Battle of Britain Airfields
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| RAF Fighter Command | |
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 RAF Fighter Command Crest |
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| Active | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Defence of Great Britain |
| Engagements | Battle of Britain |
Contents |
[edit] Organisational Structure
During the Battle of Britain the UK's airspace was divided into four Groups.[1]
[edit] 10 Group
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 |
Station Closed |
Current Use | External Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Box | HQ | ST843707 | 1940 | N/A | DII Unit (RAF)[2] | MOD DE&S | |
| RAF Middle Wallop | SE | SU306385 | 1940 | - | 2 Regt Army Air Corps and School of Army Aviation | AAC Middle Wallop | |
| RAF Filton | SE | ST590802 | 1916 | - | Bristol Filton Airport | Bristol Filton Aerodrome | |
| RAF Boscombe Down | FG | SU176393 | 1939 | - | MoD Boscombe Down | MOD/RAF Boscombe Down | |
| RAF Colerne | SA | ST800712 | 1940 | - | 21 Signal Regt, Royal Signals, Bristol UAS, 3 AEF | 21 Signal Regt,RAF/BUAS | |
| RAF Exeter | FG | SY002937 | 1937 | - | Exeter International Airport, The Hunter Flying Club | Exeter Airport, Hunter Flying Club | |
| RAF Pembrey | FG | SN403042 | 1939 | - | Pembrey Airport, Pembrey Sands AWR Support, Pembrey Circuit | Airport, AWR, Circuit | |
| RAF Roborough | FG | SX504902 | 1931 | - | Plymouth City Airport | Plymouth Airport | |
| RAF St Eval | FG | SW873685 | 1939 | 1959 | RAF St Eval HIVE, MOD Ariel Field | RAF St Eval HIVE | |
| RAF Warmwell | FG | SY756887 | 1937 | 1945 | Crossways Village | Crossways, Dorset |
 RAF St Eval airfield taken on the 11 March 1975 |
 Airfield defence coordination post at the former RAF Pembrey. |
 RAF Warmwell in 1943. |
[edit] 11 Group
11 Group covered the southeast of England and the critical approaches to London and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park.
 Restored Operations Room at RAF Uxbridge |
 No 46 Squadron Gauntlets in line at RAF Kenley |
 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 |
[edit] 12 Group
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 |
Station Closed |
Current Use | External Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Watnall | HQ | SEK506454 | 1940 | N/A | Housing / Industrial / Nature Reserve[7] | Subterrannea Britannica | |
| RAF Church Fenton | SE | Home to 3 sqn, 1 EFTS and Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron | |||||
| RAF Digby | SE | ||||||
| RAF Duxford | SE | ||||||
| RAF Kirton in Lindsey | SE | ||||||
| RAF Wittering | SE | ||||||
| RAF Coltishall |
FG | ||||||
| RAF Fowlmere |
FG | ||||||
| RAF Leconfield |
FG | ||||||
| RAF Tern Hill |
FG |
[edit] 13 Group
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 Opened |
Flying Ceased |
Station Closed |
Current Use | External Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Newcastle | HQ | Housing Estate | |||||
| RAF Acklington | SE | HMP Acklington | |||||
| RAF Dyce | SE | Aberdeen_airport | |||||
| RAF Turnhouse | SE | Edinburgh Airport | |||||
| RAF Usworth | SE | Factory for Nissan cars | |||||
| RAF Wick | SE | ||||||
| RAF Catterick | FG | Part of the Catterick Garrison complex. | |||||
| RAF Drem | FG | Decommissioned | |||||
| RAF Grangemouth | FG | ||||||
| RAF Kirkwall | FG | ||||||
| RAF Sumburgh | FG | Sumburgh Airport |
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Royal Air Force Website
- ^ Freedom of Information written reply
- ^ From 1915 - 1918 Hillingdon House (which became RAF Uxbridge) was used as a convalescence home for Canadian troops
- ^ Station is due to close 2010-2012 (Source: Defence Estates Project MoDEL)
- ^ Hillingdon House, the HQ of 11 Fighter Group is now the Learning Centre at RAF Uxbridge (source: RAF Uxbridge Learning Centre Website)
- ^ Opened as a wireless testing station. Flying commenced in 1918. Source: Biggin Hill Airport Website
- ^ Some underground buildings still exist, but are inaccessible (source: Subterrannea Britannica)
[edit] See Also
- Battle of Britain
- Battle of Britain RAF squadrons
- RAF Fighter Command
- RAF Stations
- RAF Fighter Command Order of Battle 1940
- Luftwaffe Order of Battle August 1940
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| Overview Documents |
| Royal Air Force | Royal Canadian Air Force | Strategic bombing | Night fighter |
| Prominent People |
| Air Marshal Hugh Dowding | Sir Charles Portal | Cyril Newall |
| Trafford Leigh-Mallory | Keith Park | R V Jones |
| Organization and units |
| No. 10 Group RAF | No. 11 Group RAF | No. 12 Group RAF | No. 13 Group RAF RAF Fighter Command | RAF Balloon Command | AA Command Women's Auxiliary Air Force | Royal Observer Corps | Eagle Squadrons | Battle of Britain Airfields |
| Campaigns and Operations |
| Kanalkampf | Battle of Britain | The Blitz | Baedeker raids | Operation Crossbow |
| Aircraft, Technology and Tactics |
| Hurricane | Spitfire | Bolton-Paul Defiant | Mosquito NF | Bristol Beaufighter | Hawker Tempest | Gloster Meteor |
| Chain Home | AI radar | "Battle of the Beams" | Barrage balloon | German V weapons |
| Big Wing |
| Other |
| RAF strategic bombing offensive | USAAF | Luftwaffe | Hermann Göring |
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