RAF Bircotes

RAF Bircotes is a former Royal Air Force airfield located within South Yorkshire and the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster and was formerly located within the boundary of Nottinghamshire. RAF Bircotes was located next the No. 1 Group RAF, RAF Bomber Command HQ at RAF Bawtry, Bawtry Hall, Bawtry, England. The airfield consisted of a grass strip with a connecting perimeter track with T2, B1 and blister hangars plus other miscellaneous buildings.

The Airfield opened in Late 1941 and was used by the Avro Ansons, Wellingtons, and Manchesters from 250 Training Unit at nearby RAF Finningley.

A variety of training units occupied the airfield including 250 TU and 820 TU with a range of different aircraft types.

The No.1 Group Bomber Command Communications flight from RAF Bawtry were also present at Bircotes using Masters, Oxfords, Martinets, Tomahawks, Lysanders.

Towards the end of World War II and afterwards a number of different units used the airfield.

In July 1948, RAF Bircotes was decommissioned and returned to local agriculture.

References

* Bruce Barrymore Halpenny "Action Stations: Military Airfields of Yorkshire v. 4" (ISBN 978-0850595321)
* http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Roy%20Calvert%20Service%20Details.htm
* http://oldairfields.fotopic.net/
* An aerial view showing evidence of the layout of the former Airfield. The existing buildings are shown in the bottom left hand corner. Bawtry and Bawtry Hall are shown towards the East: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=bircotes&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=53.434824,-1.03735&spn=0.011326,0.0424&t=k&om=1