Westonzoyland Airfield stands as a testament to Somerset’s role in the Second World War.
The airfield, located near Bridgwater, was established in the 1920s and initially served as a landing ground.
While it was only used seasonally at first, the onset of the Second World War led to its full-time occupation and extensive use.
In 1942, the Air Ministry decided to upgrade the airfield to bomber standard. By early 1943, work had begun to replace its grass runways with concrete ones and add a perimeter track.
The A372 to Othery had to be closed to facilitate the airfield’s expansion.
RAF Westonzoyland underwent a transformation, resulting in three concrete runways arranged in a triangle, each angled 60 degrees from the others.
At its peak, the main runway stretched 5,775 ft, while the other two measured 3,564 ft and 4,101 ft respectively.
Historic England notes that fake field boundaries were painted over the centre of the airfield to disguise it from aerial view.
During the Second World War, Westonzoyland Airfield served as a training base for pilots, housing thousands of airmen and women.
Pilots from Poland, Czech Republic, and America resided in nearby houses and flew various aircraft from the site.
On March 15, 1944, a Lancaster bomber made an emergency landing at Westonzoyland airfield after returning from a raid, as it was running out of fuel and the pilot had no choice but to land where he could.
During the time, local papers reported that the women’s voluntary services provided the men with beer, tea and cake while the aircraft was being repaired.
Post-Second World War, the site saw a gradual decrease in usage.
In response to a perceived threat from the Soviet Union in the 1950s, some Meteors and Vampires were trained at Westonzoyland Airfield.
Following a decline in use and the departure of aircraft from the airfield, the site was eventually released from military use. The main runway was cut back in the 1960s to restore the A372 and reconnect the village with Bridgwater and central Somerset.
The site has since been utilised for racing, farming and is currently home to the Westonzoyland Flying Club, which uses it for microlight aircraft flights.
Somerset Live has delved into its photo archive and pulled out some photos of the RAF airfield over the years, which can be seen below.