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RAF Barkston Heath
Airfield Code: EGYE Google Earth Co-ordinates: 52°57'37.26"N 0°33'35.86"W Wartime Runways: 01/19 & 11/29 = 4200ft x 150ft 07/25 = 6000ft x 150ft In the late 1930s, an uncultivated tract of land 2 miles east of Barkston 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. The airfield landing area strips were 3.900ft east to west and 3,000ft 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. Three pans and 48 loop aircraft hardstands were built round the concrete perimeter. Hangars were a Blister type and a T2, both beside the perimeter track. The work was sufficiently well advanced by January 1944 for the airfield to become available for flying again. By this time, in common with a number of other airfields in the Grantham 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 first US personnel arrived on 13th 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 Squadron, 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, 53rd Troop Carrier Squadron and the 59th Troop Carrier Squadron. 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 82nd 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 additional T2 hangars were built during the early spring of 1944. However, owing to the rolling topography, the only suitable area available was on 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 T2s 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 17th September 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 13th March 1945, but its squadrons went to RAF Chipping Ongar from where they participated in Operation "Varsity" on 24th March carrying British paratroops who dropped near Wesel. From its base in France, the 61st TCG provided transport services in the European theatre, 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 31st July 1945. An increased demand for theatre air transport brought the 349th TCG from Baer Field Indiana in late March 1945 with its Curtis C-46 Commando transports. Group headquarters was established at Barkston on 30th March, but the group only remained three weeks, moving to Rove/Amy, France, on 18th April. The squadrons of the 349th TCG were coded as follows: the 23rd, 312th, 313th, and 314th. 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 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. No. 25 Squadron was the first operational Bloodhound surface-to-air guided missile unit. The Bloodhound Mk II was operated with two different radar. Type 87 AEI Blue Anchor radar and the Type 86 Ferranti Indigo Corkscrew radar. 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, Harvard's giving way to Provosts. then to Jet Provosts, Toucan's 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 T2 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. Summary
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