# RAF Burn

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Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

RAF Burn Near Burn, North Yorkshire in England Former northeast-southwest runway Site information Type Royal Air Force satellite station Code AZ Owner Air Ministry Operator Royal Air Force Controlled by RAF Bomber Command * No. 4 Group RAF * No. 6 Group RCAF Location RAF Burn Shown within North Yorkshire Show map of North Yorkshire RAF Burn RAF Burn (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom Coordinates 53°44′53″N 001°05′02″W / 53.74806°N 1.08389°W / 53.74806; -1.08389 Site history Built 1941 (1941)/42 In use November 1942 -1946 (1946) Battles/wars European theatre of World War II Airfield information Identifiers IATA: XBRN, ICAO: XBRN Elevation 20 feet (6 m)[1] AMSL Runways Direction Length and surface 01/19 1,820 metres (5,971 ft) Concrete 07/25 1,420 metres (4,659 ft) Concrete 15/33 1,320 metres (4,331 ft) Concrete

**Royal Air Force Burn** or more simply **RAF Burn** is a former [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) [satellite station](/source/Royal_Air_Force_station) located 5 miles (8 km) south of [Selby](/source/Selby) and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) east of [Burn](/source/Burn%2C_North_Yorkshire) 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](/source/No._431_Squadron_RCAF), [Royal Canadian Air Force](/source/Royal_Canadian_Air_Force) as part of [4 Group](/source/No._4_Group_RAF) [RAF Bomber Command](/source/RAF_Bomber_Command) which formed at the airfield on 13 November 1942 flying [Vickers Wellington](/source/Vickers_Wellington) Mark X aircraft while at Burn. On 15 July 1943 the squadron was transferred to [RAF Tholthorpe](/source/RAF_Tholthorpe)[2] and became part of [No. 6 Group RCAF](/source/No._6_Group_RCAF).[3]

On 1 January 1944 [No. 658 Squadron RAF](/source/No._658_Squadron_RAF) moved to the airfield from [RAF Clifton](/source/RAF_Clifton) flying the [Taylorcraft Auster](/source/Taylorcraft_Auster) III but left after only seven days, moving to [RAF Doncaster](/source/RAF_Doncaster). On 21 January 1944 the squadron returned, this time staying until 14 March 1944 when they moved to [RAF Collyweston](/source/RAF_Collyweston). The squadron was briefly joined on 31 December 1943 by [659 Squadron](/source/No._659_Squadron_RAF) which moved to RAF Clifton the following day.[4]

During its use the airfield was also used by No. 10 Air Crew Holding Unit RAF.[5]

On 6 January 1944 [No. 578 Squadron RAF](/source/No._578_Squadron_RAF) squadron was relocated to RAF Burn from [RAF Snaith](/source/RAF_Snaith). This Bomber Command squadron flew [Handley Page Halifax](/source/Handley_Page_Halifax) Mk. III before disbanding on 15 April 1945[6] and the station was closed for flying operations in July 1945.[5]

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

Shortly after flying was discontinued, the [Royal Army Service Corps](/source/Royal_Army_Service_Corps) took over some facilities to store surplus equipment.[3] Many of the buildings have been dismantled but all three runways remain intact and are used by Burn Gliding Club Ltd.[7]

## Current use

The runways and hardstands are relatively intact,[3] with [Burn Gliding Club](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burn_Gliding_Club&action=edit&redlink=1) using the old aerodrome.[7][8] The perimeter track of the airfield is also the location for the weekly [Selby parkrun](/source/Parkrun).

## See also

- [List of former Royal Air Force stations](/source/List_of_former_Royal_Air_Force_stations)

## References

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFalconer201259_1-0)** [Falconer 2012](#CITEREFFalconer2012), p. 59.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p91_2-0)** [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 91.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RAF_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RAF_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RAF_3-2) ["Bomber Command – Burn"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120409100540/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s54.html). Royal Air Force. Archived from [the original](http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s54.html) on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p103_4-0)** [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 103.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ABCT_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ABCT_5-1) ["Burn"](http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/burn). [Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust](/source/Airfields_of_Britain_Conservation_Trust). Retrieved 11 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p97_6-0)** [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 97.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WM_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WM_7-1) ["RAF Burn"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120218062449/http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/burn.html). The Wartime Memories Project. Archived from [the original](http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/burn.html) on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Burn Gliding Club – Flying in the heart of Yorkshire"](http://www.burnglidingclub.co.uk). Burn Gliding Club. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

### 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).

- 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](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84037-141-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84037-141-2).

## External links

- [Airfield Information Exchange – RAF Burn](http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?3925-RAF-Burn)

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