RAF Burn

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Use British English|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Burn | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | nearest_town = [[Burn, North Yorkshire|Burn]], North Yorkshire | country = England | image = [[File:Burn Airfield. From Northeast Corner. - geograph.org.uk - 1727027.jpg|250px]] | alt = | caption = Former northeast-southwest runway | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[Royal Air Force station|Royal Air Force satellite station]] | coordinates = {{coord|53|44|53|N|001|05|02|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Burn | pushpin_label_position = top | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]]<BR>* [[No. 4 Group RAF]]<BR>* [[No. 6 Group RCAF]] | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code = AZ | built = {{Start date|1941}}/42 | used = November 1942 -{{End date|1946}} | builder = | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = XBRN | ICAO = XBRN | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|20|ft|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=59}} | r1-number = 01/19 | r1-length = {{Convert|1820|m|0}} | r1-surface = [[Concrete]] | r2-number = 07/25 | r2-length = {{Convert|1420|m|0}} | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 15/33 | r3-length = {{Convert|1320|m|0}} | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Burn''' or more simply '''RAF Burn''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Air Force station|satellite station]] located {{Convert|5|mi|0}} south of [[Selby]] and {{Convert|0.5|mi|1}} east of [[Burn, North Yorkshire|Burn]] in North Yorkshire, England which opened in 1942 before closing in 1946.

==Station history==

The airfield was opened in 1942 and first hosted [[No. 431 Squadron RCAF|No. 431 Squadron]], [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] as part of [[No. 4 Group RAF|4 Group]] [[RAF Bomber Command]] which formed at the airfield on 13 November 1942 flying [[Vickers Wellington]] Mark X aircraft while at Burn. On 15 July 1943 the squadron was transferred to [[RAF Tholthorpe]]<ref name="Jefford1988p91">{{Harvnb|Jefford|1988|p=91.}}</ref> and became part of [[No. 6 Group RCAF]].<ref name="RAF">{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s54.html |title=Bomber Command – Burn |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=11 June 2012 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409100540/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s54.html |archivedate=9 April 2012 }}</ref>

On 1 January 1944 [[No. 658 Squadron RAF]] moved to the airfield from [[RAF Clifton]] flying the [[Taylorcraft Auster]] III but left after only seven days, moving to [[RAF Doncaster]]. On 21 January 1944 the squadron returned, this time staying until 14 March 1944 when they moved to [[RAF Collyweston]]. The squadron was briefly joined on 31 December 1943 by [[No. 659 Squadron RAF|659 Squadron]] which moved to RAF Clifton the following day.<ref name="Jefford1988p103">{{Harvnb|Jefford|1988|p=103.}}</ref>

During its use the airfield was also used by No. 10 Air Crew Holding Unit RAF.<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/burn |title=Burn |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|accessdate=11 June 2012}}</ref>

On 6 January 1944 [[No. 578 Squadron RAF]] squadron was relocated to RAF Burn from [[RAF Snaith]]. This Bomber Command squadron flew [[Handley Page Halifax]] Mk. III before disbanding on 15 April 1945<ref name="Jefford1988p97">{{Harvnb|Jefford|1988|p=97.}}</ref> and the station was closed for flying operations in July 1945.<ref name="ABCT"/>

On the night of 30 March 1944, Pilot Officer [[Cyril Joe Barton]] took off from RAF Burn in Halifax LK797 for a raid on [[Nuremberg]], and won a posthumous [[Victoria Cross]] for valour.

Shortly after flying was discontinued, the [[Royal Army Service Corps]] took over some facilities to store surplus equipment.<ref name="RAF"/> Many of the buildings have been dismantled but all three runways remain intact and are used by Burn Gliding Club Ltd.<ref name="WM">{{cite web |url=http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/burn.html |title=RAF Burn |publisher=The Wartime Memories Project |accessdate=11 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218062449/http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/burn.html |archivedate=18 February 2012 }}</ref>

==Current use== The runways and hardstands are relatively intact,<ref name="RAF"/> with [[Burn Gliding Club]] using the old aerodrome.<ref name="WM"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.burnglidingclub.co.uk|title=Burn Gliding Club – Flying in the heart of Yorkshire |publisher=Burn Gliding Club|accessdate=3 April 2012}}</ref> The perimeter track of the airfield is also the location for the weekly [[Parkrun|Selby parkrun]].

==See also== *[[List of former Royal Air Force stations]]

==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|Jefford|1988}}|reference=Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.}}

==External links== *[http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?3925-RAF-Burn Airfield Information Exchange – RAF Burn]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burn}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1942]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1945]]