The airfield was officially taken over by Ninth Air Force on New Year's Day 1944. Balderton was used as a reception center for the 437th and the 439th troop carrier groups arriving from the United States that were subsequently located at other UK airfields. Balderton was known as USAAF Station AAF-482 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "BD". It's World War II radio callsign was 'Cheapride'.