Royal Air Force Station Leicester East, more commonly known as RAF Leicester East, , was a Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 airbase

Airbase

An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....

, near the village of Stoughton

Stoughton

Stoughton is the name of some places:in the United States of America:*Stoughton, Massachusetts**Stoughton *Stoughton, Wisconsin*Stoughton Hall, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MassachusettsIn England:*Stoughton, Leicestershire*Stoughton, Surrey...

, 4 NM east southeast of Leicester

Leicester

Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...

, Leicestershire

Leicestershire

Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...

. It was constructed in 1942, and formally opened in October 1943.

In March 1945 all operational military aircraft left Leicester East, and the airfield was placed on Care and Maintenance until its closure on 31 December 1947.

RAF Leicester East squadrons and aircraft

• No. 190 Squadron RAF
  No. 190 Squadron RAF
  No 190 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron with a relative short existence, but a very broad career. It served as a trainer squadron during the first World War and as convoy escort, airborne support and transport squadron during World War II....
  
   - flying Short Stirling
  Short Stirling
  The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
  
  
• No. 196 Squadron RAF
  No. 196 Squadron RAF
  No. 196 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron originally formed as a training unit during World War I. It was active during World War II in Nos. 3, 4 and 38 Group RAF...
  
   - flying Short Stirling

RAF Leicester East today

Today, the former RAF Leicester East is now known as Leicester Airport

Leicester Airport

Leicester Airport is a small aerodrome in Stoughton, Leicestershire, east southeast of Leicester. It was previously known as Stoughton Aerodrome...

, and was previously known as Stoughton Aerodrome.

The airfield, control tower

Control tower

A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...

, and other smaller buildings are now used by the Leicestershire Aero Club

See also

• Royal Air Force station
• List of RAF stations
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• List of aircraft of the RAF
• Aircraft
  Aircraft
  An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...