RAF Desborough
| RAF Desborough | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desborough, Northamptonshire in England | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station Parent station[1] | ||||||||||
| Code | DS[1] | ||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Bomber Command * No. 92 (OTU) Group RAF[1] | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
RAF Desborough Shown within Northamptonshire RAF Desborough RAF Desborough (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°28′08″N 0°47′51″W / 52.46889°N 0.79750°W | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1943 | ||||||||||
| In use | September 1943 - 1953 | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 140 metres (459 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Royal Air Force Desborough or more simply RAF Desborough is a former Royal Air Force station located near Desborough, Northamptonshire, England
History
The following units were here at some point:[2]
- No. 108 Gliding School RAF (September 1945 - June 1949)[3]
- No. 84 Operational Training Unit RAF (September 1943 - June 1945)[4]
- No. 1381 (Transport) Conversion Unit RAF (November 1945 - January 1947)[5]
- Satellite of No. 102 Flying Refresher School RAF (May - November 1951)[6]
Current use
The site has reverted to farmland.[2] An original Ministry of Aircraft Production B.1 type aircraft hangar was destroyed by fire there in the 1980s
A major fire on 20th March 2025 destroyed one of the remaining T.2 type hangars which was being used for storage.[7]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Falconer 2012, p. 79.
- ^ a b "Desborough". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 165.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 244.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 99.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 151.
- ^ Harriet Heywood (21 March 2025). "Fire at ex-RAF base hangar burns through the night". BBC News, Northamptonshire.