Royal Air Force Stations in Lincolnshire

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RAF Digby

Grid reference: TF 049 565. Operational






RAF Scopwick was opened on 28th March 1918 but was renamed RAF Digby in 1920, as it was often confused with RAF Shotwick in Flintshire. It had been active since late 1917 as a satellite airfield for RNAS Cranwell. After the Great War Digby specialised in flying training from 1920-1937. No.2 Flying Training School and No.3 Flying Training School were based here.
Immediately prior to WW2 Digby took on an operational role, becoming Sector Fighter Airfield of 12 Group Fighter Command in August 1937. The first squadrons were 46 and 73 Squadron equipped with Gloster Gauntlet Mk II and Gloster Gladiator Mk I. They converted to the Hawker Hurricane Mk.I in November 1938. Early in the war Digby was augmented by 504 squadron, a third Hurricane squadron. Later, Digby day and night fighters operated from RAF Wellingore and RAF Coleby Grange, both satellite airfields.
In February 1941 the first of the Canadian fighter squadrons arrived at Digby. No. 1 (Canadian) Squadron and No. 2 (Canadian) Squadron immediately renumbered as 401 Squadron RAF and 402 Squadron RAF respectively; both squadrons were equipped with Hurricanes. The Canadian Digby wing was formed on 24 April 1941 when the station received three further squadrons, 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron flying Boulton Paul Defiants, 411 Squadron RCAF and 412 Squadron RAF both flying Supermarine Spitfires.
American-born pilot and poet John Gillespie Magee flying for the Canadian air force was killed at the age of 19 on 11 December 1941 while stationed at RAF Digby with No 412 (Fighter) Squadron, RCAF.[13] Magee took off in a Spitfire from the satellite field at RAF Wellingore and, while descending through cloud over Roxholm village just south of Digby, was involved in a mid-air collision with an Airspeed Oxford climbing out of RAF Cranwell. Magee is buried at the war graves section of Scopwick churchyard along with 49 other aviators from local airfields and five German aircrew. On his grave are inscribed the first and last lines from his poem High Flight. Digby closed its flying field in 1953.
After the war the station became a training unit and part of the RAF College Cranwell, with its Station Commanders also serving as Assistant Commandants with flying training (19 Flying Training and Nos.1 and 2 Initial Training Schools) up to 1953 before beginning its specialisation in the signals role. In 1955 399 Signals Unit (SU) arrived, to be joined by 591 SU and the Aerial Erectors School. 399 SU became the Joint Service Signals Unit (JSSU) on 15th September 1998.

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