’ but although these plans foundered it is said that some form of private flying activity did take place here in the early years after WW1. For example, it seems that F/O J W Harcourt Vernon announced his imminent arrival by performing aerobatics before landing. Could it be here that in 1933 Sir Alan Cobham’s No.1 Tour displayed in/near Wrexham on the 13th June? Surely some record exists of such a notable event?
It would appear possible entirely that this disused racecourse flying site was later used as an intermediate stopping off point for the short-lived experimental BEA Liverpool- Wrexham-Cardiff helicopter service in the early 1950s. Or did they use BORRAS?
WREXHAM: ‘The Aeroplane Field’
Location: In the grounds of the ‘The Barracks’ HQ 23rd Regimental District later ‘Hermitage Camp’ in WW2 and just S of Wrexham
NOTES: During the 1919 ‘Railway Strike’ it seems the Government organised airmail services as well as other means to transport urgent mail to London and other important regional centres. Airmail was a ‘priority service’ whereas ‘surface’ or more accurately road transport often took several days. During this time it appears that aircraft used any convenient field and in the case of Wrexham this temporary airfield was in Hightown and became known as ‘The Aeroplane Field’.
WREXHAM: Private airstrip
Operated by: Capt. Al Mathie
Location: Near to Wrexham is the best I can come up with
NOTES: The info source for this strip was a mention, (page 19, May 2005), in the Popular Flying magazine. It appears that this retired airline Captain was operating an Auster from his private strip near Wrexham.
I anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be most welcome.
Tony
This comment was written on: 2021-05-13 11:52:00Father was RAF pilot Borras 1941 and we used to land Tiger Moths there in early sixties.I landed Auster Terrier there 1986( tiny amount of runway survived)
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