RAF Bardney

Royal Air Force Bardney or RAF Bardney is a former Royal Air Force station located 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Bardney, Lincolnshire, England and 10 miles (16 km) east of Lincoln. It was built as a satellite to RAF Waddington in 1943 and the airfield closed in 1963.

RAF Bardney
Bardney, Lincolnshire in England
A wartime building on the airfield
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station * No. 53 Base Substation
Code	BA[1]
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Bomber Command * No. 5 Group RAF
Location
RAF Bardney Shown within Lincolnshire Show map of Lincolnshire RAF Bardney RAF Bardney (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°13′31″N 000°17′31″W
Site history
Built	1942 (1942)/43
In use	April 1943 - 1963 (1963)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation	12 metres (39 ft)[1] AMSL

It was one of the many bomber bases built in Lincolnshire and was built to the standard design of three concrete runways. All the facilities were wildly dispersed. The tower was built on the south-eastern perimeter, not very far from a minor road. Scotgrove drain runs at the south end of the airfield. The airfield was bordered by woods on three of its sides. ^[2]

History

Second World War

• Opened on 13 April 1943 as home to No. 9 Squadron.^[3]
• October 1944, No. 227 Squadron formed at Bardney^[4] before moving to RAF Balderton.^[5]
• November 1944, No. 189 Squadron formed at Bardney.^[6]
• 7 July 1945, No. 9 Squadron departs and the airfield is closed.^[3]

Cold War

• 1945 onwards, site is used by the British Army for vehicle storage.^[7]
• From 1959 to 1963, No. 106 Squadron operates as a PGM-17 Thor unit here.^[8]

The Bomber Command Film Flight Unit was formed here on 10 March 1945, before moving to RAF Fulbeck on 8 April 1945.^[9]

Current use

The control tower is currently being used by the Bardney Flyers Model Club, a model aircraft flying club. The former RAF station's hangars have been turned into warehouses.^[10]