RAF Barford St John was opened on 30 July 1941 as a training facility for RAF Flying Training Command. It had three grass runways, used primarily by Airspeed Oxfords of No. 15 Service Flying Training School RAF from RAF Kidlington.[1] The airfield was rebuilt as an RAF Bomber Command airfield with paved runways and night operations equipment and reopened as a satellite for RAF Upper Heyfordin December 1942.[1] In 1943 the station served as flight test centre for its Gloster E.28/39 and Gloster Meteor jet aircraft.[2] Bomber Command and No. 16 Operational Training Unit was stationed there with Vickers Wellingtons until December 1944.[1]No. 1655 Mosquito Training Unit RAF replaced the Wellingtons at that time.[1] After the war the airfield was closed in 1946 and placed into care and maintenance.[1]
In 1951 the United States Air Force opened a communications (transmitter) centre on the airfield.[2] The site has a Scope Signal III installation which was used to modernize "Giant Talk", Strategic Air Command's world-wide command and controls network, which operates from RAF Croughton.[8]
Duke, Simon (1989). U.S. Military Forces and Installations in Europe (SIPRI Monographs). Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0198291329.
Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN1-85310-053-6.
