Continuing my short series of sceneries begining with 'Weston', here is another one, Westonzoyland Micro Centre! This place was once a USAAF/RAF airfield and it now has a busy main road running right through it (good excuse to put in moving traffic) and the current aircraft (micro-light and single GA aircraft) use just a small section of the airfield.
'My Auntie Mabel told me I'd make a great soldier, though I don't know how 30 years working in a biscuit factory had qualified her to make that judgement.....' Eddie Nugent
Action Stations Vol 5 shows it as two words. Weston Zoyland. However, my Ordnance Survey map shows it as one word. One word rolls off the tongue nicely, like a single malt.
It had a very chequered wartime history. Mustangs, Hurricanes, Martinets, and Defiants, being just some of the types that flew from here.
222 Squadron flying Meteor F3's was based there, and were the last to leave in October 1946. The station was reduced to C&M until 1952, when it reopened due to the Korean war. 209 AFS flew Vampires and Meteors for two years before being renamed 12 FTS.
Last units were 32 & 73 Squadrons which converted to B2 Canberras Jan - March 1957, before leaving for Cyprus.
The station closed in January 1958, but was retained by the Ministry until 1969.
Thanks Trev, for yet again giving me an excuse to research another old airfield.