Barkston Heath
BARKSTON HEATH: Military aerodrome
Note: Picture by the author.
Military users: 1930s: RAF (Avro Tutors, Hawker Harts & Hinds)
WW2: 9th USAAF 52nd Troop Carrier Wing
61st TCG & 349th TCG (Troop Carrier Groups)
14, 15, 53 & 59 Sqdns (C-46 Commandos, C-47 Skytrains & C-53 Skytroopers)
Post 1945: RAF/RNAS JEFTS
1975: Satellite of CRANWELL
In recent years, DEFTS (Slingsby T67M260 Fireflys)
1998 snapshot: RAF Flying Training
JEFTS 18 x Slingsby T67M260 Firefly II
Location: W of B6403, roughly 4.5nm NNE of Grantham and SW of Sleaford
Period of operation: 1941 to 2001 certainly, perhaps to present day?
Runways: WW2: 07/25 1828x46 hard 11/29 1280x46 hard
01/19 1280x46 hard
2000: 06/24 1831x46 hard 11/29 1282x46 hard
VIEWS IN SEPTEMBER 2018
Note: Pictures by the author.
Picture notes:
1) A general view across the northern end of the aerodrome.
2) This WW2 taxiway is of some interest because it led across the B6403 to more hard-standings, which later formed the basis for the existing industrial estate. An arrangement which I think is quite unusual for a WW2 airfield (?) - BLACKBUSHE (HAMPSHIRE) being another example.
3) This general view is across the southern half of the airfield. I might well be mistaken of course, but looking at the arrangement of the WW2 dispersals, most still visible in 2018, I suspect the circular area in the foreground was the compass swinging base.
4) This is a modern control tower. Possibly in a different location to the WW2 watch-tower? Both this and the hangar are on the southern side of the airfield. Also, on this visit on a Saturday, model flying was taking place and I was very struck by watching a 'jet-powered' model zooming very quickly around the airfield.
NOTES: In WW2 runway surfaces were listed as concrete with wood chippings. Hard standings were provided for 50 aircraft. It is claimed that this WW2 airfield still retains most of its period attributes.
In June 2003 the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight moved here temporarily to complete their flying season as the runway at CONINGSBY was being resurfaced prior to the arrival of the Eurofighter Typhoons.
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