RAF Bisterne
WWII airbase in Hampshire, England
title: "RAF Bisterne" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["royal-air-force-stations-in-hampshire", "airfields-of-the-ix-fighter-command-in-the-united-kingdom", "military-airbases-established-in-1944", "military-airbases-closed-in-1944", "ringwood,-hampshire"] description: "WWII airbase in Hampshire, England" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bisterne" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary WWII airbase in Hampshire, England ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox military installation"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | RAF Bisterne |
| USAAF Station AAF-415 | |
| ensign | [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg |
| partof | |
| location | Bisterne, Hampshire |
| country | England |
| image | [[File:Rafbisterne-22may44.jpg |
| caption | Aerial Photo of Bisterne Airfield, 22 May 1944. More than 50 P-47 Thunderbolts of the 371st Fighter Group are dispersed along the perimeter loop. |
| image2 | |
| type | Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground |
| coordinates | |
| pushpin_map | Hampshire#UK |
| pushpin_map_caption | Shown within Hampshire |
| pushpin_label | RAF Bisterne |
| ownership | Air Ministry |
| operator | Royal Air ForceUnited States Army Air Forces |
| controlledby | |
| open_to_public | |
| site_other_label | |
| site_other | |
| site_area | |
| code | BS |
| built | |
| used | 1944 - |
| battles | European theatre of World War II |
| past_commanders | |
| garrison | |
| occupants | |
| footnotes | |
| elevation | 15 m |
| r1-number | 02/20 |
| r1-length | |
| r1-surface | Hard earth |
| r2-number | 09/27 |
| r2-length | |
| r2-surface | Hard earth |
| h1-length | |
| airfield_other_label | |
| airfield_other | |
| :: |
| name = RAF Bisterne USAAF Station AAF-415 | ensign = [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]][[File:Patch9thusaaf.png|60px]] | ensign_size = | native_name = | partof = | location = Bisterne, Hampshire | country = England | image = [[File:Rafbisterne-22may44.jpg|250px]] | caption = Aerial Photo of Bisterne Airfield, 22 May 1944. More than 50 P-47 Thunderbolts of the 371st Fighter Group are dispersed along the perimeter loop. | image2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground | coordinates = | gridref = | pushpin_map = Hampshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Hampshire | pushpin_label = RAF Bisterne | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air ForceUnited States Army Air Forces | controlledby = | open_to_public = | site_other_label = | site_other = | site_area = | code = BS | built = | used = 1944 - | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = European theatre of World War II | events = | past_commanders = | garrison = | occupants = | designations = | website = | footnotes = | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = 15 m | r1-number = 02/20 | r1-length = | r1-surface = Hard earth | r2-number = 09/27 | r2-length = | r2-surface = Hard earth | h1-number = | h1-length = | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label = | airfield_other = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/P-47-44-200284-404fs-371fg.jpg" caption="Republic P-47D-28-RE Thunderbolt Serial 44-200284 of the 404th Fighter Squadron (photo taken at Furth/Industriehafen, Germany"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/P-47-44-200097-406fs-371fg.jpg" caption="Republic P-47D-28-RE Thunderbolt Serial 44-200097 of the 406th Fighter Squadron (photo taken at Furth/Industriehafen, Germany"] ::
Royal Air Force Bisterne or more simply RAF Bisterne is a former Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located in the hamlet of Bisterne approximately 2 mi south of Ringwood.
Opened in March 1944, Bisterne was a prototype for the type of temporary Advanced Landing Ground type airfield that would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a fighter airfield. It was closed late in the summer of 1944.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with no recognizable remains.
History
Bisterne was used by the No. 2774 Squadron RAF Regiment.
Bisterne was known as USAAF Station AAF-415 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "BS".
On 7 March 1944 the 371st Fighter Group arrived . Equipped with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, the 347th FG arrived from Richmond AAF Virginia. Tactical squadrons of the group and squadron fuselage codes were:
- 404th Fighter Squadron (9Q)
- 405th Fighter Squadron (8N)
- 406th Fighter Squadron (4W)
The 371st was a group of Ninth Air Force's 70th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. The 371st moved from Bisterne between 17 and 29 June 1944 to its Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Beuzeville France (ALG A-6).
Current use
In 2004 a small memorial was dedicated by a former P47D pilot on the outskirts of Brixey's Farm yard barn at the end of the metalled bridleway eastwards off the B3347 at Kingston as a lasting memorial to the men and machines who flew from the wartime Bisterne airfield.
References
References
- "Bisterne". [[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]].
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