Action Stations Revisited - Volume 5  [9780859791113]

The Action Stations series of books on British airfields that sit on many bookshelves have been useful guides to what happened mainly during World War Two. The current 'Revisited' series has updated these and Volume 5 covers Wales and the Midlands.
Each airfield has a narrative of its activities that includes mention of the units that were based there, as well as incidents that occurred, air raids, etc. There are numerous illustrations showing buildings, remains, vertical photographs and aircraft. Many wartime airfields still reveal buildings of all types, from blockhouses to complete hangars. Some have vanished under housing but many farms have concrete tracks derived from peritracks and access roads still in use. Long Marston has been engulfed by a huge Honda factory. Light aircraft have moved into some old airfields and still use part of the runway system.
There is no bibliography or list of sources which is a pity as there is an extensive range of books on airfield history. Pengam Moors is recorded as being frequented pre-war by Fox Moths, Dragons and Fokker Spiders. Where did that come from? The Spin was Fokker's first monoplane built prior to World War One.
This is a useful guide to military airfields but airfields that did not survive past 1919 tend to be omitted unless revived for World War Two.

Aeromilitaria -Autumn 2012