Heronfield

[Dave Smith]

Does anyone have anything new on this "mystery" airfield or airstrip near Solihull? The farmer where I lodged at Stoneleigh was a reliable mine of information on things aeronautical and told me that he had seen Spitfires parked here during the war. This makes me guess that it might have been a dispersal field for Castle Bromwich, although nothing has appeared in print to confirm this conclusion. I believe it was a pre-war strip as well. Bill the farmer also saw Beaufighters in USAAF markings parked on the dispersals alongside a road at Honiley. He also remembers the Fauld explosion. It was so loud that they thought it had occurred in nearby Coventry, rather than about 50 miles away!

[Snoopy]

There is a place named Heronfield between Wooton Wawen and Henley, but no a/d as far as I can recall. There was light usage of a field near Meriden, but certainly not by Spits. There was wartime use of the pre-war civil field at Hockley Heath and a couple of Spits were based there for a short time to protect Brumagem. These hangars survived into the late 1960's or earley '70's. There were some identical small blister-hangars just outside Warwick too, but I think they are gone now. Honiley was an established RAF base, that was mostly used to rest squadrons, as well as having a few night-fighters based there.

[PNK]

I think this is Knowle Hall at SP193753, just north of Kings Arms Bridge on the A4141. I have it noted as a pre-war private airfield only. If I could lay my hands on Alfred Jenk's book I could add more.

[Dave Smith]

I have posted this before on AIX without confirmation. A chap I used to know near Coventry told me that he saw Spitfires parked on the landing ground/strip at Heronfield on at least one occasion. He was extremely knowledgeable about other local aviation activity, which all checked out with the records so I have no reason to disbelieve the story. Was this an unofficial or temporary dispersal for Castle Bromwich, I wonder?