| Summary : A well preserved military airfield with multiple phases of use. Bicester Airfield first opened in late 1917 as a Royal Flying Corps training station and was one of the permanent RAF stations with substantial buildings and a grass airfield. The first combat units of World War II were Blenheim-equipped Nos 104 and 108 Squadrons, later merging to form No 13 OTU. Bicester closed as an active station in March 1976, part being taken over by the Army. The airfield is now the RAF Gliding Centre and the domestic site (located to the west of the A421) is currently used by the Ministry of Defence as the headquarters of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency. The hangars and other specialised buildings are located at the technical site between the flying field the A421. Bicester is special because it retains a large number of buildings and structures, not only from the expansion period, but from the early expansion period of 1925-1928. These buildings and structures, amongst others, include two Type A Aeroplane Sheds, four Type E Barrack Blocks, a parachute store, the station armoury, a decontamination centre, the station sick quarters, and a watch office with tower. Bicester is the best preserved of the bomber bases constructed as the principal arm of Sir Hugh Trenchard's expansion of the RAF from 1923. It retains, better than any other military airbase in Britain, the layout and fabric relating to both pre-1930 military aviation and the development of Britain's strategic bomber force in the period up to 1939. The grass flying field still survives, bounded by a group of bomb stores built in 1938-9 and airfield defences built in the early stages of the Second World War. Please see (SP 52 SE 64) to (SP 52 SE 121), (SP 62 SW 27) and (SP 52 SE 125) to (SP 52 SE 135) for more details of the various features of RAF Bicester. Sections of the airfield have been Scheduled. |
More information : Bicester Airfield first opened in late 1917 and was one of the permanent RAF stations with substantial buildings and a grass airfield. The first combat units of World War II were Blenheim-equipped Nos 104 and 108 Squadrons, later merging to form No 13 OTU. Bicester closed as an active station in March 1976, part being taken over by the Army. The airfield is now the RAF Gliding Centre and the domestic site is currently used by the Ministry of Defence as the headquarters of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency. Bicester is special because it retains a large number of buildings and structures, not only from the expansion period, but from the early expansion period of 1925-1928. These buildings and structures, amongst others, include two Type A Aeroplane Sheds, four Type E Barrack Blocks, a parachute store, the station armoury, a decontamination centre, the station sick quarters, and a watch office with tower. Bicester is the best preserved of the bomber bases constructed as the principal arm of Sir Hugh Trenchard's expansion of the RAF from 1923. It retains, better than any other military airbase in Britain, the layout and fabric relating to both pre-1930 military aviation and the development of Britain's strategic bomber force in the period up to 1939. The grass flying field still survives, bounded by a group of bomb stores built in 1938-9 and airfield defences built in the early stages of the Second World War. (1)
Bicester Airfield, Oxfordshire, SP 598 245. In 1944 the airfield was used by 2 Group Operational Training Group of Fighter Command. At that point it was equipped with a grass landing surface, two type "A" hangars and 2 type "C" hangars. There was temporary accommodation for the personnel, who in December 1944 numbered 1811 men and 600 women. (2)
The Defence of Britain database lists RAF Biscester as a WW2 airfield, at Biscester, Oxfordshire, SP 598 245. The condition of the airfield was given as unknown. The Defence of Britain recorder was Paul Francis. (3)
A report by the English Heritage Thematic Listing Programme produced in May 2003 stressed the good state of preservation at Bicester: "Over 90% of fabric associated with bomber base opened survives, with technical and domestic buildings representative of both inter war expansion periods, all in externally complete state of preservation with doors and windows intact". The airfield features "unique survival of grass airfield characteristic of Bomber Command until WWII with perimeter track and some hardstandings added during the war". It recommends that a number of features be listed. (4)
The OS maps of the area show the flying field to the west; the technical site (immediately visible as such because of the large aircraft hangars) lies to the west of this and east of the A421/ Buckingham Road. The domestic site is to the west of the road and extends off in a north westerly direction. (5-6)
In addition to the listing of hangars, sections of the airfield have now been Scheduled (2006). The Scheduling comprises 16 constraint areas and includes a southern group of bomb stores and airfield defences such as mushroom pillboxes, hexagonal pillboxes and defended air raid shelters. The scheduling describes the former RAF Bicester as " the best preserved of the bomber bases constructed as the principal arm of Sir Hugh Trenchards's expansion of the RAF from 1939...it retains, better than any other military airbase in Britain, the layout and fabric relating to both pre-1930s military aviation and the development of Britain's strategic bomber force in the period up to 1939...the remains included in the scheduling are, along with the listed hangars and other listed buildings., the key structures within this military landscape." (7)
Details of the airfield including site plans and photographs can be found in this source: The Military Airfields of Britain; Northern Home Counties. (8) |