Built during 1939-41 for the RAF, as a combined fighter station and Maintenance Unit base, High Ercall had three tarmac runways, 23 hardstandings, two T2 hangars and 24 other hangars of various types. Occupied by the RAF from October 1940, it was allocated to the Eighth Air Force as a fighter base in June 1942, although the site was shared with No. 29 Maintenance Unit. Occupied by the 309th Fighter Squadron of the 31st Fighter Group, equipped with Spitfire Vs, during June to August 1942, the station changed role to fighter training base in August 1942, with the arrival of the 27th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group, equipped with P-38s. The 309th Fighter Squadron departed in September 1942, and was replaced for a short period in October 1942 by the 92nd Fighter Squadron, equipped with P-39s, en route to join the 12th Air Force in North Africa. Handed back to the RAF in April 1943, High Ercall remained the home of No. 29 Maintenance Unit until closed in 1962. The airfield has since returned mostly to agriculture, with the runways largely broken up. Several hangars and other wartime buildings remain in use. The Headquarters site became the Road Transport Industry Training Board MOTEC 1 (Multi Occupational Training and Educational Centre), later Centrex and then owned by the Angel group. The sub sites with hangars became warehousing.