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 Wellingore
Airfield Code: JW; Grid reference centred on: SK 985 545
Battle Headquarters -
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The airfield was originally opened in 1917 as a Royal Naval Air Service station called Wellingore Heath as a Relief Landing Ground (RLG) for Cranwell. The airfield reopened in 1935. By the winter of 1939/40, the airfield was fully operational and consisted of two grass runways, a concrete perimeter track eight blister hangars, six fighter 'E'-pens [Link
] and defensive pillboxes. A small technical site was established at the north-west corner of the airfield. It operated as a Relief Landing Ground (RLG) for RAF Cranwell before later operating as a satellite station for RAF Digby. Various squadrons equipped with Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims and Beaufighters flew from the station. 11 Service Flying Training School, 29 Squadron (Blenheim then Beaufighter night fighters) - July 1940 to April 1941, 402 Squadron (RCAF Spitfires) - May 1941 to June 1941 & January 1944 to April 1944, 412 Squadron (RCAF Spitfires) - October 1941 to May 1942, 54 Squadron - June 1942 to June 1942, 81 Squadron (Spitfires) - September 1942 to October 1942, 154 Squadron (Spitfires) - September 1942 to November 1942, 288 Squadron - December 1942 to January 1943, 309 Squadron, 349 Squadron. (Spitfires) May 1943, 416 Squadron. (Hurricanes) - May 1943 to June 1943 & September 1943 to October 1943, 439 Squadron. (Hurricanes) - August 1943, 613 Squadron. (Mustangs) - April 1943 to May 1943 and 17 Service Flying Training School (Harvards and Oxfords)- 1944-45 (list from Jefford 1988).In November 1940, Guy Gibson, who later led Operation Chastise (better known as the Dambusters Raid), was stationed at Wellingore. Later in November 1940, he flew from here to Cardiff for his wedding. He had his first victories as a nightfighter pilot operating from here. In April 1942, a German intruder aircraft attacked Gibson's aircraft while landing at Wellingore, injuring his navigator.
In December 1941, John Gillespie Magee, Jr., author of the famous aviation poem "High Flight", took off from Wellingore on his final flight, in which he was killed. [Link]
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Images used on this page, © Copyright Richard Croft, Tim Heaton, Andy Stephenson and Adrian S Pye;
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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