RAF Balderton
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RAF Balderton USAAF Station AAF-482  
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RAF Balderton, taken 18 April 1944 oriented eastward (top). As part of the buildup to D-Day, the 439th Troop Carrier Group has large numbers of C-47s and CG-4 Horsa Gliders parked on the grass interior of airfield as well as on the dispersal loops along the perimeter track.
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator |
Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces |
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| Location | Balderton, Nottinghamshire | ||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1941 | ||||||||||||||||||
| In use | 1941-1957 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 62 ft / 19 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 53°02′11″N 000°47′09″W / 53.03639°N 0.78583°WCoordinates: 53°02′11″N 000°47′09″W / 53.03639°N 0.78583°W | ||||||||||||||||||
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 RAF Balderton
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Royal Air Force Station Balderton or more simply RAF Balderton was a former Royal Air Force station located 2.0 miles (3.2 km) south of Newark-on-Trent, sandwiched between the now extinct Great Northern Railway (GNR) Bottesford-Newark line and the A1 road in Nottinghamshire, England.
Balderton airfield opened in June 1941 with a grass surface over stiff clay, it was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). During World War II it was used primarily as a troop carrier transport airfield and after for munitions storage before it finally closed. A notice in The Times for 20 May 1957 lists the airfield as one of those no longer needed by the RAF.
The airfield was built to a dispersed plan. By 1943 the airfield had tarmac landing areas with three intersecting runways and 50 hard standings suitable for Heavy Bombers. In 1944 it was used by Bomber Command's 5 Group. There were two T-2 aircraft hangars, two Glider hangars and one B1 type hangar by 1944. There were 1510 male and 208 female personnel stationed on the base at that time. Part of the accommodation was temporary, and the officers accommodation was at a nearby hospital, Balderton Hall. (Now the Fernwood development)
During the airfields short operational life over two hundred aircrew failed to return and paid the ultimate sacrifice, a little known fact in Nottinghamshire’s history.
Today, the remains of the airfield are located on private property being used as agricultural fields and a gypsum quarry.
Squadrons: 25 OTU; 408 (Goose) Squadron RCAF; 1668 HCU; 12 (P) AFU; 437th& 439th TCG of 9th USAF; 227 Sqn; MU disposal site.
Aircraft: Hampden, Lancaster, Halifax, CG-4 Horsa glider, Blenheim, Douglas C-47 Skytrain / Dakota, Waco glider.
Nationalities: Canadian, American, British.
Major USAF location for Allied operations Overlord (D-Day) and Market (Arnhem); Frank Whittle prototype jets were dispersed to the airfield in March 1943 and February 1944 for engine trials.
The airfield was assigned to No. 5 Group RAF and received No. 408 Squadron RAF and its Handley Page Hampdens from RAF Syerston in December 1941. 408 Squadron remained at Balderton 9 December 1941 to 1 February 1942.
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Wikipedia