# RAF Bircotes

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Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

RAF Bircotes Near Bircotes, Nottinghamshire in England Site information Type Royal Air Force satellite station Code BR Owner Air Ministry Operator Royal Air Force Controlled by RAF Bomber Command * No. 7 (T) Group RAF * No. 93 (OTU) Group RAF Location RAF Bircotes Shown within South Yorkshire Show map of South Yorkshire RAF Bircotes RAF Bircotes (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom Coordinates 53°26′08″N 001°02′31″W / 53.43556°N 1.04194°W / 53.43556; -1.04194 Site history Built 1941 (1941) In use November 1941 - July 1948 (1948) Battles/wars European theatre of World War II Airfield information Elevation 110 feet (34 m)[1] AMSL Runways Direction Length and surface NW/SE 1,235 metres (4,052 ft) Grass 09/27 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) Grass 18/36 1,410 metres (4,626 ft) Grass

**Royal Air Force Bircotes** or more simply **RAF Bircotes** is a former [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) [satellite station](/source/Royal_Air_Force_station) located within [South Yorkshire](/source/South_Yorkshire), England. Although it was named after the village of [Bircotes](/source/Bircotes) which is in [Nottinghamshire](/source/Nottinghamshire).

## History

RAF Bircotes was located next the [No. 1 Group RAF](/source/No._1_Group_RAF), [RAF Bomber Command](/source/RAF_Bomber_Command) HQ at [RAF Bawtry](/source/RAF_Bawtry), Bawtry Hall, [Bawtry](/source/Bawtry), [England](/source/England). The airfield consisted of a grass strip with a connecting perimeter track with T2, B1 and Bessonneau hangars plus other miscellaneous buildings.[2]

The Airfield opened in late 1941 and was used by the [Avro Ansons](/source/Avro_Anson), [Vickers Wellingtons](/source/Vickers_Wellington), and [Avro Manchesters](/source/Avro_Manchester) from [No. 25 Operational Training Unit RAF](/source/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Operational_Training_Units) (OTU) at nearby [RAF Finningley](/source/RAF_Finningley).[3]

A variety of training units occupied the airfield including two operational Training units:[4]

- Satellite for [No. 18 OTU](/source/No._18_OTU) (March 1943 - November 1944)[5]

- Satellite for [No. 28 OTU](/source/No._28_OTU) (June - July 1944)[6]

- Satellite for [No. 82 OTU](/source/No._82_OTU) (August - October 1943)[7]

- Satellite for [No. 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School RAF](/source/No._16_(Polish)_Service_Flying_Training_School_RAF) (February - August 1943)[8]

- Sub site for [No. 35 Maintenance Unit RAF](/source/No._35_Maintenance_Unit_RAF) (November 1944 - 1945)[9]

The No. 1 Group Communication Flight RAF[4] from RAF Bawtry were also present at Bircotes from April 1941. The unit had moved from [RAF Hucknall](/source/RAF_Hucknall) and at Bircotes the unit was using [Miles Masters](/source/Miles_Master), [Airspeed Oxfords](/source/Airspeed_Oxford), [Miles Martinets](/source/Miles_Martinet), [Curtiss Tomahawks](/source/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk) and [Westland Lysanders](/source/Westland_Lysander).[2][3]

Towards the end of the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II) and afterwards a number of different units used the airfield such as [No. 250 Maintenance Unit RAF](/source/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Maintenance_units) (MU) which formed at the airfield while under the control of [RAF Maintenance Command](/source/RAF_Maintenance_Command) and [No. 61 MU](/source/No._61_Maintenance_Unit_RAF) which absorbed No. 250 MU and used Bircotes as a sub site between 1944 and 1948.[2]

## Current use

The airfield is currently farmland after being decommissioned on 13 July 1948 with little of the perimeter track left.[4]

## References

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFalconer201252_1-0)** [Falconer 2012](#CITEREFFalconer2012), p. 52.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AA_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AA_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AA_2-2) ["RAF Bircotes, Yorkshire"](http://www.airfieldarchaeology.co.uk/raf-bircotes.html). Airfield Archaeology. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Halpenny1982p00_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Halpenny1982p00_3-1) [Halpenny 1981](#CITEREFHalpenny1981), p. 47

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ABCT_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ABCT_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ABCT_4-2) ["Bircotes (Bawtry)"](http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/bircotes-bawtry). [Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust](/source/Airfields_of_Britain_Conservation_Trust). Retrieved 16 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlinHalley1997236_5-0)** [Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997](#CITEREFSturtivantHamlinHalley1997), p. 236.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlinHalley1997239_6-0)** [Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997](#CITEREFSturtivantHamlinHalley1997), p. 239.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlinHalley1997244_7-0)** [Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997](#CITEREFSturtivantHamlinHalley1997), p. 244.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlinHalley1997155_8-0)** [Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997](#CITEREFSturtivantHamlinHalley1997), p. 155.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlinHalley1997206_9-0)** [Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997](#CITEREFSturtivantHamlinHalley1997), p. 206.

### Bibliography

- Falconer, J (2012). *RAF Airfields of World War 2*. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-85780-349-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-85780-349-5).

- Halpenny, Bruce. *Action Stations 2; Military airfields of Lincolnshire and East Midlands*. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephen Publishing, 1981. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85059-484-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85059-484-7).

- Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). *Royal Air Force flying training and support units*. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85130-252-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85130-252-1).

## External links

- [Roy Calvert service record details](http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Roy%20Calvert%20Service%20Details.htm)

- [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)

v t e Royal Air Force Formations and units Units Commands Groups Wings Squadrons Flights Conversion units Operational Training units Schools / Training units Ferry units Glider units Misc units Stations Active Former Satellite Landing Grounds Station description Regiment Wings Squadrons Flights Branches and components Air Force Board RAF Regiment RAF Chaplains Branch RAF Intelligence RAF Legal Branch RAF Medical Services Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service RAF Police RAF ground trades RAF Music Services RAF Search and Rescue Force RAF Mountain Rescue Service RAF Marine Branch RAF Air Cadets Operations Reserve forces Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Volunteer Reserve Equipment List of RAF aircraft current future List of RAF missiles List of equipment of the RAF Regiment Personnel Officer ranks Other ranks List of notable personnel List of serving senior officers Personnel numbers Appointments Chief of Air Staff Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Air Secretary Air Member for Materiel Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment Warrant Officer of the RAF Symbols and uniform Badge Ensign Heraldic badges Roundels Squadron standards and battle honours Uniform Associated civil organisations Air Training Corps Combined Cadet Force (RAF section) RAF Association RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine RAF Benevolent Fund RAF Football Association RAF Museum History Timeline Future

v t e Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire Flying stations Active Leeming Topcliffe1 Former Acaster Malbis Bellasize Beverley Bircotes Bramham Breighton2 Burn2 Carnaby Catfoss Catterick Church Fenton2 Clifton Coal Aston Cottam Croft Dalton Dishforth Doncaster Driffield East Moor Elvington Finningley2 Firbeck Full Sutton Hedon Helperby Holme-on-Spalding Moor Hornsea Mere Howden Hutton Cranswick Leconfield Lindholme Linton-on-Ouse Lissett Manywells Height Marske Marston Moor Melbourne Pocklington Redcar Riccall Ripon Rufforth2 Scorton Sherburn-in-Elmet2 Skipton-on-Swale Snaith Tholthorpe Thornaby Wombleton Yeadon2 Non-flying stations Active Fylingdales3 Menwith Hill3 Staxton Wold3 Former Bawtry Bempton3 Bent Rigg3 Bowes Moor Bridlington Cowden Danby Beacon3 Goldsborough3 Harrogate Holmpton3 Hunmanby Moor Misson Northallerton4 Norton Oxenhope Moor3 Patrington3 Shipton3 Sutton on Hull Notes 1: used for only for RAF gliders 2: now used for civilian aviation 3: communications or radar sites 4: RAF hospital

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RAF Bircotes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bircotes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bircotes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.