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INVASION!

70th Anniversary - Battle of Britain / Battle of the Barges

See also EVENTS | SAVE RAF BICESTER CAMPAIGN

Pillbox at the former RAF Bicester, overlooking the vulnerable Flying Field

INVASION! Seventy years ago back in the Summer of 1940 this was the word on everybody's lips as the Battle of Britain raged, London burnt, and the defence of these isles against the Nazi forces reached a crescendo. The chivalrous act of RAF Fighter Command with the brave 'Few' in their Hurricanes and Spitfires, and backed up by the newly-invented radar with a sophisticated ground control system, all were to become the stuff of legend. But was that the only story, and how did it all affect Bicester - particularly the former RAF Bicester?.

What was to become known as the 'Battle of the Barges' was also taking place as RAF Bomber Command did its best, at horrendous cost in men and machines, to hold back the German navy and army, and in particular the invasion barges that were massing in ports all along the cost of Europe. The squadrons of RAF Bomber Command, even down to individual aircraft and crews, were allocated their own specific port, even berth, to watch and constantly attack until the barges were destroyed. Research has yet to confirm, but it looks likely that Bicester training squadrons of Blenheim bombers were thrown into this fray.

Apart from invasion from the sea, the other main threat was invasion from the air. The Nazis had already successfully used aircraft as transports to parachute or land with storm-troopers as they swept across mainland Europe. Aerodromes, and other open flat places in the UK, were therefore points of vulnerability. A programme was rapidly put in place to bolster the defence of aerodromes from such attack. RAF Bicester was one of the first and had many defensive structures built that looked inwards to the Flying Field to prevent landings. These early examples of Air Ministry pillboxes, trenches and other similar structures are now so rare and special that those surviving at Bicester make up the bulk of the sixteen Constrained Areas of Scheduled Ancients Monuments on the site.

RAF Bicester is currently owned by the MoD, but aspiring charity Bomber Command Heritage (BCH) are trying their utmost to acquire the site and turn it into a vibrant Education Centre/Museum dedicated to the story of RAF Bomber Command and the British and Commonwealth effort and sacrifice.

There are many  ways you can contribute to the efforts of BCH including: donating to the 'fighting fund;' becoming a FRIEND of BCH, or a VOLUNTEER, or adding to our history recording efforts, especially individual stories, photos etc.

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