Royal Air Force Station Lichfield also known as Fradley Aerodrome, was an operational training station from 1940 until 1958. It was situated in Fradley, 2 miles north east of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. The airfield was the busiest airfield in Staffordshire during World War II. The airfield supported its own units as well as providing safe haven for many more. It was a control point for all aviation traffic that passed through the Birmingham area during the war and saw more aircraft movements that any other Staffordshire airfield.[1]
RAF Lichfield, known locally as Fradley Aerodrome, was constructed in from mid 1939 to 1940. The airfield was set out in the usual triangular pattern with two runways 1km in length and a main runway of 1.46km.[1] Initially it operated as a maintenance site, being home to the No. 51 Maintenace Unit from August 1940.[2] Manufacturers sent newly built aircraft to Fradley to carry out any modifications before delivery to squadrons. After the war, large numbers of aircraft were broken up and many aircraft were prepared before being sold to the air forces of other countries. The unit remained active until the closure of the airfield in 1958.[3]
In April 1941, 27 Operational Training Unit was formed; its role was to train aircrew on Wellington bombers, and here the crews, largely from Australia and other Commonwealth countries, were formed before going on to their squadrons. However, operational bombing missions were flown in 1942–43, including the 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne in May 1942. After 1943 most sorties were 'Nickel' raids, the dropping of propaganda leaflets over German cities. The unit was disbanded in June 1945.[4]
After the war the airfield once again became a maintenance site. No. 51 Maintenance Unit found work preparing planes for service with foreign air forces and civilian use. The unit also began breaking up surplus planes from the war including 900 Typhoons.[1] The unit eventually became surplus to requirements and disbanded in July 1954. In its final years No. 99 Maintenance Unit, 5003 Airfield Construction Squadron and the Maintenance Command Ground Defence School used the airfield.[1] The airfield was closed in 1958 and the entire site was disposed of by the Air Ministry in May 1962 for £240,000.
Over the last 15 years the former aerodrome has been renamed Fradley Park, where a number of major developments have occurred, including industrial units and over 750 new homes, however virtually all of the hangars still exist and the majority have been refurbished to be used for industrial purposes.