RAF Barkston Heath
Encyclopedia
RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force
station near Grantham
, Lincolnshire
.
RAF Barkston Heath is the home of the Defence Elementary Flying Training School (DEFTS) which, for a period between approximately 1995-2010 operated the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly
two seat trainer. The school now operates the Grob Tutor. A secondary role of RAF Barkston Heath is as a Relief Landing Ground for the flying training activities at RAF Cranwell
.
DEFTS provides elementary flying training for Royal Navy
and Army Air Corps students, the distinctive black and yellow Slingsby Firefly was a common sight above the skies of Lincolnshire until replaced by the somewhat quieter Grob Tutor.
village, was prepared as a relief landing ground for aircraft operating from nearby RAF Cranwell
. With the outbreak of war in 1939, these facilities were gradually developed into Barkston Heath airfield, although the facility remained basically a satellite landing ground for use by training aircraft.
area that had been planned for the RAF's No. 7 Group. Barkston was made available to the United States Army Air Forces
Ninth Air Force
. It was earmarked for basing troop carrier units scheduled to be transferred from Sicily
to participate in the forthcoming cross-Channel invasion, Operation "Overlord"
.
During its time as a USAAF airfield, Barkston Heath was designated as USAAF station 483.
The 61st TCG was part of the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command
.
During the following week the aircraft complement was built up to 64 C-47s and similar numbers of Airspeed Horsa
and Waco CG-4A gliders. A busy training schedule followed with paratroops of the 82d Airborne Division 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment who were encamped in the locality.
With the Ninth Air Force requirement for glider erection at Barkston Heath, four addilinnal T-2 hangars were built during the early spring of 1944. However, owing to the rolling topography, the only suitable area available was un the far side of the B6403, this being part of the old Roman Ermine Street
which ran along the eastern boundary of the airfield. Unusually, the four additional T-2s were not dispersed but erected in a row and linked by two access roads across the main road.
For operations during 6/7 June the group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for dropping paratroops of 82nd Airborne Division and supplies near Cherbourg. Involved in the first drops were two serials of 36 C-47s and C-53s, each serial having taken off in a remarkable 2½ minutes.
On 17 Septemher two serials of the 61st TCG left Barkston Heath with men of the British 1st Airborne Division for Arnhem
. The first serial of 36 C-47s dropped 559 paratroops and the second of 35 C-47s carried 609 men. all aircraft returning safely. Next day, 81 C-47s hauled 80 CG-4As to Groesbeek
. On D plus 2, 35 C-47s of the 61st, flying from RAF Aldermaston
, dropped re-supply in the Nijmegen area. losing another two. On the 23rd. The 61st towed 43 gliders to Overasselt
, near Grave, one C-47 being shot down.
The headquarters of the 61st Troop Carrier Group moved to an Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) at Abbeville (ALG B-92), in France
, on 13 March 1945, but its squadrons went to RAF Chipping Ongar
from where they participated in Operation "Varsity"
on 24 March carrying British paratroops who dropped near Wesel
.
Legacy
From its base in France, the 61st TCG provided transport services in the European theater, hauling gasoline, ammunition, food, medicine, and other supplies, and evacuating wounded personnel. The group moved to Trinidad
in May 1945 and was assigned to the Air Transport Command. Used C-47's to transport troops returning to the US. Inactivated in Trinidad on 31 July 1945.
in late March 1945 with its Curtiss C-46 Commando transports. Group headquarters was established at Barkston on 30 March, but the group only remained three weeks, moving to Rove/Amy, France, on 18 April.
The squadrons of the 349th TCG were coded as follows: the 23rd -08, 312th
-9E, 313th
-3F, and 314th
-LY. It was assigned to the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing.
In May, a detachment of C-46s from this group returned to airlift British 1st Airborne Division troops to Norway
.
The RAF College at Cranwell recommenced using the airfield as a satellite in May that year. basing a number of aircraft there, the station continuing in this capacity until July 1966 when manning was reduced and confined to refuelling and air traffic services.
In 1983, a detachment of No. 25 Squadron with Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles was based there. From 2002 to 2004 the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was temporarily based at Barkston whilst their home facilities were resurfaced.
Today, Barkston Heath remains a beautifully unspoiled Second World War airfield. It remains an active base, serving RAF Cranwell in a training role, Harvards giving way to Provosts. then to Jet Provosts, Tucanos and Slingsby Fireflies and now the Grob Tutor. The airfield was also used during the 1980s by a number of privately operated aircraft of various types, and for several years it has also been the venue for the British National Model Aircraft Championships. Because the aircraft used are trainers, the runways have not needed to be lengthened, preserving the layout the station had during the war. Many of the wartime loop dispersals still survive, along with the T-2 hangars.
The current generation of training aircraft are operated by the Defence Elementary Flying Training School but provided by a civilian contractor who also provides a significant proportion of the instructional staff and the majority of support and airfield services.
On the 11th July 2003 the airfield was the venue for a parade to mark the formation of 674 Squadron Army Air Corps
and the re-formation of 703 Naval Aviation Squadron. The Saluting Officer was Major General Richard Gerrard-Wright CB CBE DL.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station near Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
.
RAF Barkston Heath is the home of the Defence Elementary Flying Training School (DEFTS) which, for a period between approximately 1995-2010 operated the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly
Slingsby T-67 Firefly
The Slingsby T67 Firefly, originally produced as the Fournier RF-6, is a two-seat aerobatic training aircraft, built by Slingsby Aviation in Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire, England...
two seat trainer. The school now operates the Grob Tutor. A secondary role of RAF Barkston Heath is as a Relief Landing Ground for the flying training activities at RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
.
DEFTS provides elementary flying training for Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Army Air Corps students, the distinctive black and yellow Slingsby Firefly was a common sight above the skies of Lincolnshire until replaced by the somewhat quieter Grob Tutor.
History
In the late 1930s, an uncultivated tract of land 2 mi (3.2 km) east of BarkstonBarkston
Barkston is a small village and civil parish lying on the A607 three miles north of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England, just south of the junction with the A153 .-Geography:...
village, was prepared as a relief landing ground for aircraft operating from nearby RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
. With the outbreak of war in 1939, these facilities were gradually developed into Barkston Heath airfield, although the facility remained basically a satellite landing ground for use by training aircraft.
Overview
The airfield landing area strips were 3900 ft (1,189 m) east to west and 3000 ft (914 m) north to south, all grass, but free-drained. Four Blister hangars and a few other buildings were erected for basic support during the early years of hostilities. Then in 1941. the site was surveyed for an airfield built to Class A standard and all flying was discontinued in the summer of 1943 so that construction of concrete runways could commence. Runways were a main of 6000 ft (1,829 m) at 07/25, and two secondaries of 4300 ft (1,311 m) at 11/29 and 4200 ft (1,280 m) at 01/19. Three pans and 48 loop aircraft hardstands were built round the concrete perimeter. Hangars were a Blister type and a T-2, both beside the perimeter track. The work was sufficiently well advanced by January 1944 for the airfield to become available for flying again.USAAF use
By this time, in common with a number of other airfields in the GranthamGrantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
area that had been planned for the RAF's No. 7 Group. Barkston was made available to the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
. It was earmarked for basing troop carrier units scheduled to be transferred from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
to participate in the forthcoming cross-Channel invasion, Operation "Overlord"
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
During its time as a USAAF airfield, Barkston Heath was designated as USAAF station 483.
61st Troop Carrier Group
The first US personnel arrived on 13 February from Sciacca, Sicily, and most of their Douglas C-47 Skytrains on the 17th and 18th, although not all aircraft were in place until a month later. These new occupants were the 61st Troop Carrier Group with its components being:- 14th Troop Carrier Squadron14th Airlift SquadronThe 14th Airlift Squadron is part of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-Mission:...
(3I) - 15th Troop Carrier Squadron15th Airlift SquadronThe 15th Airlift Squadron is part of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates C-17 Globemaster III aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-History:...
(Y9) - 53d Troop Carrier Squadron53d Airlift SquadronThe 53d Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft for airlift and airdrop operations.-History:...
(3A) - 59th Troop Carrier Squadron (X5)
The 61st TCG was part of the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command
IX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
.
During the following week the aircraft complement was built up to 64 C-47s and similar numbers of Airspeed Horsa
Airspeed Horsa
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British World War II troop-carrying glider built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces...
and Waco CG-4A gliders. A busy training schedule followed with paratroops of the 82d Airborne Division 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment who were encamped in the locality.
With the Ninth Air Force requirement for glider erection at Barkston Heath, four addilinnal T-2 hangars were built during the early spring of 1944. However, owing to the rolling topography, the only suitable area available was un the far side of the B6403, this being part of the old Roman Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
which ran along the eastern boundary of the airfield. Unusually, the four additional T-2s were not dispersed but erected in a row and linked by two access roads across the main road.
Operation Overlord
For operations during 6/7 June the group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for dropping paratroops of 82nd Airborne Division and supplies near Cherbourg. Involved in the first drops were two serials of 36 C-47s and C-53s, each serial having taken off in a remarkable 2½ minutes.
Operation Market-Garden
On 17 Septemher two serials of the 61st TCG left Barkston Heath with men of the British 1st Airborne Division for Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. The first serial of 36 C-47s dropped 559 paratroops and the second of 35 C-47s carried 609 men. all aircraft returning safely. Next day, 81 C-47s hauled 80 CG-4As to Groesbeek
Groesbeek
Groesbeek is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.-Description:Groesbeek is named after a small stream called the Groesbeek, which in its original form doesn't exist anymore...
. On D plus 2, 35 C-47s of the 61st, flying from RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
, dropped re-supply in the Nijmegen area. losing another two. On the 23rd. The 61st towed 43 gliders to Overasselt
Overasselt
Overasselt is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Heumen.Overasselt was a separate municipality until 1 July 1980, when it was merged with Heumen. Overasselt has a population of about 2500....
, near Grave, one C-47 being shot down.
The headquarters of the 61st Troop Carrier Group moved to an Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG) at Abbeville (ALG B-92), in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on 13 March 1945, but its squadrons went to RAF Chipping Ongar
RAF Chipping Ongar
RAF Station Chipping Ongar is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Chipping Ongar; about northeast of London...
from where they participated in Operation "Varsity"
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
on 24 March carrying British paratroops who dropped near Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
.
Legacy
From its base in France, the 61st TCG provided transport services in the European theater, hauling gasoline, ammunition, food, medicine, and other supplies, and evacuating wounded personnel. The group moved to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
in May 1945 and was assigned to the Air Transport Command. Used C-47's to transport troops returning to the US. Inactivated in Trinidad on 31 July 1945.
349th Troop Carrier Group
An increased demand for theatre air transport brought the 349th TCG from Baer Field IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in late March 1945 with its Curtiss C-46 Commando transports. Group headquarters was established at Barkston on 30 March, but the group only remained three weeks, moving to Rove/Amy, France, on 18 April.
The squadrons of the 349th TCG were coded as follows: the 23rd -08, 312th
312th Airlift Squadron
The 312th Airlift Squadron is part of the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates C-5 Galaxy aircraft providing strategic, global airlfit.-History:...
-9E, 313th
313th Airlift Squadron
The 313th Airlift Squadron is located at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It is part of the 446th Airlift Wing and operationally flies the C-17 Globemaster jet transport. The mission of the 313 AS consists of airlift, aerial delivery, and aerial refueling on a worldwide basis...
-3F, and 314th
314th Air Refueling Squadron
The 314th Air Refueling Squadron was part of the 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California. It operated the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
-LY. It was assigned to the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing.
In May, a detachment of C-46s from this group returned to airlift British 1st Airborne Division troops to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Postwar RAF use
The station was returned to the RAF in June 1945 and was turned over to No. 256 Maintenance Unit handling war surplus storage. In September that year, part of the camp was used for primary training by No. 2 RAF Regiment (Sub) Depot but this activity did not endure beyond the following summer. No. 256 MU continued to use the hangars until late in 1948 when the station was put on a care and maintenance status.The RAF College at Cranwell recommenced using the airfield as a satellite in May that year. basing a number of aircraft there, the station continuing in this capacity until July 1966 when manning was reduced and confined to refuelling and air traffic services.
In 1983, a detachment of No. 25 Squadron with Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles was based there. From 2002 to 2004 the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was temporarily based at Barkston whilst their home facilities were resurfaced.
Today, Barkston Heath remains a beautifully unspoiled Second World War airfield. It remains an active base, serving RAF Cranwell in a training role, Harvards giving way to Provosts. then to Jet Provosts, Tucanos and Slingsby Fireflies and now the Grob Tutor. The airfield was also used during the 1980s by a number of privately operated aircraft of various types, and for several years it has also been the venue for the British National Model Aircraft Championships. Because the aircraft used are trainers, the runways have not needed to be lengthened, preserving the layout the station had during the war. Many of the wartime loop dispersals still survive, along with the T-2 hangars.
The current generation of training aircraft are operated by the Defence Elementary Flying Training School but provided by a civilian contractor who also provides a significant proportion of the instructional staff and the majority of support and airfield services.
On the 11th July 2003 the airfield was the venue for a parade to mark the formation of 674 Squadron Army Air Corps
No. 674 Squadron AAC
674 Squadron is a unit of the British Army Air Corps. It conducts elementary flying training for British Army pilots and occasionally for overseas military pilots.-Formation:...
and the re-formation of 703 Naval Aviation Squadron. The Saluting Officer was Major General Richard Gerrard-Wright CB CBE DL.
See also
- List of RAF stations
- 82d Airborne Division
- British 1st Airborne Division