- RAF Bawtry
RAF Bawtry was located at Bawtry Hall in
Bawtry and wasNo. 1 Group RAF Bomber Command Headquarters and administration unit during and following WWII.History
Bawtry Hall itself, was erected around 1785 by a prosperous wool-merchant from Wakefield
Yorkshire .During the
Second World War the RAF took it over and it became an RAF command centre. RAF Bawtry did not have its own Airfield but instead took advantage ofRAF Bircotes , which located literally next-door. Here the Station based a number of Communications aircraft.Bawtry Hall served the Royal Air Force from 1941 - 1984; first as HQ for No. 1 Group, Bomber command during and after WWII, then as Strike Command HQ up to and including the later stages of the Cold War. The famous bombing of the airfield at Port Stanley by Vulcan bombers from RAF Finningley during the Falklands conflict was co-ordinated from the operations room at Bawtry Hall. Source: http://www.actionpartnerscorp.org.uk/hospitality/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=1
RAF Bawtry became the centre of the RAF
Meteorological Service for many years and ceased military operations in 1986.No.1 Group Bomber Command Based at RAF Bawtry was comprised as follows: -
During the
Miners' Strike in the mid-1980's, up to 17,000 Police were based at RAF Bawtry to provide a central Operations and co-ordination point on theSouth Yorkshire /Nottinghamshire border.Currently
The
Air Training Corps Squadron (2008 Sqn) is still located at the former site on Park Road in Bawtry.They are back at Park Road, and are in the "new building" and the old building has now been removed
2008sqn (Bawtry) ATC have a new building situated right on top of where the former buildings used to be, the squadron is a fully functioning unit that regularly attend flying, gliding, and shooting practises. Currently the squadron is known for its high quality of cadets, especially in the form of road marching- it is one of the few squadrons that regularly participate in walking and road marching events, and is the only formation in Yorkshire to have completed the 4 day nijmegan march (100 miles). They are now co-ordinating only the second ever South & West Yorkshire Wing ATC team to attend the Nijmegen 4 day march this summer.
Reference source
*
Bruce Barrymore Halpenny "Action Stations: Military Airfields of Yorkshire v. 4" (ISBN 978-0850595321)*Bases of Bomber Command Then and Now, Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1870067355, [http://www.afterthebattle.com/bomcom.htm]
ee also
*
List of RAF stations
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