RAF Kirton in Lindsey

Royal Air Force Kirton in Lindsey or more simply RAF Kirton in Lindsey is a former Royal Air Force station located 15 miles (24 km) north of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.

RAF Kirton in Lindsey
Rapier Barracks
USAAF Station 349
Near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire in England
RAF Kirton in Lindsey
Shown within Lincolnshire
Coordinates53°27′41″N 000°34′41″W
TypeRoyal Air Force station
CodeKL
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built1940 (1940)
Built byJohn Laing & Son
In use1940–2013
Battles/warsSecond World War, Cold War, War in Afghanistan

It's an RAF habit (inherited from the RFC) to name its bases after the nearest railway station, possibly to simplify the process of issuing Rail Warrants to personnel posted there. By that token, the site should be RAF Kirton Lindsey, Kirton Lindsey being the name of the nearby railway station constructed in 1849. No.255 Squadron's Operations Record Book (ORB)[1] consistently uses that version of the name. So does the airfield's separate ORB, from the date of the site's WWII creation (15 May 1940) through to May 1941. After mid-1941 and the departure of No.255 Squadron, use of RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey begins to appear in the site's own records – eventually dominating.[2]

On 25 March 2013 it was announced the MOD planned to dispose of the airfield and technical facilities with only accommodation remaining, which was emptied later that year.[3] The airfield use to host No. 1 Air Control Centre (1ACC), the RAF's only deployable ground-based early warning and air control radar unit, which was parented by RAF Scampton.

First World War

The Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force airfield at Kirton in Lindsey was used during the First World War from December 1916 to June 1919. The airfield was used by detachments of 33 Squadron from nearby Gainsborough until the squadron moved was based from June 1918, 33 Squadron was a home defence squadron equipped with the Bristol Fighters and Avro 504s.

With the end of the war, the airfield was returned to agricultural use.

RAF Fighter Command use

The airfield was built on a new site by John Laing & Son in the late 1930s.[4] It opened in May 1940 as a Fighter Command Station covering the NE of England during the Second World War. Many Boulton Paul Defiant and Supermarine Spitfire Squadrons rested here for a short time during the Battle of Britain.

Sgt Ian Clenshaw was the first pilot casualty during the Battle of Britain, when he flew on a dawn patrol from here on 10 July 1940, and was killed in what is generally regarded as a disorientation accident.[5]

The airfield was home of Number 71 Squadron of the RAF's Fighter Command. The squadron was made up of mostly American pilots and was one of the "Eagle Squadrons" of American volunteers who fought in World War II prior to the American entry into the war. 71 Squadron was assigned the squadron code XR.

The squadron arrived at the station in November 1940 and by January the squadron was declared combat ready. They began flying convoy escorts over the North Sea. On 9 April No. 71 was moved to RAF Martlesham Heath.

RAF units and aircraft
Dates Unit Aircraft Variant Notes
1942 No. 43 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane I Short stay in September before the squadron moved to North Africa
1941 No. 65 Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire IIA February to September operating coastal patrols before moving south
1940–1941 No. 71 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane I Eagle Squadron
1940 No. 74 Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire IIA Short stay August/September 1940
1940 No. 85 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane I Short stay October/November 1940
1941 No. 121 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane I and IIB Eagle Squadron formed May 1941 before moving to RAF North Weald
1941–1942 No. 133 Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire IIA then VA and VB
1941 No. 136 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane IIA and IIB Squadron formed August 1941 before moving to the Far East
1942 No. 169 Squadron RAF North American Mustang I Detachments from Doncaster
1940 No. 222 Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire I Two short stays
1940 No. 253 Squadron RAF Hawker Hurricane I May to July
1940–1941 No. 255 Squadron RAF Boulton Paul Defiant
Hawker Hurricane		 I
I
1940 No. 264 Squadron RAF Boulton Paul Defiant I
1943 No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire VB
1942
1942–1943		 No. 303 Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire VB
1942 No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire VB
1940 No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron RAF Boulton Paul Defiant I Formed September 1940
1941–1942 No. 409 Squadron RCAF Bristol Beaufighter IIF Detachment from Coleby Grange
1941 No. 452 Squadron RAAF Supermarine Spitfire I and IIA
1942 No. 457 Squadron RAAF Supermarine Spitfire VB Short stay before move to Australia.
1942 No. 486 Squadron RNZAF Hawker Hurricane II Formed March 1942
1940–1941 No. 616 Squadron RAF Supermarine Spitfire I

USAAF use
Aerial photograph of RAF Kirton in Lindsey showing, the technical site with three C-Type hangars to the top (north), 27 July 1948.

Kirton in Lindsey was allocated to the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force in 1942. It was assigned USAAF Station number 349, code "KL"

1st Fighter Group

Beginning in June 1942, the 94th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group at RAF Goxhill used the station for training with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The squadron remained until October.

81st Fighter Group

In October 1942, the 91st Fighter Squadron of the 81st Fighter Group used the station for training. The squadron arrived in Europe from Muroc Army Air Field, California flying Bell P-39 Airacobras. The squadron remained until December then departed for French Morocco as part of Twelfth Air Force.

RAF Flying Training Command use

In May 1943, the station was returned to RAF control for use as a Fighter Operational Training Unit with Spitfires of 53 OTU from Llandow. Caistor and Hibaldstow being used as satellite airfields. Kirton in Lindsay was a training station and had the following units stationed at it, during the Cold War

  • May 1946 to 1948, No. 7 Service Flying Training School RAF with Oxfords from Sutton Bridge, moved to Cottesmore.
  • 1948 to 1952, Used by non-flying RAF Training Schools.
  • 1952 to 1957, No. 2 ITS (later renamed No. 1 ITS), an Officer Cadet Training Unit with de Havilland Tiger Moths.
  • 1957 to 1959, Airfield closed and on Care and Maintenance (but still used by 643 Volunteer Gliding School).
  • August 1959 to December 1965, Reopened with No. 7 School of Technical Training and 643 Volunteer Gliding School.[6]

British Army use

In 1966, control of Kirton in Lindsey was transferred to the British Army.

The 1st Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers arrived in June 1966 and were immediately sent to Aden from August 1966 to June 1967. On 23 April 1968, the battalion was amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the camp was known as 'St. Georges Barracks'. The regiment completed tours of Northern Ireland, before departing for Gibraltar in 1971.[6]

In 1972 the site was passed on to the Royal Artillery and the station was renamed 'Rapier Barracks'. In 2004 22 Regiment Royal Artillery left Kirton in Lindsey, to be absorbed into 39 Regiment at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland.

Due to the Royal Artillery association, the Army Cadet Force detachment which is still housed there has the Royal Artillery cap badge.[7]

Return to RAF control

In 2004, the station was returned to RAF control and became the home of No. 1 Air Control Centre (No. 1 ACC), a deployable Air Surveillance and Control System, which relocated from RAF Boulmer.[8] The unit refurbished the hangars and associated buildings on the technical site, as well as reopening the Junior Ranks accommodation and Mess. Across the road the historic Officers' Mess was reopened as a Combined Officers, Warrant Officers, and SNCOs' Mess. The associated Service Families Accommodation was also occupied as well as the Gymnasium. In 2005, the opening of the Control and Reporting Centre at nearby RAF Scampton increased personnel numbers significantly. Junior Ranks from both stations were accommodated on the RAF Kirton in Lindsey technical site, SNCOs re-occupied the former SNCOs Mess at RAF Scampton and the Officers' Mess at RAF Kirton in Lindsey reverted to Officers only. At this time the unit became a satellite administered by, RAF Scampton.

In 2012, the technical site was vacated when No. 1 ACC moved to RAF Scampton. During the same period the Junior Ranks Mess, accommodation blocks and dental centre were all closed. Junior Ranks were moved to accommodation at RAF Scampton, while the Officers' Mess again became a Combined Mess for Officers, Warrant Officers and SNCOs.[9] The Gym and a number of Service Families Accommodation were retained until 2014 when the final occupants vacated and the houses were handed back to Annington Homes who put them on the open market.[10] The technical site was also sold by the MOD in 2014 to Acorn Recyclers.[11] Parts of the site are now being used for Airsoft games.[12]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Citations
  1. The National Archives : AIR27/1518
  2. The National Archives : AIR28/427 (Overview, various dates 1940–1941).
  3. "Council outbid in race to buy RAF Kirton site scuppers business park plan". Scunthorpe Telegraph. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. Ritchie, p. 91
  5. "Battle of Britain Then and Now," 1st ed., p 266
  6. "tvgc.org.uk". www.tvgc.org.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  7. "Our Detachments | Humberside And South Yorkshire ACF | Army Cadet Force". armycadets.com. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  8. "BBC NEWS | UK | England | Tyne/Wear | RAF bases axed in defence review". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  9. "Defence Estate Rationalisation Update" (PDF).
  10. "4-bedroom RAF Kirton officers' home goes on sale". Scunthorpe Telegraph. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  11. "Council outbid in race to buy RAF Kirton site scuppers business park plan". Scunthorpe Telegraph. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  12. "Like The Walking Dead? Then this is the perfect day out for you". Hull Daily Mail. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.

Bibliography
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0-900913-09-6.
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1.
  • Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 ISBN 978-0850594843.
  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  • Otter, Parrick (1996). Lincolnshire Airfields in the Second World War ISBN 978-1853064241.
  • Ritchie, Berry (1997). The Good Builder: The John Laing Story. James & James.
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