From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RAF Uxbridge is a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

RAF Uxbridge is best known as the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF during the Battle of Britain. 11 Group was responsible for the defence of London and the South-East of England, and therefore was the main area of combat. The group headquarters were specifically at Hillingdon House within the base grounds. An underground operations room was built nearby to handle the control of the fighter squadrons.

It is also famous as being an RAF base where Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) served.

The restored Operations Room in the underground bunker

Information about air threats would come to Fighter Command headquarters at RAF Bentley Priory, which would filter reports to remove duplication, doubt and confusion. The threats would then be allocated to the Group operations rooms for defensive operations to be taken. In the case of No 11 Group this was at RAF Uxbridge.

The WW2 operations room was closed up in 1958 in its original state, and restored in the 1970s. Very little restoration work was required for it to be returned to its 1940s condition. Visits to the operations room and a sizeable museum are possible by contacting the Curator at the Battle of Britain Operations Room, RAF Uxbridge. Visits seem to be fairly regular and have to be arranged in advance as the facility is inside an operational military base. Outside the operations room the Royal Air Force Ensign is flown. This ensign can also be seen flying at the Station Headquarters along with the command flag that represents the rank of the station commander.

1083 SquadronAir cadets are based here at RAF Uxbridge where on Mondays and Thursdays. Cadets of the Air Training Corps meet for a parade night. Middlesex Wing HQ are also based on the RAF base and Wing Commander Davison is currently the Wing Commander.

Today RAF Uxbridge is part of RAF Personnel and Training Command. Units stationed at Uxbridge include the headquarters of the Military Air Traffic Operations, Headquarters Music Services and also the Queen's Colour Squadron of the RAF Regiment.

The River Pinn runs through RAF Uxbridge and the wooded land within it, past the operations room. RAF Uxbridge is situated partly on green belt land and next to a golf course.

• List of RAF stations

• Account of a visit to the restored ops room, with photographs