RAF Cottam

{{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 Cottam | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | location = [[Langtoft, East Riding of Yorkshire|Langtoft]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] | country = England | image = [[File:Disused runway, Cottam (geograph 3065912).jpg|250px]] | caption = Disused runway | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force satellite station]] | coordinates = {{coord|54|03|48|N|000|28|59|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | gridref = | pushpin_map = East Riding of Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within East Riding of Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Cottam | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Maintenance Command]] | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code =  | built = {{Start date|1939}} | used = 1939 - {{End date|1954}} | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|150|m|0}} | r1-number = 00/00 | r1-length = {{Convert|1610|m|0}} | r1-surface = [[Concrete]] and Wood chips | r2-number = 00/00 | r2-length = {{Convert|1230|m|0}} | r2-surface = Concrete and Wood chips | r3-number = 00/00 | r3-length = {{Convert|1210|m|0}} | r3-surface = Concrete and Wood chips | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Cottam''' or more simply '''RAF Cottam''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|satellite station]] near [[Cottam, East Riding of Yorkshire|Cottam]] in the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], [[England]] and {{Convert|3.9|mi}} north west of [[Driffield]], East Riding of Yorkshire. The airfield was used only occasionally for flying, mostly being utilised as a bomb storage site.

==History==

Despite being built as a bomber airfield as a satellite to [[RAF Driffield]], poor weather conditions meant it was never used as its intended use as operational airfield, though some flying did occur.{{sfn|Delve|2006|pp=89–90}} The site was constructed with three runways measuring {{convert|5,280|ft}}, {{convert|4,050|ft}}, and {{convert|3,960|ft}}.{{sfn|Halpenny|1982|page=54}} The airfield was used temporarily as a dispersal site in August 1940 after a devastating raid on RAF Driffield. An attack by up to 30 [[Junkers Ju 88]]'s saw 169 bombs dropped, 13 personnel killed, 12 [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]] bombers destroyed, and as a result of the raid, Driffield was non-operational for the rest of 1940.<ref>{{cite web |title=RAF Cottam – Hull & East Riding at War |url=https://hullandeastridingatwar.co.uk/raf-cottam/ |website=hullandeastridingatwar.co.uk |access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Halpenny|1982|p=66}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Otter |first1=Patrick |title=Yorkshire airfields in the Second World War |date=1998 |publisher=Countryside Books |location=Newbury |isbn=1-85306-542-0 |pages=89–90}}</ref> Cottam's watch office was demolished in 1980.<ref name="CT">{{cite web|url=http://www.controltowers.co.uk/C/Cottam.htm|title=RAF Cottam airfield |publisher=Control Towers|accessdate=8 April 2012}}</ref> The airfield operated until June 1954.<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/cottam|title=Cottam |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|accessdate=8 April 2012}}</ref>

The airfield was then used by [[RAF Maintenance Command]] as [[No. 91 Maintenance Unit RAF]] (MU) used the runways and buildings for bomb storage, until the 1950s.<ref name="CT"/><ref name="NA">{{cite web |title=Maintenance Unit: No 91, RAF Cottam, East Yorks and No 91 M.U. Satellite, Southburn |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101234?descriptiontype=Full&ref=AIR+29/1524 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ |access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref> In December 1944, the station was listed as having 1,057 and 188 women from Maintenance Command and No. 42 Group billeted there.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Willis |first1=Steve |last2=Holliss |first2=Barry R |title=Military airfields in the British Isles, 1939-1945 |date=1987 |publisher=Enthusiasts |location=Sherington |isbn=0907700128 |page=54}}</ref>

==Current use==

The airfield is currently farmland with little remaining buildings spread over the entire site and the dispersed areas, however the traces of the runways and dispersals can be seen from the air.{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=90}} Ordnance Survey mapping from 1982 shows that the main north east/south west runway had been removed by that time.<ref>{{PastScape |num=1392698 |desc=Cottam Airfield |access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref>

RAF Cottam has a unique claim to fame as the 'virtual' airfield for RAF [[Air Traffic Control]]ler as well as Flight Operations simulator training at [[RAF Shawbury]].<ref name="RAF">{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafoperationalupdate/insiderreport/operationsofficer.cfm|title=First Deployment on Operations by a junior Air Operations Officer|publisher=Royal Air Force|accessdate=8 April 2012}}</ref>

==Units== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Unit !Dates !Details !Ref |- |No. 4 Group Target Towing Flight |September–October 1940 |Based at nearby RAF Driffield, a detachment flew from here using Lysander aircraft |{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=90}} |- |No. 91 Maintenance Unit |1946–1954 | |<ref name="NA"/> |- |[[List of Royal Air Force Maintenance units#No. 201 MU – No. 300 MU|No. 244 Maintenance Unit]] |September 1944–December 1945 |Transferred in from RAF Connel in autumn 1944 |<ref>{{cite web |title=Connel (Oban) - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK |url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/connel-oban/ |website=www.abct.org.uk |access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=89}} |}

==References== {{reflist}} ===Sources=== *{{cite book |last1=Delve |first1=Ken |title=Northern England : Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire |date=2006 |publisher=Crowood |location=Ramsbury |isbn=1-86126-809-2}} *{{cite book |last1=Halpenny |first1=Bruce Barrymore |title=Action stations 4; Military Airfields of Yorkshire |date=1982 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0-85059-532-0}}

==External links== *[http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?2028-Cottam Airfield Information Exchange]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cottam}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Transport in the East Riding of Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1939]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1954]]