RAF Lindholme
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RAF Lindholme ICAO : EGXQ | |||||||||
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Royal Air Force Lindholme or more simply RAF Lindholme is a former Royal Air Force station in South Yorkshire, England. It was located 3.9 miles (6.3 km) south of Thorne and 6.9 miles (11.1 km) north east of Doncaster and was initially called RAF Hatfield Woodhouse.
Early years
RAF Lindholme started life as an expansion scheme aerodrome built on the wide expanse of Hatfield moors, some 7 miles (11 km) east of
Three Type-C hangars fronted the south-west side of the bombing circle, with a fourth and fifth behind the two outer hangars.[4] The administration, technical and barrack area lay alongside the A614. As was common with these expansion scheme airfields, the construction of buildings took place over several months and the pace was only quickened by the outbreak of war. It officially opened in June 1940 under No.5 Group, No. 50 Squadron RAF and its Hampdens arrived the following month.[5]
No. 50 was the sole resident at Lindholme until June 1941, when a new Canadian-manned bomber squadron
During the first two years of war, a bomb store had been constructed on the far side of the A614 as had a taxi spur with three pan hardstandings. A perimeter track and over 30 pan hardstandings had also been built during this period. By 1942 Lindholme was due for upgrading and the construction of concrete runways was put in hand.[12] However, extension of the airfield was somewhat restricted by the Hatfield Moor Drain on the eastern boundary but more land was acquired to the north necessitating the closure of two roads, one to the hamlet of Lindholme. Because of these physical restrictions, only two runways were built, 14–32 and 04–22, both of which were extended to 1,400 yards (1,300 m) and 2,000 yards (1,800 m) respectively.[13] A new bomb store was fashioned on land to the north of the station, which resulted in obstruction of seven pan dispersal points. Two others were lost due to the construction of a new perimeter track. Even so, the station ended up with 41 pans and one loop type. A few additional camp sites were added to the south of the main area giving the station maximum accommodation for 2,192 men and 365 females.[3]
Heavy Conversion Unit
Re-opened for flying in late October 1942, No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) moved in with a few
1946 – 1980
The immediate post-war years found Nos.57 and 100 Squadrons with their Lincolns in residence from May to September 1946.[13] Wellingtons joined Lindholme with No. 5 Air Navigation School Wellington T.10s, Avro Ansons, and also 3 Vickers Valettas, coded A, B, and C.[3]
In November 1952 things changed quite dramatically, when Bomber Command Bombing School (BCBS) arrived from
BCBS reduced in size quite dramatically in 1959 and 1960 and in the latter year there seemed to be only 4 Lincolns left, but this type was being replaced by Hastings. All the Lincolns had gone by 1961, with 8 Hastings, including the forerunner TG503, having replaced them.[3]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, 721 Mobile Radar Bomb Score Signals Unit (721 MRBSSU) was lodged on a dispersal on the eastern side of the airfield. 721's role was to track strike aircraft (mainly from the V-force) during simulated bombing runs at high and low-level and score the accuracy of the simulated attacks against designated targets within a radius of approximately 50 miles of Lindholme. Radar operators on the ground had to pick up and then 'lock on' to the aircraft whose track was then printed onto a chart in the operations caravan. Prior to the simulated weapon release the aircraft would transmit a steady tone on the radio which ceased at the release point. Following the simulated release the aircraft would then transmit a coded message that provided the MRBSSU with the information necessary (wind velocity etc.) to 'score' the attack, the results (in terms of bearing and distance from the designated target) being passed to the aircraft in another coded message. The unit was capable of handling aircraft at 10-minute intervals.[3]
By 1968 the Bomber Command Bombing School had become Strike Command Bombing School and in 1972 moved out.[20][3][21]
Hangars were used for storage by a USAF detachment during the height of the Cold War and later for various RAF ground units and Strike Command stores, where parts for front-line aircraft were stored.[3]
Lindholme also had an interesting approach pattern with a visual circuit of 800 feet. This was so that the approach did not interfere with the approach for neighbouring RAF Finningley's runway 20.[3]
During the late 1950s a site was built (later to become Northern Radar) to house the
Northern Radar
RAF Lindholme was home to the 'Humber Radar' installation, later called 'Northern Radar' as part of the Linesman/Mediator system.[3]
Northern Radar was a JATCRU (Joint Air Traffic Control Radar Unit) located at the RAF Lindholme site but housed discretely on the opposite side of the A614 road to the airfield. Northern Radar was one of a number of JATCRUs around the UK whose civil task were to provide area radar cover for the then three area Air Traffic Control Centres (ATCCs), Scottish (located at Redbrae House, Prestwick), Preston (Barton Hall), and London (at West Drayton). JATCRUs were created to provide this area radar cover as the ATCCs did not have radar facilities and were purely procedural control centres. The JATCRUs were located at RAF units using civil and military staff and radio communications, but military radar.[3]
Other JATCRUs in the UK included Southern Radar at
Northern Radar's role was as an ATCRU providing radar services to civil and military aircraft in the lower, middle and upper airspace within its designated area of operations. The airspace above
The site had a Type 82 Radar installation (known as
Latter years
From the mid 1960s to the early 1970s, Lindholme was used as a weekend gliding airfield by the Humber gliding club, a member of the Royal Air Force Gliding and Soaring Association. It was used extensively by the Sheffield Scouting movement as a base for gliding activities to attain Scout airman badges.[3]
By 1980, Lindholme had been reduced to the status of a relief landing ground for RAF Finningley.[3]
In 1974, RAF Lindholme became home to
By 1985, the whole camp was sold and turned into HM Prison Lindholme.[3]
The last RAF connection, an automatic routing installation which opened on 25 May 1983 and was run by
Before installation at Lindholme this TARE, one of two, had been installed in transportable cabins, originally destined for RAF Gan (Maldives) or RAF Episkopi (Cyprus). Though hardstandings were constructed at the intended sites the cabins were never deployed, having been overtaken by defence cuts. The TAREs were stored and then removed from the cabins. The first was installed at
Units
The following units were here at some point:[22]
- No. 1 Group Communication Flight RAF
- No. 1 Lancaster Finishing School RAF
- No. 5 Air Navigation School RAF
- No. 9 Squadron RAF
- No. 11 Base RAF
- No. 11 Service Flying Training School RAF
- No. 21 (Air Defence Missile) Wing RAF became No. 21 (Surface to Air Missile) Wing RAF
- No. 24 Gliding School RAF
- No. 50 Squadron RAF
- No. 57 Squadron RAF
- No. 71 Base RAF
- No. 100 Squadron RAF
- No. 101 Flying Refresher School RAF
- No. 110 Squadron RAF
- No. 230 (Heavy Bomber) Operational Conversion Unit RAF
- No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron
- No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron
- No. 408 Squadron RCAF
- No. 643 Gliding School RAF
- No. 1481 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight RAF
- No. 1481 (Bombing) Gunnery Flight RAF
- No. 1503 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
- No. 1653 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF
- No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF
- No. 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF
- Air Bomber Training Flight (No. 1 Group) RAF
- Bomber Command Acceptance and Modification Unit RAF
- Bomber Command Bombing School RAF
- Bomber Command Modification Centre RAF
- Bombing Development Unit RAF
- Central Bomber Establishment RAF
- Flying Refresher School RAF
- RAF Technical College (Armament Division) RAF
- Strike Command Bombing School RAF
See also
References
- ^ Halpenny 1982, p. 118.
- ^ a b Delve 2006, p. 172.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Halpenny 1982, pp. 118–122.
- ^ Delve 2006, pp. 172–173.
- ^ Otter 2003, p. 171.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 259.
- ^ Otter 2003, p. 174.
- ^ Halpenny 1981, p. 182.
- ^ Halpenny 1981, p. 186.
- ^ Halpenny 1981, p. 108.
- ^ Halpenny 1982, p. 119.
- ^ Delve 2006, p. 175.
- ^ a b Delve 2006, p. 176.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 54.
- ^ Otter 2003, p. 20.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 55.
- ^ Halpenny 1981, p. 93.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 134.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 38.
- ^ Halpenny 1981, p. 187.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 278.
- ^ "Lindholme (Hatfield Woodhouse)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
Sources
- Delve, Ken (2006). Northern England : Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire. Ramsbury: Crowood. ISBN 1-86126-809-2.
- Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1981). Action stations. 2, Military airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. Cambridge: Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-484-7.
- Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1982). Action stations 4, Military Airfields of Yorkshire. Wellingborough: Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-532-0.
- Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF : the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
- Otter, Patrick (2003). Yorkshire airfields in the Second World War. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 1-85306-542-0.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-1844150663)
- ISBN 978-0850596786)