Bicester Airfield

In 1937/1938, two squadrons of the new Bristol Blenheim bomber arrived, followed in 1939 by two more squadrons with Supermarine Spitfires and Avro Anson support aircraft, forming the No. 1 Camouflage Unit RAF. The aircraft were used for training, with no operational sorties being flown from the field.

However, the Winter War of 1939 between Finland and Russia had proved that 18 Finnish Bristol Blenheim Bombers (delivered in 1937) were insufficient and further air support from Britain was needed. Due to Britain's delicate political situation with Russia, the delivery of such important equipment was to be kept secret.

The aircraft had been stripped of armaments and non-essential equipment, with all RAF livery removed and replaced with the blue swastika, the insignia of the Finnish Airforce. This insignia had been hastily whitewashed over to disguise it for the journey. At 6 am on the 23rd February 1940 all twelve aircraft took off for the first leg from RAF Bicester to Dyce Airport at Aberdeen in Scotland. The rain had removed the white wash, making them more visible and their mission more dangerous than ever. However, after hopping from RAF Bicester to Aberdeen, Stavanger (Norway), Vasteras (Sweden) and finally landing safely at Lake Juva in Finland, all twelve aircraft successfully arrived.[4]

Later in 1939, having been built in Cricklewood just before war broke out, the first prototype Handley Page Halifax was taken by road to RAF Bicester and assembled in secret there before the company's chief test pilot Major Jim Cordes and flight test observer E A 'Ginger' Wright made its first flight on 25 October 1939.[5] The type went on to become the first four-engined bomber to drop bombs on Germany in the Second World War.

In July 1940, the second RAF Bomber Command Training Group (No. 7 Group RAF) was formed, with its headquarters at RAF Bicester. This was required due to a demand in operational training, supplying squadrons of No. 2 Group. No. 6 (T) Group RAF and No. 92 (OTU) Group RAF were both connected to the airfield.[6]

Throughout the war, RAF Bicester was used as a training centre, and in April 1940 became home to No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF, under the control of RAF Bomber Command. In June 1943, the unit transferred to No. 9 Group RAF, RAF Fighter Command, flying Spitfires and de Havilland Mosquitos. Although no offensive missions were flown, flights were not without risk. On 8 April 1940, 13 OTU experienced its first loss.[7] On 6 December 1941, a Blenheim stalled on take-off, killing all three crew members. Just four days later, a second Blenheim crashed in an identical accident, again with no survivors.[8]

At the end of 1944, Bicester became a non-flying unit, used for maintenance, and later as a Motor Transport depot. In 1953, No. 71 Maintenance Unit arrived, that salvaged, repaired, and then transported damaged aircraft.[26]

In 1956, Windrushers Gliding Club arrived, having moved from Little Rissington, and gliding began at the field. In 1963, the Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association (RAFGSA) began using the site, eventually merging with Windrushers Gliding Club. Gliding has taken place at the airfield since 1956. In 1966, No. 1 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment arrived from RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, along with No. 26 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment − from RAF Changi, Singapore.

in 1965, Queen Elizabeth II visited RAF Bicester with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[27] The visiting Royals were given a full tour of the site before watching various demonstrations of aircraft at the airfield.

In 1976, the RAF ceased to use the airfield as a military base, but still maintained staff there to run the gliding training operation as adventure training for servicemen. In the mid-1980s, the USAF briefly used the Technical and Domestic Area for storage. In 1982 the USAF created a wartime contingency hospital with 500 beds and all ancillary medical services using restored RAF World War II dormitories. There were between 12 and 20 USAF personnel stationed on site until the beginning of Operation Desert Storm, when they were augmented by 1200 USAF medical personnel from USAF medical Center, Wilford Hall, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The facility was used to treat minor physical injuries and possible PTSD patients. The unit was deactivated in 1992. Between 1979 and 1992, the RAFGSA Centre allowed US servicemen from RAF Upper Heyford to become members. US servicemen, from the US Armed Forces family housing next to the airfield in Bicester, learnt to fly at Bicester as a result.

In 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, the USAF deployed medical personnel to the site, and equipped a number of buildings in both the Technical and Domestic area as a hospital. This was done in anticipation of large numbers of casualties that never materialised, during the 1991 First Persian Gulf War.[28] The blood fridges installed by the USAF still exist in Hangar 109 along with a large amount of graffiti relating to the servicemen based there, 109 is now used as a car storage facility.

In 1997 the Ministry of Defence placed the Married Quarter sites at RAF Bicester up for disposal by formal tender.

In March 2013 Bicester Airfield was acquired from the Ministry of Defence by Bicester Motion Limited which has created the UK's first business park dedicated to historic motoring and aviation, named Bicester Heritage. Bicester Heritage aims to bring together the UK's cottage industry of automotive specialists in order to promote not just the preservation but, specifically, the use of historic motor cars.[31]

In 2023 Bicester Heritage celebrated its 10th anniversary at the former RAF Bicester aerodrome.[32] The established business campus is home to fifty businesses,[33] from the governing body of British Motorsport, Motorsport UK, to Formula E team NEOM McLaren Electric Racing and EV manufacturer Polestar's UK HQ, to many other individual, highly skilled manufacturing and engineering firms within the automotive sector.

The majority the historic buildings in the former-RAF Technical Site have been restored for occupation by automotive tenants. In the ten years of operation to 2023, the Conservation Area of RAF Bicester has been removed from the Historic England 'Heritage At Risk Register',[34] and has since gone on to win multiple awards including Conservation and Regeneration at the SECBE Constructing Excellence Awards.[35] The second phase of restored buildings were unveiled by Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester.[36] The site has also appeared as a film location in Darkest Hour[37] and The Imitation Game.[38]

In 2018 Bicester Motion achieved unanimous planning approval from Cherwell District Council[39] for the construction of eight new buildings to the southern edge of the former RAF Technical Site, adjacent to Skimmingdish Lane. The £10.4m project[40] was completed in 2020 and now houses many modern automotive specialist businesses, including synthetic fuel manufacturer ZERO Petroleum,[41] electric vehicle manufacturers Zapp Electric Vehicles and The Little Car Company.[42] The development now called 'The Command Works'[43] represents the first new buildings to be constructed at the former RAF base in c.80 years. Sir Lewis Hamilton officially opened Building 141, the headquarters of Motorsport UK, in July 2021.[44]

The Bristol Blenheim with MK 1 Spitfire at Flywheel, 2023

The airfield is now operated by The Bicester Aerodrome Company,[45] a part of the Bicester Motion Ltd. group as an unlicensed airfield. Private operators such as Finest Hour Experiences[46] and Motor Glide offer flight training and experience flights from the airfield in addition to privately owned powered aircraft and glider activity. Most recently the airfield was visited by the only flying Bristol Blenheim bomber for Flywheel,[47] an event run by Bicester Heritage to celebrate their 10 year anniversary.[48] Other period aircraft such as a MK1 Spitfire also visited for the event.[49] Returning a Bristol Blenheim to the grass airfield of the former RAF Bicester was a remarkable nod to the location's WW2 history, as a representative of the Aircraft Restoration Company, who maintain the Blenheim at Duxford said:

"Taking to the skies in the Blenheim is always an honour, however, to be bringing the aircraft to Bicester Heritage, and landing it upon turf once trodden by so many young crews, is very special."[50]

Visitors and vehicles at a Scramble event, within the former RAF Technical Site of Bicester

The Scramble is an open day event held at Bicester Heritage, which largely takes place within the former RAF Bicester Technical Site. The event welcomes 6,500 - 8,000 visitors each day, usually three or four times a year.[53] The specialist businesses based at Bicester Heritage often open their workshops and showrooms as part of the event. A large number of automotive displays of all eras are usually found at these events, showing cars from veteran and vintage, through to classic and modern classic.[54]

Flywheel was first launched at Bicester Heritage in 2015 as an event to showcase automotive and aviation activity to visitors. The event ran on consecutive years until 2018 when it partnered with Haymarket's Classic & Sports Car Show,[55] which moved to Bicester Heritage from Alexandra Palace. In 2023 the event was relaunched by Bicester Heritage to mark its 10th anniversary year.[56] Aviation activity on the airfield included pre-WW2 aircraft, WW2 era military aircraft and later civilian aircraft.

• The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Bicester
• WW2 Airfields of Oxfordshire - Bicester
• RAF Museum - Vickers Virginia
• Controltowers.co.uk - Bicester
• Group Captain Hughie Edwards VC 105 Squadron

• Bicester Aerodrome
• Bicester Heritage Limited