Royal Air Force Stations in Lincolnshire
Great Britain 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster Mapping Extracts © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey. All Rights Reserved. Educational licence 100045616.
Contents
- Expansion of RAF Airfields in the 1930s
- International Bomber Command Centre.
- RAF Anwick
- RAF Bardney
- RAF Barkston Heath
- RAF Binbrook
- RAF Blyton
- RAF Bottesford
- RAF Caistor
- RAF Coleby Grange
- RAF Coningsby
- RAF Cranwell
- RAF Digby
- RAF Donna Nook (Range)
- RAF Dunholme Lodge
- RAF East Kirkby
- RAF Elsham Wolds
- RAF Faldingworth
- RAF Fiskerton
- RAF Folkingham
- RAF Fulbeck
- RAF Goxhill
- RAF Grimsby / Waltham
- RAF Harlaxton
- RAF Hemswell / Harpswell
- RAF Hibaldstow
- RAF Holbeach Range
- RAF Ingham / Cammeringham
- RAF Kelstern
- RAF Kirmington
- RAF Kirton-in Lindsey
- RAF Ludford Magna
- RAF Manby
- RAF Metheringham
- RAF North Cotes
- RAF North Killingholme
- RAF North Witham
- RAF Saltby
- RAF Sandtoft
- RAF Scampton / Brattleby
- RAF Skellingthorpe
- RAF Spilsby
- RAF Spitalgate (Grantham)
- RAF Strubby
- RAF Sturgate
- RAF Sutton Bridge
- RAF Swinderby
- RAF Waddington
- RAF Wainfleet Range
- RAF Wellingore
- RAF Wickenby
- RAF Woodhall Spa
- FIDO
- High Flight
- Folkingham in 1944
- Fulbeck 1944
- Goxhill 1947
RAF Elsham Wolds
Airfield Code: ES; Grid reference centred on: TA 044 135
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The threat of Zeppelins was the reason Elsham Wolds came into being. Royal Flying Corps 33 Squadron, with its Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b and F.E.2d (Farman Experimental) biplanes was deployed between Hull and Lincoln to counter the Zeppelins coming in over the Lincolnshire coast during their night raids on the Midlands. Because of the wide area of possible incursion Kirton-in-Lindsey and Scampton were also part of the equation with 33 squadron having being split into three flights to combat the threat. Despite all the effort it was all in vain, they had no success. Hull was attacked on six occasions between June 1915 and March 1918.
The WW2 airfield was sited slightly to the west of the WW1 flying field. The airfield primarily consisted of 27 hard-standings for aircraft. The technical site with one Type J hangar and two T2s was built on the east side of the airfield. In 1944 to serve No.13 Base Maintenance, three more T2 hangars were erected. These were on a spur that ran to the edge of the First World War aerodrome site, on the eastern perimeter.
In July 1941, 103 Squadron and its Wellingtons arrived from RAF Newton for operations. The following spring the squadron began conversion to Halifaxs. However, this association was brief for no sooner had 103 Squadron taken delivery of the Halifax, 1 Group decided on all Stations being equipped with Lancasters and by October the Halifaxs had been sent elsewhere.
Of the 248 bombers lost on operations while flying from Elsham Wolds, 198 were from 103 Squadron; comprised of 28 Wellingtons, 12 Halifaxs and 208 Lancasters. One Elsham Wolds Lancaster, ED888, which served with both Nos.103 and 576, held the Bomber Command record for operational sorties having completed 140 between May 1943 and December 1944.
103 squadron's place was taken by No. 21 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit of Transport Command which exercised with Halifax and Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle tugs and Horsa gliders for almost a year.
RAF Elsham Wolds airfield was closed in 1947 but shortly afterwards Displaced Persons, Poles and Ukrainian refugees started to squat in the buildings whilst working at the Scunthorpe Steelworks, colloquially, it was known as "Warsaw Hamlet".
(Fourth image memorial to two crews lost over Ulceby)
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licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/Great Britain 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster Mapping Extracts © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey. All Rights Reserved. Educational licence 100045616.
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