1947

• January, with the start of the new year came the cold weather, and for the first few weeks heavy snow covered the area.
  
  
• 15th February, the cold weather meant there was a shortage of fuel for heating and all personnel were given 48hrs leave.
  
  
• 17th February, telegrams were sent to all personnel extending their leave indefinitely, until the weather warmed up. For the few people left on the station, things were difficult, as the toilets and ablutions froze.
  
  
• 3rd March, the thaw arrives, and floods the WAAF's site! The girls were accommodated in the stations sick quarters.
  
  
• 5th March, the snow returns with a vengeance, 6" to 8" (15-20 cm) fell and the wind drifted it to 4 to 5 feet deep (1.2-1.5m).
  
  
• 16th March, a gale blew the roof off the Training Wing Orderly room, with so few staff on site, repairs were slow and this did not help.
  
  
• End of March, slowly the station came back to life as the temperatures rose and some of the maintenance personnel returned.
  
  
• April, great efforts were made to bring the station back into shape after being for so long in a 'Care and Maintenance' basis.
  
  
  
• 10th April, all remaining personnel were recalled after their extended leave.
  
  
• 11th April, the station was re-opened after all the hard work of the AMWD personnel, despite their lack of staff and materials.
  
  
• End of April, with flying being the number one consideration, a total of 2880 day sorties and 485 night sorties, were squeezed into the remaining weeks of the month.
  
  
• May, 3037 day sorties and 541 night sorties were flown.
  Course No 115 graduated and Course No 117 joined No 116 who were already well through their training.
  During the month a conference was held proposing the removal of 21(P) AFU and 3 non-flying units taking its place.
  Monthly dances started during this period and partners from Moreton village and the local Womens Land Army swelled the numbers, 30 of the airmen were invited to visit the girls at their hostel at Shipston-upon-Stour.
  
  
• June, 'C' and 'D' Flights were closed down and incorporated into 'A' , 'B' and 'F' Flights.
  Later in the month No 45 Refresher course passed out and No 46 took their places.
  Recorded personnel figures for this period were 692 total, though numbers were actually nearer 461.
  
  
• June 3rd, Course 116 had their passing out parade and were replaced by No 44 Refresher course.
  
  
• July, RAF policy changed and 21(P) AFU were to merge with 1 Refresher School to form 1(Pilot) Refresher Flying Unit, Oxford and Harvard numbers were reduced and some Wellingtons and Spitfires added to the types available for training.
  
  
• 14th July, the first of the Spitfires arrive from 29 MU.
  
  
• 16th July, No 46 and Course 117 graduated.
  
  
• 24th July, orders were received for 27 of the Oxfords to be relocated to RAF Valley in North Wales where 2(P) RFU were about to form. A week later 126 airmen from Moreton left for Valley to join 2 AFU.
  
  
• 6th August, 21 AFU and 1 RS merge, their first task was to complete the training of the No 47 course, before starting the main task of providing four week refresher courses for former prisoners of war and aircrew joining the RAF after a period of civilian life. Three flights were formed 'A' flight having 11, Mk I and Mk II Oxfords, 'B' Flight 10 Wellingtons and 'C' Flight with 9 Harvard Mk IIb's and 7 Spitfire Mk XVI's.
  13 Instructors and another 133 airmen were posted to RAF Valley.
  
  
• 11th to 13th August, the 27 Oxfords leave Moreton headed for RAF Valley.
  
  
• 14th August, No 47 course finished their training with four of the students posted for further training.
  
  
• 20th August, the first 25 refresher students arrived and began flying training 6 days later.
  
  
• August/ September, Wednesday afternoons were given over to sports and all the facilities were well used, in the evening German prisoners of war sometimes gave concerts or the airmen could visit places such as the British Legion, the local Land Army girls hostel or the Shakespeare theatre at Stratford upon Avon.
  1390 day sorties and 369 night sorties were flown and now controlled by 2 qualified Air Traffic Control Officers.
  
• October, bad weather, problems with the SBA system and a visit by the AOC made for a poor month for the unit.
  27 Pilots arrived and 28 completed their training, the last surplus Oxfords were flown away to 27 MU for disposal and the final Wellington Mk X arrived.
  The WAAF site was given the go-ahead for conversion to married quarters, (after the squatters were removed), 2 huts for airmen and 6 stone huts for Officers and their families.
  
  
• 1st December, Oxford PH355 crashed 2.5 miles (4Km) West of the airfield, when Sqn Ldr A.J. Madge lost control of the aircraft, with fatal consequences.
  
  
• 5th December, the first of the Christmas dances was held in the YMCA, judged by all to be a great success.
  
  
• 11th December, orders were received that told 1(P) RFU to move to Finningley effective from 10th January.
  Training was now speeded up to try to complete the courses by 'Stand down' at Christmas (some men only arriving the day before).
  
  
• 19th December, a three and a half hour concert and variety show was held, the theatre was packed!
  
  
• End of December, all maintenance work now stopped on the airfield as its future was decided.
  The move did not spoil Christmas for all those who stayed on the station and a good meal was enjoyed by all on Christmas day.