RAF Bircotes

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Bircotes | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | nearest_town = [[Bircotes]], Nottinghamshire | country = England | image = | alt = | caption = | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[Royal Air Force station|Royal Air Force satellite station]] | coordinates = {{Coord|53|26|08|N|001|02|31|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = South Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within South Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Bircotes | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]]<BR>* [[No. 7 Group RAF|No. 7 (T) Group RAF]]<BR>* [[No. 93 Group RAF|No. 93 (OTU) Group RAF]] | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code = BR | built = {{Start date|1941}} | used = November 1941 - July {{End date|1948}} | builder = | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison = | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|110|ft|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=52}} | r1-number = NW/SE | r1-length = {{Convert|1235|m|0}} | r1-surface = Grass | r2-number = 09/27 | r2-length = {{Convert|1400|m|0}} | r2-surface = Grass | r3-number = 18/36 | r3-length = {{Convert|1410|m|0}} | r3-surface = Grass | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Bircotes''' or more simply '''RAF Bircotes''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Air Force station|satellite station]] located within [[South Yorkshire]], England. Although it was named after the village of [[Bircotes]] which is in [[Nottinghamshire]].

==History== 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 Bessonneau hangars plus other miscellaneous buildings.<ref name="AA">{{cite web|url=http://www.airfieldarchaeology.co.uk/raf-bircotes.html |title=RAF Bircotes, Yorkshire|publisher=Airfield Archaeology |accessdate=16 June 2012}}</ref>

The Airfield opened in late 1941 and was used by the [[Avro Anson]]s, [[Vickers Wellington]]s, and [[Avro Manchester]]s from [[List of Royal Air Force Operational Training Units|No. 25 Operational Training Unit RAF]] (OTU) at nearby [[RAF Finningley]].<ref name="Halpenny1982p00">{{Harvnb|Halpenny|1981|p=47}}</ref>

A variety of training units occupied the airfield including two operational Training units:<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/bircotes-bawtry |title=Bircotes (Bawtry)|publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|accessdate=16 June 2012}}</ref> * Satellite for [[No. 18 OTU]] (March 1943 - November 1944){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=236}} * Satellite for [[No. 28 OTU]] (June - July 1944){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=239}} * Satellite for [[No. 82 OTU]] (August - October 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=244}} * Satellite for [[No. 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School RAF]] (February - August 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=155}} * Sub site for [[No. 35 Maintenance Unit RAF]] (November 1944 - 1945){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=206}}

The No. 1 Group Communication Flight RAF<ref name="ABCT"/> from RAF Bawtry were also present at Bircotes from April 1941. The unit had moved from [[RAF Hucknall]] and at Bircotes the unit was using [[Miles Master]]s, [[Airspeed Oxford]]s, [[Miles Martinet]]s, [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|Curtiss Tomahawk]]s and [[Westland Lysander]]s.<ref name="AA"/><ref name="Halpenny1982p00">{{Harvnb|Halpenny|1981|p=47}}</ref>

Towards the end of the [[World War II|Second World War]] and afterwards a number of different units used the airfield such as [[List of Royal Air Force Maintenance units|No. 250 Maintenance Unit RAF]] (MU) which formed at the airfield while under the control of [[RAF Maintenance Command]] and [[No. 61 Maintenance Unit RAF|No. 61 MU]] which absorbed No. 250 MU and used Bircotes as a sub site between 1944 and 1948.<ref name="AA"/>

==Current use==

The airfield is currently farmland after being decommissioned on 13 July 1948 with little of the perimeter track left.<ref name="ABCT"/>

==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== *{{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=J|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Halpenny|1981}}|reference=Halpenny, Bruce. ''Action Stations 2; Military airfields of Lincolnshire and East Midlands''. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephen Publishing, 1981. {{ISBN|0-85059-484-7}}.}} *{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R|last2=Hamlin|first2=J|last3=Halley|first3=J|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units |year=1997 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=0-85130-252-1}}

==External links== * [http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Roy%20Calvert%20Service%20Details.htm Roy Calvert service record details] * [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 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.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bircotes}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Aviation in Doncaster]] [[Category:Military history of South Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1941]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1948]]