Cottam Airfield |
| Hob Uid: 1392698 | |
Location :
East Riding of Yorkshire
Cottam, Kilham
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| Grid Ref : SE9950064400 |
| Summary : A former military airfield, opened in 1939 and closed in 1945. It was first opened as a satellite to Drifffield Airfield. The bomber airfield was not ready for use until 1940. Due to bad weather conditions prevalant at the airfield apparantly no flying units were ever based there, although it was used for bomb storage (by 91 Maintenance Unit). The airfield had been equipped with three concrete runways and a number of hard standings and one T1 aircraft hangar. Despite there having been no flying units at the base there was a brick control tower, which was demolished in 1980. In 2003 the use of the airfield site was said to be agriculture. |
More information : Cottam airfield, Yorkshire, SE 995 644. Opened 1939, closed 1945. The airfield was equipped with a Type T1 aircraft hangar, thre concrete landing surfaces, a number of different types of hard standing and temporary accomodation. In December 1944 1057 men and 118 women of Maintenance Command were stationed at the base. The airfield functioned as a storage unit for 42 Group. The source includes a sketch map of the airfield unit. (1)
RAF Cottam Airfield: opened in September 1939. The website notes that the "hilltop site first opened as a satellite to Driffield. developed as a bomber airfield and ready for use 09/ 1940. Due to bad weather conditions not actually used asan airfield and no flying units were ststioned here. 91 Maintenance Unit later used the runways for bomb storage". Use of the site in 2003 was stated to be agricultural. There was a brick control tower built to the pattern for a "Watch Office for Bomber Satellite and OTU Satelellites 13726/41". The website contains images of the control tower as a ruined building taken during the 1970s. (2)
Some runways and hard standings from Cottam Airfield are depicted on the OS 1:10000 sheet SE 96 SE. When compared to the sketch map in source 1 it is evident that the NE-SW aligned runway shown in source 1 had been removed by 1982. (3)
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