RAF Bottisham

RAF Bottisham USAAF Station 374
Located Near Bottisham, Cambridgeshire, England
Aerial photograph of Bottisham airfield, 19 April 1944
RAF Bottisham Map showing the location of RAF Bottisham within Cambridgeshire.
Coordinates	52°12′50″N 0°15′26″E / 52.2138°N 0.2571°E / 52.2138; 0.2571Coordinates: 52°12′50″N 0°15′26″E / 52.2138°N 0.2571°E / 52.2138; 0.2571
Type	Military airfield
Code	IM
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Controlled by	Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built	1940
In use	1940-1946
Battles/wars	European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945
Garrison information
Garrison	RAF Fighter Command 361st Fighter Group

Royal Air Force Bottisham or more simply RAF Bottisham is a former Royal Air Force station located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.

RAF Bottisham opened in March 1940 and was first used by bomb-armed de Havilland Tiger Moths transferred from No. 22 Elementary Flying Training School RAF (EFTS) to be prepared for possible anti-invasion duties. Then beginning in October 1940, the airfield was used by 22 EFTS Tiger Moths as an Relief Landing Ground until mid-1941.

With the departure of the Tiger Moths, Bottisham was transferred to 241 Sqn Army Co-operation Command with Westland Lysanders, Curtiss Tomahawks, North American Mustang Mk 1's, moved to Ayr.

From 15 June 1942, the airfield was used by No. 652 Squadron RAF and No. 168 Squadron RAF.

A number of other Royal Air Force squadrons used the airfield before it was turned over to the United States Army Air Forces:

With the arrival of large numbers of USAAF fighter groups in 1943, Bottisham was allocated to the Americans and assigned designation as Station 374 (IM). The airfield was enlarged and areas of steel matting were laid.

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Bottisham were:

The airfield was first used by the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force 361st Fighter Group, arriving from Richmond AAF, Virginia on 30 November 1943. The group was under the command of the 65th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command. Aircraft of the group were identified by yellow around their cowlings and tails.