RAF Desborough

The airfield was closed because it was surplus to military requirements following the end of World War II. As a temporary wartime training base, its mission to train bomber crews was no longer needed on such a large scale, and the RAF rapidly downsized its estate.

The site is no longer an airfield and has been extensively redeveloped. The land has been largely returned to agriculture, and the main runways have been removed, although their ghostly outlines are still clearly visible in satellite imagery. A significant portion of the former airfield is now the Desborough Airfield Industrial Estate, which houses numerous businesses. Additionally, a large solar farm has been constructed on part of the site. Some original perimeter tracks and a few wartime buildings remain, repurposed for agricultural or industrial use.

RAF Desborough was a Class A bomber airfield constructed during World War II, opening in June 1943. Its primary role was as a satellite station for the nearby RAF Harwell. It was home to No. 85 Operational Training Unit (OTU) of RAF Bomber Command. The main operation at Desborough was the training of bomber crews, primarily using the Vickers Wellington medium bomber. Crews would complete their training here before being posted to front-line heavy bomber squadrons. The airfield played a crucial, though brief, role in the Allied war effort by ensuring a steady supply of trained aircrew for the strategic bombing campaign against Germany.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Desborough as an active airport. The essential aviation infrastructure, including runways and taxiways, has been removed. The land is now privately owned and has been permanently redeveloped for industrial, agricultural, and renewable energy purposes, making any future conversion back to an airfield economically and logistically unfeasible. The ICAO code GB-0568 is a historical identifier for a disused private airstrip and does not indicate any current operational status.