Spring and Summer 1943

• 2nd January, saw the usual start to the new year with the Station Commanders parade.
  
  
• 3rd January, a spectacular effort is shown by the fire section when a Beaufort (L9837) crashed on the airfield and the rescue services were playing foam on the fire within 30 seconds. Despite valiant efforts the aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire.
  
  
• January 15th, a Halifax from 51 Sqn based at Snaith in Yorkshire pays a visit to the Airfield together with 6 Wellingtons of 426 Sqn (Dishforth) after a raid on Lorient.
  
  
• End of January, an ENSA show and the Bomber Command Band visit Moreton and stay for 9 days visiting Edgehill and other surrounding stations. As if there wasn't enough entertainment, the WAAF's also started to meet the GI's of a large POW camp at nearby Springhill, who had a fine time teaching the girls to 'Jive' and 'Jitterbug'. The American camp was a whole new world to the visitors who were invited to partake of fresh doughnuts, tinned fruit and other commodities not easily obtainable.
  
  
• 29th January, with weather worse than forecast 5 Wellingtons leave at 1800 to deliver leaflets around Nantes, only one reached the target, another dropped its load on St Brieuc and a third on Lamballe. One of the others (an all student crew) seemed to have completed its task and returning, crashed near Stroud and the crew all perished. The fifth had trouble with its artificial horizon and returned to Colerne near Bath.
  
  
• Spring, The Anson's were pressed into service as transport to take spare crews to collect aircraft or to take men home on leave.
  Flt Lt Wallis remembers taking off on one such trip with 14 including himself aboard and a bicycle and only just clearing the boundary hedge at the North-East end of the main runway!
  
  
• 1st February, a single aircraft takes off from Moreton for a successful 'Nickel' on Paris
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• 9th February, Moreton is honored to be appointed to give a post graduate course for NCO cooks, the first course starts straight away in newly redecorated rooms.
  
  
• February 14th, again the merits of the fire section were shown at BD285 a Whitley from 24 OTU at Honeybourne crashed between Moreton and Longborough, on impact the aircraft split in two and, a couple in a nearby caravan rushed over and pulled out the crew. The fire service brought the fire under control rapidly and the airmen were taken to Moreton's Sick Quarters for first aid
  
  
• 25th/26th February, after being scrubbed the night before the next leaflet raid took place, the target being again Nantes. All 5 Wellingtons taking part returned safely, after dead reckoning their way to the target and back due to cloud covering the whole of France.
  
  
• A few weeks rest from the raids meant the Station concentrated on the training programme.
  
  
• March 8th, X3219 while on a night navigation exercise, crashed at Baltonsburgh in Somerset. The Wellingtons entire crew lost their lives.
  
  
• March 10th, In 21OTU's favour 14 Americans visit the Station to be shown the workings of a typical Operational Training Unit, the visitors included Brig Gen Hill and other high ranking US Air Force Officers and were accompanied by Air Comm Walmsley and Grp Capt Boyle of the RAF.
  
  
• March 22nd, a Tiger Moth (R5203) of 2 EFTS at Worcester crashed just outside the village of Moreton-in-Marsh while performing unauthorized aerobatics, the Australian pilot and Canadian passenger were both killed.
  
  
• March 23rd, two Lancasters are diverted to Moreton after a raid on St Nazaire, one was carrying a frightening load! Full details.
  Three more Lancasters Land at Edgehill from the same raid.
  
  
• Early Spring, heavy rain caused flooding at the low lying WAAF site, local residents remarked on the areas proneness to flooding to the CO and were surprised when the site was chosen. The WAAF's took everything in their stride and some even enjoyed the experience of wading through water a foot deep to get to their huts.
  
  
• 12th April, After almost 18 months as Moreton's satellite Station Edgehill has handed over to 12 OTU at Chipping Warden. The 466 personnel moved quickly to their new satellite Station at Enstone 12 miles East-South-East of Moreton.
  Once again Enstone had been built by George Wimpey and Co for £591,000. The main runway had been built to heavy bomber standards and was longer then Moreton or Edgehill's equivalent.
  
  
• 15th April, just 3 days after the detachment to Enstone the bigger runway did not help , when wellington Z1142 swung off the runway on takeoff , hit the windsock and crashed in flames, killing three of the crew.
  
  
• More fortunate was the crew of Sgt Burke, while on a night exercise in April a sudden thump and rending sound was heard. The branch of a tree had penetrated the skin and embedded itself into the geodetic structure! After nursing the aircraft back to Moreton the crew marked their escape by breaking off a small piece of twig as a good luck charm.When the rear gunner, Sgt Bill Whittaker, was married at the end of the course he wore his lucky twig in his breast pocket. The near disaster was caused by the pilots sudden development of defective vision, and the crew was then broken up.
  
  
• 30th April, 4241 AA Flight arrived at Enstone to provide guard duties for the Station.
  
  
• 8th May, 6 wellingtons from 21 OTU make a flypast at the opening of the Chipping Norton "Wings" week. The Station Band Played and Grp Capt Cole spoke to the citizens of the town, fund raising efforts became part of the overall campaign.
  
  
• 13th May, Enstone village organised a concert for thier part of the "Wings for Victory" appeals, Moreton's band were busy!
  
  
• 17th May, 'X' Flight, Commanded by Flt Lt K. H. Wallis, with Lysanders and Martinets for target towing and Wellingtons for air gunnery, moved from Moreton to Enstone.
  
  
• 19th/20th May, a leaflet raid was mounted on Orleans by 5 Mk X Wellingtons, without encountering any opposition.
  
  
• 22nd May, once again the band were invited to play, this time at Abingdon's "Wings" week. With 91 Group AOC Air Comm Walmsley taking the salute.
  
  
• Finally it was Moreton's turn for its fund raising events, and, on the 29th May, the Station Commander took the salute as a parade of WAAF's, airmen and other civil defence units marched past, at the beginning of a week of organised events to raise money for the war effort by Moreton and its surrounding villages.