RAF Cottam
# RAF Cottam

Royal Air Force Cottam or more simply RAF Cottam is a former Royal Air Force satellite airfield near Cottam in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England and 3.9 miles (6.3 km) north west of Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire. The airfield was used only occasionally for flying, mostly being utilised as a bomb storage site.

## History

Despite being built as a bomber airfield as a satellite to RAF Driffield, poor weather conditions meant it was never used as its intended use as operational airfield, though some flying did occur. The site was constructed with three runways measuring 5,280 feet (1,610 m), 4,050 feet (1,230 m), and 3,960 feet (1,210 m). The airfield was used temporarily as a dispersal site in August 1940 after a devastating raid on RAF Driffield. An attack by up to 30 Ju 88's saw 169 bombs dropped, 13 personnel killed, 12 Whitley bombers destroyed, and as a result of the raid, Driffield was non-operational for the rest of 1940. Cottam's watch office was demolished in 1980. The airfield operated until June 1954.

The airfield was then used by RAF Maintenance Command as No. 91 Maintenance Unit RAF (MU) used the runways and buildings for bomb storage, until the 1950s. In December 1944, the station was listed as having 1,057 and 188 women from Maintenance Command and No. 42 Group billeted there.

## Current use

The airfield is currently farmland with little remaining buildings spread over the entire site and the dispersed areas, however the traces of the runways and dispersals can be seen from the air. Ordnance Survey mapping from 1982 shows that the main north east/south west runway had been removed by that time.

RAF Cottam has a unique claim to fame as the 'virtual' airfield for RAF Air Traffic Controller as well as Flight Operations simulator training at RAF Shawbury.

## Units

| Unit | Dates | Details |
| - | - | - |
| No. 4 Group Target Towing Flight | September–October 1940 | Based at nearby RAF Driffield, a detachment flew from here using Lysander aircraft |
| No. 91 Maintenance Unit | 1946–1954 | |
| No. 244 Maintenance Unit | September 1944–December 1945 | Transferred in from RAF Connel in autumn 1944 |
