Bicester Airfield
Encyclopedia
Bicester Aerodrome, formerly RAF Bicester, is an airfield on the outskirts of the English
town of Bicester
in Oxfordshire
. The RAF (Royal Air Force
) left in 2004.
The airfield consists of 400 acres (1.6 km²) of well-drained short-mown grass, with three nominal runways (not marked) of 06/24, 13/31, 18/36, each 1000 m (3,281 ft) long. The airfield surface is bumpy in places, due to collapsing field drain
s, requiring care on the part of pilots operating aircraft in those areas.
biplane on the field. Organised flying began in 1916 when a Training Depot was established. In January 1917, the Royal Flying Corps
(RFC) moved into the site, then 180 acre (0.7284348 km²), with the arrival of 118
night bomber squadron. Canvas-covered Bessonneau hangar
s were used until more substantial aircraft sheds were built.
In November 1918, No. 44 Training Station Depot arrived, followed in 1919 by 5 Squadron
, flying Bristol Fighter
s returning from France, having flown in the First World War. All the squadrons disbanded by 1920, and the airfield was closed in 1920 after being used briefly as a clearing centre for repatriated soldiers.
In 1925, work began on redeveloping the site as a bomber station, and flying began again in January 1928. Various large RAF bombers operated from the field, including the Vickers Virginia
. Other aircraft included Hawker Horsley
s and, in 1935, Hawker Hart
s arrived. In November 1932, the only RAF squadron of Boulton Paul Sidestrand
s arrived, replaced by Overstrands
in 1936.
Development of the station continued throughout this period, with many new buildings being erected.
bomber arrived, followed in 1939 by two more squadrons with Spitfire
s and Avro Anson
support aircraft, forming the No. 1 Camouflage Unit. The aircraft were used for training, with no operational sortie
s being flown from the field.
Later in 1939, the first Handley Page Halifax
was assembled at Bicester, and on 25 October 1939 the type made its maiden flight
from the airfield, flying to Boscombe Down (the Halifax's entry gives an earlier date - 24 September, date confirmation needed). The type went on to become the first four-engined bomber to drop bombs on Germany in World War II
.
In July 1940, the second RAF Bomber Command Training Group (No.7 Group) was formed, with its Headquarters at RAF Bicester. This was required due to a demand in operational training, supplying squadrons of No. 2 Group.
Throughout the war, RAF Bicester was used as a training centre, and in April 1940 became home to No. 13 Operational Training Unit, under the control of RAF Bomber Command
. In June 1943, the unit transferred to Fighter Command, flying Spitfires and Mosquito
s. Although no offensive missions were flown, flights were not without risk. In April 1940, 13 OTU experienced the first losses of the newly formed Bomber Command operational training units. On 6 December 1941, a Blenheim stalled
on take-off, killing all three crew members. Just four days later, a second Blenheim crashed in an identical accident, again with no survivors.
During World War II, the base was also used as a glider base. During some raids in Germany, gliders were towed from Bicester to Germany, full of troops and equipment. The gliders would land quietly in the German fields, and the troops were deployed. The glider raids were very successful, and are now considered great tactical feats of aviation.
In 1956, Windrushers Gliding Club
arrived, having moved from Little Rissington
, and gliding began at the field. In 1963, the RAFGSA (RAF Gliding and Soaring Association) began using the site, eventually merging with Windrushers Gliding Club. In 1966, No. 1 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment arrived from RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, along with No. 26 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment − from Changi, Singapore.
In 1976, the RAF ceased to use the airfield as a military base, but still maintained staff there to run the gliding training operation as adventurous training for servicemen. These courses were intended to develop teamwork and self-sufficiency among the servicemen by putting them in unfamiliar situations, such as sports that involved a low risk factor. However, in the mid-1980s, the USAF briefly used the Technical and Domestic Area for storage.
Between 1979 and 1992, the RAF Gliding Club allowed US Servicemen from RAF Upper Heyford
to become members and to fly gliders. There was a US Servicemen's family housing next to the airfield in Bicester, and a lot of Americans became glider pilots at RAF Bicester.
In 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, the USAF
deployed medical personnel to the site, and equipped a number of buildings in both the Technical and Domestic area as a hospital. This was done in anticipation of the large numbers of casualties that were expected, but never materialized, during the 1991 First Persian Gulf War
.
still owns part of the site, that is used for British Army
training. In June 2004, the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association moved to RAF Halton
. The main use of the site is now civilian gliding, being home to both a newly-reformed (July 2004) Windrushers Gliding Club, and also the Oxford University Gliding Club
.
The airfield is one of the finest examples of an unmodified pre-war RAF station still almost completely in existence, with many listed buildings. The brick-built 1934 "Fort" type 1959/34 control tower
survives, as do the two C-type and two A-type aircraft hangars.
In the late 1990s, plans were proposed to develop the airfield for housing and industry, but they were abandoned due to strong local opposition and the historic nature of the site. In 2002, Cherwell District Council listed the area as a Conservation area
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
town of Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. The RAF (Royal Air Force
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...
) left in 2004.
The airfield consists of 400 acres (1.6 km²) of well-drained short-mown grass, with three nominal runways (not marked) of 06/24, 13/31, 18/36, each 1000 m (3,281 ft) long. The airfield surface is bumpy in places, due to collapsing field drain
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
s, requiring care on the part of pilots operating aircraft in those areas.
History
In 1911, flying first took place on the site, when Lt H.R.P Reynolds landed a Bristol BoxkiteBristol Boxkite
-Military operators:* Australian Flying Corps** Central Flying School AFC at Point Cook, Victoria.* Union Defence Forces - South African Air Force Kingdom of Spain* Royal Flying Corps* Royal Naval Air Service** No. 3 Squadron RFC-References:...
biplane on the field. Organised flying began in 1916 when a Training Depot was established. In January 1917, the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC) moved into the site, then 180 acre (0.7284348 km²), with the arrival of 118
No. 118 Squadron RAF
Formed at Catterick, North Yorkshire, on 1 January 1918 as a heavy night bomber unit, No. 118 Squadron never saw service in World War I and was disbanded again on 7 September 1918....
night bomber squadron. Canvas-covered Bessonneau hangar
Bessonneau hangar
The Bessonneau hangar was a portable timber and canvas aircraft hangar used by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I.-History:In about 1908, the Bessonneau hangar was designed and manufactured by the French rope and canvas manufacturer Etablissements Bessonneau, headed by Julien Bessonneau and...
s were used until more substantial aircraft sheds were built.
In November 1918, No. 44 Training Station Depot arrived, followed in 1919 by 5 Squadron
No. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the operator of the new Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar aircraft and is based at RAF Waddington.-History:As No...
, flying Bristol Fighter
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft...
s returning from France, having flown in the First World War. All the squadrons disbanded by 1920, and the airfield was closed in 1920 after being used briefly as a clearing centre for repatriated soldiers.
In 1925, work began on redeveloping the site as a bomber station, and flying began again in January 1928. Various large RAF bombers operated from the field, including the Vickers Virginia
Vickers Virginia
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-851-1....
. Other aircraft included Hawker Horsley
Hawker Horsley
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Jarrett, Philip. "By Day and By Night: Hawker Horsley part 1". Aeroplane Monthly, Volume 21 No 10, Issue 246, October 1993. pp. 32–40....
s and, in 1935, Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
s arrived. In November 1932, the only RAF squadron of Boulton Paul Sidestrand
Boulton Paul Sidestrand
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brew, Alec. Boulton Paul Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1993. ISBN 0-85177-860-7.* Jarrett, Philip. "By Day and By Night: Sidestrand and Overstrand, Part 1." Aeroplane Monthly, Vol. 22, No. 11, Issue 259, November 1994, pp. 18—23. London: IPC. ISSN...
s arrived, replaced by Overstrands
Boulton Paul Overstrand
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brew, Alec. Boulton Paul Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam, 1993. ISBN 0-85177-860-7.* Halley, James J. Royal Air Force Aircraft: K1000 to K9999. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain Ltd., 1976. ISBN 0-851330-048-0.* Lewis, Peter. The British Bomber since...
in 1936.
Development of the station continued throughout this period, with many new buildings being erected.
World War II
In 1937/1938, two squadrons of the new Bristol BlenheimBristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
bomber arrived, followed in 1939 by two more squadrons with Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s and Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
support aircraft, forming the No. 1 Camouflage Unit. The aircraft were used for training, with no operational sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
s being flown from the field.
Later in 1939, the first Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
was assembled at Bicester, and on 25 October 1939 the type made its maiden flight
Maiden flight
The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage....
from the airfield, flying to Boscombe Down (the Halifax's entry gives an earlier date - 24 September, date confirmation needed). The type went on to become the first four-engined bomber to drop bombs on Germany in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In July 1940, the second RAF Bomber Command Training Group (No.7 Group) was formed, with its Headquarters at RAF Bicester. This was required due to a demand in operational training, supplying squadrons of No. 2 Group.
Throughout the war, RAF Bicester was used as a training centre, and in April 1940 became home to No. 13 Operational Training Unit, under the control of RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. In June 1943, the unit transferred to Fighter Command, flying Spitfires and Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
s. Although no offensive missions were flown, flights were not without risk. In April 1940, 13 OTU experienced the first losses of the newly formed Bomber Command operational training units. On 6 December 1941, a Blenheim stalled
Stall (flight)
In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases. This occurs when the critical angle of attack of the foil is exceeded...
on take-off, killing all three crew members. Just four days later, a second Blenheim crashed in an identical accident, again with no survivors.
During World War II, the base was also used as a glider base. During some raids in Germany, gliders were towed from Bicester to Germany, full of troops and equipment. The gliders would land quietly in the German fields, and the troops were deployed. The glider raids were very successful, and are now considered great tactical feats of aviation.
War-time units
- No 1 Camouflage Unit
- Bomber Command Training Group (No.7 Group)
- 13 OTU
- 135 Squadron
- 308 Squadron
- 403 Squadron
- 457 Squadron
- 605 Squadron
Post-war
At the end of 1944, Bicester became a non-flying unit, used for maintenance, and later as a Motor Transport depot. In 1953, No. 71 Maintenance Unit arrived, that salvaged, repaired, and then transported damaged aircraft.In 1956, Windrushers Gliding Club
Windrushers Gliding Club
Windrushers Gliding Club is a gliding club flying from Bicester Airfield, where it moved to from Little Rissington in 1956, later merging with the Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association....
arrived, having moved from Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington is an RAF aerodrome and former RAF station in Gloucestershire, England. It was once home to the Central Flying School, the Vintage Pair and the Red Arrows.Built during the 1930s, the station was opened in 1938 and closed in 1994...
, and gliding began at the field. In 1963, the RAFGSA (RAF Gliding and Soaring Association) began using the site, eventually merging with Windrushers Gliding Club. In 1966, No. 1 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment arrived from RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, along with No. 26 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment − from Changi, Singapore.
In 1976, the RAF ceased to use the airfield as a military base, but still maintained staff there to run the gliding training operation as adventurous training for servicemen. These courses were intended to develop teamwork and self-sufficiency among the servicemen by putting them in unfamiliar situations, such as sports that involved a low risk factor. However, in the mid-1980s, the USAF briefly used the Technical and Domestic Area for storage.
Between 1979 and 1992, the RAF Gliding Club allowed US Servicemen from RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
to become members and to fly gliders. There was a US Servicemen's family housing next to the airfield in Bicester, and a lot of Americans became glider pilots at RAF Bicester.
In 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, the USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
deployed medical personnel to the site, and equipped a number of buildings in both the Technical and Domestic area as a hospital. This was done in anticipation of the large numbers of casualties that were expected, but never materialized, during the 1991 First Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Today
The Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
still owns part of the site, that is used for British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
training. In June 2004, the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association moved to RAF Halton
RAF Halton
RAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...
. The main use of the site is now civilian gliding, being home to both a newly-reformed (July 2004) Windrushers Gliding Club, and also the Oxford University Gliding Club
Oxford University Gliding Club
The Oxford University Gliding Club is the gliding club of Oxford University, flying from the historic Bicester Airfield.The club was founded as part of the Oxford University and City Gliding Club in December 1937, and the illustrious German pilot Robert Kronfeld was its first chief flying instructor...
.
The airfield is one of the finest examples of an unmodified pre-war RAF station still almost completely in existence, with many listed buildings. The brick-built 1934 "Fort" type 1959/34 control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
survives, as do the two C-type and two A-type aircraft hangars.
In the late 1990s, plans were proposed to develop the airfield for housing and industry, but they were abandoned due to strong local opposition and the historic nature of the site. In 2002, Cherwell District Council listed the area as a Conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.