Royal Air Force Bottesford or more simply RAF Bottesford is a former Royal Air Force station located on the Leicestershire-Lincolnshire county border, north west of Grantham, Lincolnshire and south of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire and about north-northwest of London, England. Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). During World War II it was used primarily as a troop carrier airfield for paratroopers and as a bomber airfield before closing in 1948. Today the remains of the airfield are located on private property with the technical site being used as an industrial estate.One of the runways is currently used by Cazoo for storing cars and the control tower used as an office. History RAF Bomber Command use The airfield was opened as a RAF Bomber Command station in No. 5 Group RAF area during the autumn of 1941, with No. 207 Squadron RAF moving in with its troublesome Avro Manchesters during November. However, because of continual difficulties experienced with their Rolls-Royce Vulture engines operations were frequently curtailed, but in March 1942 the squadron was able to step up its bombing raids on Germany when it became one of the first to receive the new Avro Lancaster in March 1942. No. 207 Sqn left in September 1942 for RAF Langar and in November a new Australian manned squadron, No. 467 Squadron RAAF, arrived in November 1942 commencing operations on the night of 2/3 January 1943. USAAF use It was first occupied by the 50th Troop Carrier Wing Headquarters on 15 November. It was then opened as a reception base for Douglas C-47/C-53 Skytrain groups that were scheduled to fly in from the United States. It was known as USAAF Station AAF-481 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "AQ". 436th Troop Carrier Group The first USAAF group to arrive at Bottesford was 436th Troop Carrier Group a few days into the New Year from Baer Army Airfield, Indiana. Operational squadrons of the group were: 79th Troop Carrier Squadron (S6) 80th Troop Carrier Squadron (7D) 81st Troop Carrier Squadron (U5) 82nd Troop Carrier Squadron (3D) The 436th TCG was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing. On 3 March the 436th Group was moved south to lake up station at RAF Membury 440th Troop Carrier