History of Knowsley Park

Sited on Lord Derby’s land at Knowsley Park the airfield was known as No 49 Satellite Landing Ground and was intended to be used by No 37 Maintenance Unit at nearby RAF Burtonwood for the dispersal of aircraft. It was intended to be in service from the autumn of 1941. An officer and 40 NCO’s and airmen arrived on the 14^th October 1941to open up the airstrip; the personnel were billeted in nearby Prescott

However the airstrip was so waterlogged that no aircraft could be dispersed there and all the personnel were withdrawn on the 7^th November 1941 for further strengthening of the runway to be carried out, about 50 hard standings were also prepared by the time the site opened, the Park Keepers house was also taken over for accommodation by the RAF Regiment unit that was responsible for the guarding of the site. The ground dried out in the spring of 1942 and the site officially opened on the 13^th May 1942 originally for the dispersal of Wellingtons produced at the nearby Chester and Blackpool factories.

When RAF Burtonwood transferred to the USAAF, No 37 MU disbanded transferring all of its personnel and aircraft to No 48 MU at RAF Hawarden, Knowsley was also transferred over on the 8^th July 1942. In August Knowsley was inspected for the possibility of accepting four engined aircraft, after being found acceptable Halifax’s produced at nearby by Speke were flown in to be dispersed along with the Wellingtons.

By the end of 1944 there was no real need to disperse aircraft so far away from the main sites and No 48 MU started to close its Satellite Landing Grounds with Knowsley closing in December 1944 with its few Robin hangers being dismantled.

There are a few hard standings remaining, two buildings and the foundations of other buildings and hangers can be seen with the odd tie down being found in the undergrowth, the line of the runway can also be seen. The airfield was also used during the fifties Lord Derby based his private aircraft on the airstrip.

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