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List of Battle of Britain airfields

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RAF Fighter Command
Battle of Britain Monument, Victoria Embankment, London
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
RoleDefence of Great Britain
EngagementsBattle of Britain
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During the Battle of Britain, the defence of the UK's airspace was divided up within RAF Fighter Command into four Groups, each comprising several airfields and squadrons.[1]

The groups involved, 10, 11, 12 and 13, saw very different levels of activity during the battle. No. 11 Group, responsible for the defence of London and the south-east saw the heaviest fighting, and pilots were often rotated among the groups to allow them to rest and recuperate after several weeks of fierce contact with the enemy. Each group was commanded by an Air Vice-Marshal, who served under the head of Fighter Command during the battle, Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding.

Organisational structure

[edit]

Key:

  • HQ = Group headquarters
  • SS = Sector station
  • SA = Satellite aerodrome


10 Group

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10 Group defended Wales and the West Country and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand.

Station name BoB
role 		Grid
reference 		Station
opened 		Flying
ceased 		RAF station
closed 		Current use
RAF Box HQ ST843707 1940 N/A 2000 Decommissioned, in use by Defence Equipment & Support
RAF Middle Wallop SS SU306385 1940 - 1 September 1957 2 (Training) Regiment Army Air Corps and School of Army Aviation
RAF Filton SS ST590802 1916 2012 1960s Bristol Filton Airport
RAF Boscombe Down SA SU176393 1939 - MoD Boscombe Down
RAF Colerne SA ST800712 1940 - 21st Signal Regiment, Bristol University Air Squadron, 3 AEF
RAF Exeter SA SY002937 1937 - Exeter International Airport, The Hunter Flying Club
RAF Pembrey SA SN403042 1939 - 1957 Pembrey Airport, Pembrey Sands AWR Support, Pembrey Circuit
RAF Roborough SA SX504902 1931 2011 Plymouth City Airport
RAF St Eval SA SW873685 1939 1959 6 March 1959 RAF St Eval HIVE, MOD Ariel Field
RAF Warmwell SA SY756887 1937 1945 Crossways village
  • RAF Warmwell in 1943
    RAF Warmwell in 1943


11 Group

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11 Group covered the southeast of England and the critical approaches to London and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park.

Station name BoB
role 		Grid
reference 		Station
ppened 		Flying
ceased 		RAF station
closed 		Current use
RAF Uxbridge HQ TQ061836 1918[a] N/A 31 March 2010 Battle of Britain Bunker remains open. Hillingdon House, the HQ of 11 Fighter Group, to be refurbished as restaurant
RAF Biggin Hill SS TQ416610 1916[b] - 1992 London Biggin Hill Airport, Planned heritage site & conservation area
RAF Debden SS TL562350 1937 1960 21 August 1974 33 Engineer Regt EOD, NATS Radar Station
RAF Hornchurch SS TQ532846 1915 1962 July 1962 Hornchurch Country Park, Housing Estate, Conservation Area
RAF Kenley SS TQ329579 1917 1959 Housing and conservation area
RAF Northolt SS TQ097850 1915 - - Current RAF Station, HQ Music Services, 63 Squadron, RAF Regt (QCS)
RAF North Weald SS TL488047 1916 - 1964 North Weald Airfield
RAF Tangmere SS SU909060 1917 16 October 1970 Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
RAF Croydon SA TQ310636 1939 30 September 1959 1946 Business park, museum
RAF Detling SA TQ813597 Light industry, agriculture
RAF Eastchurch SA TQ982701 HM Prison Swaleside
RAF Ford SA SU993028 HM Prison Ford
RAF Gosport SA SU592006 HMS Sultan, Rowner Housing Estate
RAF Gravesend SA TQ670716 Riverview Housing Estate, Golf Course, Cascades Leisure Centre
RAF Hawkinge SA TR211395 Kent BoB Museum, Housing
RAF Hendon SA TQ217905 1908 1957 1987 RAF Museum, Hendon Police College, Grahame Park Housing Estate
RNAS Lee-on-Solent SA SU561020 1917 - 29 March 1996 HM Coastguard, Unlicensed Private Airfield, Maritime & Aviation Industry
RAF Lympne SA TR114353 1916 1984 1 January 1946 Industrial Park
RAF Manston SA TR334663 1916 - 31 March 1999 Kent International Airport, Defence Fire Training and Development Centre
RAF Martlesham Heath SA TM242454 1917 1963 Major British Telecom site. Control Tower Museum – 14.00 to 16.45 each Sunday April until October, 3 Memorials at Barrack Square. see www.mhas.gov.uk or Facebook – Martlesham Heath Aviation Society and Control Tower Museum.
RAF Rochford SA TQ866308 1939 - 1946 Now London Southend Airport
RAF Stapleford Tawney SA TQ491399 Stapleford Aerodrome
RAF Thorney Island SA SU762025 1938
RAF Westhampnett SA SU873180 Goodwood Circuit
RAF West Malling SA TQ680555 1930 1969 Kings Hill a mixed development of (eventually) around 2,500 homes and 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) of commercial space.
  • Memorial to the No. 11 Group Operations Room, with the Royal Air Force Ensign, at RAF Uxbridge
    Memorial to the No. 11 Group Operations Room, with the Royal Air Force Ensign, at RAF Uxbridge
  • Restored Operations Room at RAF Uxbridge
    Restored Operations Room at RAF Uxbridge
  • Line up of 485 Squadron 'Subscription' Spitfire Mk. Vbs at RAF Kenley in 1941
    Line up of 485 Squadron 'Subscription' Spitfire Mk. Vbs at RAF Kenley in 1941
  • BS456 UZ-Z of 306 (Polish) Torunski Squadron, RAF Northolt, November 1942
    BS456 UZ-Z of 306 (Polish) Torunski Squadron, RAF Northolt, November 1942


12 Group

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12 Group defended the Midlands and East Anglia and was led by Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory.

Station name BoB
role 		Grid
reference 		Station
opened 		Flying
ceased 		RAF station
closed 		Current use
RAF Watnall HQ SK 506 454 1940 N/A Housing / industrial / Nature Reserve[c]
RAF Church Fenton SS SE 530 380 1 April 1937 19 December 2013 Leeds East Airport
RAF Digby SS TF 048 560
RAF Duxford SS TL 458 460 1918 1961 Imperial War Museum Duxford
RAF Kirton in Lindsey SS SK 943 970
RAF Wittering SS TF 031 027 1916 Expeditionary Engineering and Logistics. Flying training with elements of 3 Flying Training School and 6 Flying Training School.
RAF Collyweston SA TF 014 016 1916 1942 Merged with the neighbouring RAF Wittering when a 2-mile long grass runway was built linking the two airfields in 1942
RAF Coltishall
 SA TG 270 225 HM Prison Bure, industrial use, solar farm
RAF Fowlmere
 SA TL 410 447 1918 Fowlmere Airfield
RAF Leconfield SA TA 030 435 Defence School of Transport (part of Defence College of Logistic, Policing, and Administration)
RAF Tern Hill SA SJ 640 305


13 Group

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13 Group covered the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul.

Station name BoB
role 		Grid
reference 		Station
ppened 		Flying
ceased 		RAF station
closed 		Current use
RAF Newcastle HQ Housing Estate
RAF Acklington SS NU230010 1938 1972 HMP Acklington
RAF Dyce SS Aberdeen Airport
RAF Turnhouse SS NT156734 1916 Edinburgh Airport
RAF Usworth SS NZ340585 1916 Factory for Nissan cars
RAF Wick SS ND363527 1939 1978 Wick Airport
RAF Catterick SA SE250968 1914 Part of the Catterick Garrison complex.
RAF Drem SA NT505810 1917 1946 Decommissioned
RAF Grangemouth SA NS946820 1939 1945
RAF Kirkwall SA
RAF Sumburgh SA Sumburgh Airport
RAF Castletown SA ND220668 1940 1944 1945

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ From 1915–1918 Hillingdon House (the estate of which became RAF Uxbridge) was used as a convalescence home for Canadian troops
  2. ^ Opened as a wireless testing station. Flying commenced in 1918.[2]
  3. ^ Some underground buildings still exist, but are inaccessible. [3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "RAF Fighter Command Stations of the Battle of Britain". Royal Air Force. 2004. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  2. ^ Biggin Hill Airport Website
  3. ^ Subterrannea Britannica
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