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RAF Croughton, near Brackley in Northamptonshire, entered the Second World War as a grass airfield that would become heavily associated with training and emergency support. The airfield’s elevated position and open approaches made it useful for flying instruction, while its inland setting placed it within reach of both bomber and fighter routes crossing central England.
From mid-1940 Croughton functioned as a satellite to RAF Upper Heyford, providing additional space for No. 16 Operational Training Unit. OTUs were where newly trained aircrew were turned into combat-ready crews, and No. 16 OTU’s wartime focus included night bomber training. Such work required repeated circuits, instrument flying, cross-country navigation and simulated operational patterns – often conducted after dark, when workload and risk increased. Training aircraft associated with OTU activity in this period included multi-engine bombers such as the Vickers Wellington, a mainstay of early Bomber Command and a durable training platform.
In September 1940 the Air Ministry designated certain stations as emergency airfields, and Croughton (often referenced in wartime as RAF Brackley) became one of those places expected to assist any aircraft returning damaged or with mechanical trouble. Under those orders, flare paths were to be illuminated regardless of enemy activity, a policy that deliberately increased risk but could save crews and aircraft. The logic was grimly practical: a safe landing mattered more than concealment when aircraft were short of fuel, battle-damaged or struggling with failing engines.
This dual identity – training field and emergency haven – also made Croughton a potential target. Training airfields were lightly defended compared with front-line bases, and the Luftwaffe sometimes attacked them to disrupt the RAF’s pipeline. Meanwhile, the requirement to keep lights on could draw unwanted attention during night operations. As a result, the station’s wartime experience included the constant tension between maintaining training tempo and managing vulnerability.
Life on a training and emergency station was shaped by repetition and professionalism. Crews flew demanding syllabi; instructors enforced standards; ground staff kept aircraft serviceable despite heavy use; and operations rooms tracked movements to ensure emergency support could be provided quickly. The station community included RAF and WAAF personnel, with the latter supporting communications, plotting and administration essential to keeping training organised and safe.
By 1944-45 the airfield remained a working part of the RAF’s wartime infrastructure, supporting the training system that sustained operations. Post-war, Croughton’s role changed repeatedly and the site later became known for communications work, but its Second World War story is rooted in the quieter, relentless labour of producing competent crews and keeping returning aircraft alive. It stands as a reminder that the outcome of air campaigns depended as much on training and emergency support as on the famous battles and headline raids.
The station’s wartime structures and layout are also typical of an OTU satellite: functional buildings, open dispersals and an emphasis on safe circuit patterns – everyday details that made the training system work at scale.