RAF Bitteswell

Royal Air Force Bitteswell or more simply RAF Bitteswell is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Lutterworth, Leicestershire and 6.1 miles (9.8 km) north of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

RAF Bitteswell
Bitteswell, Leicestershire in England
RAF Bitteswell is located in Leicestershire
RAF Bitteswell
RAF Bitteswell
Shown within Leicestershire
Coordinates52°27′34″N 001°14′46″W
TypeSatellite Station
CodeBT[1]
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Bomber Command
* No. 7 (T) Group RAF
* No. 93 (OTU) Group RAF
RAF Transport Command[1]
Site history
Built1940 (1940)/41
In useJuly 1941 - 1987 (1987)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation128 metres (420 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
04/22 1,672 metres (5,486 ft) Concrete
10/28 1,170 metres (3,839 ft) Concrete
17/35 1,170 metres (3,839 ft) Concrete

Construction of the grass airfield at RAF Bitteswell was started in March 1940 and it opened in June 1941.[2] The original grass runways were replaced between February and June 1943 with concrete and asphalt.[2] During WW2 it was used by the RAF for bomber operations and training. During and after WW2 it was also used for aircraft assembly, maintenance, and jet engine development.

History

Second World War

RAF Bitteswell was home to many different units and aircraft, such as No. 1513 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF (BAT Flt) flying Airspeed Oxfords from RAF Bramcote, RAF Lindley and Bitteswell between 23 October 1942 and 13 May 1946.[3]

A large number of operational training units (OTU) were based at the airfield. OTU were units which taught flying, navigation and basic Morse code. The difference between OTUs and other training units were that the OTUs performed live missions such as bombing (like the 1,000 Bomber raids), air sea rescue and occasionally mine laying. No.18 Operational Training Unit (OTU) flying the Avro Anson, Fairey Battle and the Vickers Wellington again flying from the main base of RAF Bramcote with Nuneaton (Lindley) and Bitteswell as satellites. The unit was operational from 14 November 1940 and 25 January 1943 and was RAF Bomber Commands Polish training unit.[4]

Post war units

A number of units used the airfield as a satellite to disperse aircraft and for maintenance such as Transport Command Air Crew Examining Unit RAF from RAF Bramcote from December 1945 until August 1946,[7] No. 266 Maintenance Unit RAF between January 1946 and 1947[8] and No. 20 Service Flying Training School RAF from RAF Church Lawford used Bitteswell as a relief landing ground between July 1946 and May 1947.[9]

Aircraft manufacture

In 1943 a factory was built next to the airfield where Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft assembled aircraft manufactured at Baginton, Coventry. This continued to assemble, test, and maintain aircraft until 1983. In 1947 Armstrong Siddeley established an Experimental Flight Section at Bitteswell for the flight development of jet engines installed in flying test beds. In 1956 the airfield was purchased outright from the Air Ministry.

Aircraft operated

Accidents and incidents
DateIncidentReference
29 September 1941Wellington R3216 of No.18 Operational Training Unit (OTU) stalled on landing. LAC S W J Green awarded George Medal for helping to save rear gunner, but rest of crew perished[10]
23 October 1941Wellington R1138 of No.18 Operational Training Unit (OTU) hit a tree at Ullesthorpe. All 4 crew injured[11]
29 June 1943Wellington Z1668 of No.29 Operational Training Unit (OTU) force landed at Bitteswell after engine failure. Crew were unhurt[12]
16 August 1943Wellington BK550 of No.29 Operational Training Unit (OTU) overshot landing at Bitteswell. Crew were unhurt[13]
6 September 1943Wellington BK442 of No.29 Operational Training Unit (OTU) belly landed following engine failure. Crew were unhurt [14]
11 April 1944Miles Martinet JN427 of No.29 Operational Training Unit (OTU) overturned when landing[15]
17 October 1944Wellington X3879 of No.29 Operational Training Unit (OTU) crashed while force-landing at Bitteswell, following engine failure. Crew were unhurt[16]
5 March 1945Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 44-6464 612 Bomb Squadron, 401 Bomb Group crashed after the crew baled out[17]
17 April 1945Wellington NC667 of No.105 Operational Training Unit (OTU) crash-landed in the circuit after engine failure[17]
11 May 1945Wellington NC713 of No.105 Operational Training Unit (OTU) crashed on approach to Bitteswell after engine failure. The 3 crew were all killed[17]
23 June 1945Wellington LP822 of No.105 Operational Training Unit (OTU) overshot landing at Bitteswell and was damaged beyond repair[17]
7 July 1945Wellington HE908 of No.105 Operational Training Unit (OTU) belly landed at Bitteswell after colliding with an Oxford in the air. There were no injuries[17]
18 May 1954Westland Wyvern VZ747 crashed at Pailton during engine-out tests. Armstrong-Siddeley's chief test pilot, Mr E S Griffiths, was killed[18]
14 August 1954Hawker Hunter F.2 WN905 destroyed while making a test flight from Bitteswell. Port leg of undercarriage fell away while making a high speed run. Pilot ejected successfully.[19]
10 November 1954English Electric Canberra B.2 WD933 crash landed and overturned. Crew survived[20]
21 November 1958Fairey Gannet AS.1 WN345 belly landed after nose wheel did not fully deploy. No injuries[21]
Death of Sidney Cook

Sidney Cook was an aeronautical engineer employed by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. On 5 January 1949 he was working on a Meteor which was undergoing ground tests when he was drawn into the port engine. The engine was shut down immediately and he was taken to hospital, but he died the same day.

Death of Hugh Reeves

Hugh Reeves was a British inventor and engineer. He was involved in a project to reduce noise in jet engines. On 25 October 1955 he was carrying out tests at RAF Bitteswell on a Hawker Hunter Mark V fitted with a Sapphire engine, when he was suddenly drawn into the intake of the silencer and was killed.[22]

Current use

In 1984 the airfield was sold to Doug Arnold to store some of his collection of "Warbirds of Great Britain" classic aircraft, including several Spitfires, a P-51D Mustang, a B-17G Flying Fortress and a Lancaster.[23] It was also used for two Drag Racing meets in 1985. In 1987 it was sold for development as a Distribution Park.

The airfield is now a large business park called Magna Park in which many roads have names relating to aircraft e.g. Wellington Parkway, Buccaneer Way, Hunter Boulevard and Vulcan Way.

References

Citations
  1. Falconer 2012, p. 53.
  2. Chorlton, Martyn (2003). Leicestershire and Rutland Airfields in the Second World War. Countryside Books. ISBN 1853068004
  3. "Flying units". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  4. "18 (Polish) Operational Training Unit". Un-Official RAF Worksop. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  5. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 99.
  6. "Bitteswell". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  7. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 305.
  8. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 216.
  9. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 156.
  10. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1941". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  11. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1941". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  12. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1943". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  13. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1943". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  14. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1943". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  15. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1944". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  16. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1944". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  17. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1945". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  18. "Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1950-88". Aviation Archaeology. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  19. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "Incident English Electric Canberra B.2 WD933, 10 Nov 1954". www.aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  21. "Gannet". www.condor49ers.org.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  22. "MISINFORMATION". Timelapse. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  23. "Bitteswell - UK Airfield Guide".

Bibliography
  • Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
  • Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
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