The building of the airfield began in 1915 and opened as an operational training unit in 1917 with the first Squadrons beginning flying training officially on 1 September 1917.
Throughout 2012, personnel at RAF Shawbury and the Defence Helicopter Flying School will remember the flying training and other training completed at the unit during those 95 years, which make Shawbury one of the oldest active airfields in the country.
Back in 1915 McAlpine’s began by building 7 hangars, made of timber, each 250 feet long. The labourers were assisted by German prisoners of war who lived in tents on the airfield. By the summer of 1917 the airfield was ready to accept its first Squadrons and aircraft began to arrive in early June. No 29 Training Wing was formed controlling 5 Squadrons, 3 of whom would be based at Shawbury and 2 at nearby Ternhill. In addition to the Royal Flying Corps training was completed for the Royal Australian Flying Corps. From November 1917 there were also some American pilots training at Shawbury.
- Service personnel at RAF Shawbury in October 1951
On 1 April 1917 the unit was re-named as RAF Shawbury as the Royal Air Force was formed. The unit trained pilot’s through the First World War and the unit became fully developed and established as an aerodrome, just as the war was ending.
From the summer of 1920 through to the spring of 1937 the unit was in a state of care and maintenance. Building then began once more, this time mostly on the eastern side of the airfield, nearest to Shawbury village. By 1938 the unit was ready and began accepting aircraft once more. No 11 Flying Training School arrived on 14 May 1938 and the airfield again became a busy flying training base. By 1941 the unit was completing over 53000 flying hours each month utilising 81 Oxford aircraft along with many bomber types.
- Helicopters fly over Shawbury church
In 1944 the Central Navigation School moved into Shawbury and the famous Aries ‘round the world’ and ‘north pole exploration’ flights took off from Shawbury. Post war Shawbury continued in the training role and from 1950 all Air Traffic Control training was completed at the base. This continues today in the form of the Central Air Traffic Control School. The base became partly civilianised in 1961 and this has continued until toady where the vast majority of people on the unit are locally employed by FBHeliservices. Helicopter training arrived for the RAF from 1976 after the closure of Ternhill and from 1997 all helicopters pilots and crewmen for all 3 services have been trained at the Defence Helicopter Flying School making RAF Shawbury the current busiest Military airfield in the United Kingdom.
During 2012 the unit is intending to gather stories from the Shropshire population about their memories of the airfield during its 95 years.
Anyone with any stories are asked to write to the Community Relations Officer, Sqn Ldr Neil Hope at the base (CRO, RAF Shawbury, Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY44DZ) or by e-mail (neil.hope684@mod.uk).