Westonzoyland airfield originated in the mid-1920s as a landing ground. It was used in 1926 by aircraft towing gunnery targets for the anti-aircraft training range off
Watchet in the
Bristol Channel. At first, it was no more than an extended cow pasture, subject only to seasonal use until the
Second World War loomed, when the site was occupied on a permanent basis. During the pre-war years, buildings were erected piecemeal as required and the landing ground area gradually enlarged but, with the
fall of France, Westonzoyland was no longer a backwater airfield. To obtain the necessary amount of land for siting runways of sufficient length, the A372 to
Othery was closed and diverted south on a former minor road. In 1942, the
Air Ministry decided to upgrade the airfield to bomber standard and, early in 1943, work began on laying concrete runways and a perimeter track to the
Class A airfield standard, the main feature of which was a set of three concrete runways, at 60 degrees to each other in a triangular pattern. The main runway was 5,775 ft long with headings 11/29, and the other two were 3,564 ft long at 05/23 and 4,101 ft long at 16/34. There were two 150 ft diameter hardstandings and 33 dispersal loops connected to the perimeter track which was the standard 50 feet width.
442nd Troop Carrier Group There was a long delay before the allocated unit, the
442d Troop Carrier Group arrived from
RAF Fulbeck in early June 1944, just after taking part in the
D-Day airlift. The 442d was a group of Ninth Air Force's
50th Troop Carrier Wing,
IX Troop Carrier Command, flying
Douglas C-47 Skytrains. Its operational squadrons were: •
303rd Troop Carrier Squadron (J7) •
304th Troop Carrier Squadron (V4) •
305th Troop Carrier Squadron (4J) •
306th Troop Carrier Squadron (7H) In July and August 1944, the 303rd, 304th and 305th were temporarily relocated to
Follonica Airfield, Italy. At the same time the 306th operated from Ramsgate, Kent. The whole group moved out completely in October 1944 to
Advanced Landing Ground ALG A-44 Peray Airfield, France.
Subsequent RAF use The station had never been officially transferred from the RAF and the anti-aircraft support units were quick to return. Several squadrons were based at Westonzoyland, but the longest stay was by
No. 16 Squadron RAF with
Westland Lysanders, and later with the
North American Mustang. Later
Supermarine Spitfires became a common sight being flown by
No. 19 Squadron RAF and others. Four fighter squadrons came and departed during the months following the end of the war in Europe, but by 1947 the station was reduced to care and maintenance. There was virtually no further flying at Westonzoyland until the summer of 1952 when, to meet the
Soviet threat, an increase in the RAF's strength and a demand for more aircrews found Meteors and
Vampires operating in a training role.
English Electric Canberra squadrons were present during the mid-1950s when Westonzoyland was used as a work-up station prior to overseas assignments. By 1958 the station was once more deserted of aircraft and, although retained by the Air Ministry for another ten years, it never reopened for military flying. Some of the Canberras flew out to Australia to take part in the
British atomic bomb tests at
Maralinga. ==Current use==