RAF Barkston Heath

RAF Barkston Heath USAAF Station 483
Near Grantham, Lincolnshire
Aerial photograph of Barkston Heath airfield , the technical site and barrack sites are on the left, the bomb dump is on the right, 18 April 1944
RAF Barkston Heath Location in Lincolnshire
Coordinates	52°57′44″N 000°33′42″W / 52.96222°N 0.56167°W / 52.96222; -0.56167Coordinates: 52°57′44″N 000°33′42″W / 52.96222°N 0.56167°W / 52.96222; -0.56167
Code	BH (World War II); BA (Current)
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces
Controlled by	RAF Flying Training Command (1938-1943; 1945-1968) Ninth Air Force (1944-1945) Royal Air Force College (1969-Present)
Site history
Built	1938 (1938)
In use	1938-1943;1944-Present
Battles/wars	Second World War Air Offensive, Europe
Airfield information
Elevation	112 metres (367 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 06/24 1,831 metres (6,007 ft) Asphalt 11/29 1,282 metres (4,206 ft) Asphalt 18/36 810 metres (2,657 ft) Asphalt

Second World War

Royal Air Force Barkston Heath or RAF Barkston Heath (ICAO: EGYE) is a Royal Air Force station near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England.

RAF Barkston Heath has the Naval and Army Elements of No. 3 Flying Training School RAF (3 FTS) which, for a period between approximately 1995-2010 operated the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly two-seat trainer. The school now operates the Grob Tutor T.1. A secondary role of RAF Barkston Heath is as a Relief Landing Ground for the flying training activities at RAF Cranwell.

3 FTS provides elementary flying training for Royal Navy and Army Air Corps students. The distinctive black and yellow Slingsby Firefly was a common sight above the skies of Lincolnshire until replaced by the somewhat quieter Grob Tutor.

At the time of its construction, Barkston Heath was intended for use by the RAF's No. 7 Group, in common with a number of other airfields in the Grantham area.

In late 1943, Barkston Heath was made available to the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force. It was earmarked for basing troop carrier units scheduled to be transferred from Sicily to participate in the forthcoming cross-Channel invasion, Operation "Overlord". During its time as a USAAF airfield, Barkston Heath was designated as USAAF station 483.

The first US personnel arrived on 13 February from Sciacca, Sicily, and most of their Douglas C-47 Skytrains on the 17th and 18th, although not all aircraft were in place until a month later. These new occupants were the 61st Troop Carrier Group with its components being: