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RAF Spilsby
Royal Air Force Spilsby or more simply RAF Spilsby is a former Royal Air Force station during the Second World War and the Cold War located in the rural village of Great Steeping, near the market town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England.
During the Second World War the Air Ministry attempted to build an airfield at Gunby Hall that would have covered most of the estate and necessitated the demolition of the magnificent and historic hall. The then owner, Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd personally appealed to King George VI and the Air Ministry relented, redrawing the plans that resulted in the building of the resited RAF Spilsby although the runway would eventually end only a few yards short of the Gunby estate boundary hedge.
The airfield was built at Great Steeping, just 2 mi (3.2 km) south west of its originally planned location at Gunby, during 1942 to 1943 and opened for action on 20 September 1943 as an overflow satellite airfield to RAF East Kirkby in 5 (Bomber) Group RAF. The first operational squadron to be based at Spilsby was No. 207 Squadron RAF who moved from RAF Langar on 12 October 1943. The squadron bombed Hanover in Germany six days later on 18 October and the following week the station was upgraded from satellite status to a full station in its own right.
In April 1944 the three local bomber stations at Spilsby, Strubby and East Kirkby combined to form the 55 Base RAF[citation needed] with the headquarters located at East Kirkby. RAF Spilsby became a two squadron station when No. 44 Squadron RAF relocated from RAF Dunholme Lodge near Lincoln in October 1944.
In 1944 a Spilsby-based 207 Squadron airman, Flying Officer Denys Street escaped from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III and was one of the fifty executed by the Gestapo in the aftermath of the mass escape that was later filmed as The Great Escape.
During the war the Lancasters of 207 Squadron flew over 6,000 individual sorties during 540 operational missions, by both day and night with the loss of 154 seven man crews killed or missing, with at least another 9 aircraft lost on non-operational training or ferry flights.
As the Second World War came to an end 44 Squadron was moved south to RAF Mepal in Cambridgeshire and they were replaced by No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron who were planned to be part of the Tiger Force against Japan. However, when the nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the war ended, the Spilsby squadrons were moved elsewhere in October 1945. The airfield defence force of No. 2751 Squadron RAF Regiment remained at RAF Spilsby and it became No. 2 Armament and Gunnery Practice School.[citation needed]
Armament Practice Station, Spilsby was here between 1 December 1945 and 1 August 1946.
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RAF Spilsby AI simulator
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RAF Spilsby
Royal Air Force Spilsby or more simply RAF Spilsby is a former Royal Air Force station during the Second World War and the Cold War located in the rural village of Great Steeping, near the market town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England.
During the Second World War the Air Ministry attempted to build an airfield at Gunby Hall that would have covered most of the estate and necessitated the demolition of the magnificent and historic hall. The then owner, Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd personally appealed to King George VI and the Air Ministry relented, redrawing the plans that resulted in the building of the resited RAF Spilsby although the runway would eventually end only a few yards short of the Gunby estate boundary hedge.
The airfield was built at Great Steeping, just 2 mi (3.2 km) south west of its originally planned location at Gunby, during 1942 to 1943 and opened for action on 20 September 1943 as an overflow satellite airfield to RAF East Kirkby in 5 (Bomber) Group RAF. The first operational squadron to be based at Spilsby was No. 207 Squadron RAF who moved from RAF Langar on 12 October 1943. The squadron bombed Hanover in Germany six days later on 18 October and the following week the station was upgraded from satellite status to a full station in its own right.
In April 1944 the three local bomber stations at Spilsby, Strubby and East Kirkby combined to form the 55 Base RAF[citation needed] with the headquarters located at East Kirkby. RAF Spilsby became a two squadron station when No. 44 Squadron RAF relocated from RAF Dunholme Lodge near Lincoln in October 1944.
In 1944 a Spilsby-based 207 Squadron airman, Flying Officer Denys Street escaped from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III and was one of the fifty executed by the Gestapo in the aftermath of the mass escape that was later filmed as The Great Escape.
During the war the Lancasters of 207 Squadron flew over 6,000 individual sorties during 540 operational missions, by both day and night with the loss of 154 seven man crews killed or missing, with at least another 9 aircraft lost on non-operational training or ferry flights.
As the Second World War came to an end 44 Squadron was moved south to RAF Mepal in Cambridgeshire and they were replaced by No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron who were planned to be part of the Tiger Force against Japan. However, when the nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the war ended, the Spilsby squadrons were moved elsewhere in October 1945. The airfield defence force of No. 2751 Squadron RAF Regiment remained at RAF Spilsby and it became No. 2 Armament and Gunnery Practice School.[citation needed]
Armament Practice Station, Spilsby was here between 1 December 1945 and 1 August 1946.