RAF Woodhall Spa
RAF Woodhall Spa was a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.
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[edit] History
Constructed on farmland 1 km south of Woodhall Spa, the station opened in February 1942 as a satellite station to RAF Coningsby. In August 1943 it became No 54 Base Substation. After victory in Europe the airfield was used as an assembly and kitting out point for Tiger Force (a proposed heavy bomber force for the far east). After the end of the Second World War and with the move of 617 Squadron to RAF Waddington the airfield was close and the site used by 92 MSU for the storage of bombs. From the late 1950s it was used as a base for Bloodhound Missiles until 1964 when most of the site was sold off for agriculture or mineral extraction. The former missile site remained under the control of RAF Coningsby and used for the servicing of Tornado aircraft engines until finally being mothballed in 2003.
[edit] Squadrons
97 Squadron transferred to Woodhall Spa on 1 March 1942. As one of the earliest squadrons to be equipped they were heavily involved with the early operations with this aircraft, including the low level mission to bomb the MAN diesel engine factory in Augsburg on 17 April 1942. 97 Squadron moved to RAF Bourn in 1943 leaving behind 3 crews that formed a nucleus for...
619 Squadron were formed here on the 18th April 1943. They moved to RAF Coningsby on the 1st January 1944 and were replaced by...
617 Squadron who arrived with 34 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes, the later being used for low level target marking. 617 Squadron remained here until the end of hostilities and pioneered the use of the Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs from the airfield
627 Squadron The low level target marking that had been developed by 617 Squadron was so successful that 627 Squadron, a Mosquito unit in No 8 (PFF) Group, was "loaned" to 5 Group to operate in this role. The squadron arrivied at Woodhall Spa on 14 April 1944 and stayed until the end of the war.
[edit] Interesting facts
Aircraft from this RAF Station:
- dropped the first 12,000 lb Tallboy bombs and blocked the Saumur Tunnel through which all direct rail communications from the south of France to the Normandy front had to pass.
- attacked the U-boat bases at La Pallice, Lorient and Brest. At Brest the uncompleted hull of the battleship Clemenceau and the cruiser Gueydon were sunk.
- carried out two daring low-level mining operations against the ship canals at Stetting and Königsberg; all Swedish shipping was withdrawn from the Baltic trade. The Tirpitz was sunk in Tromsø fjord on 12 November by aircraft from Woodhall Spa and Bardney
In 1960 Royal Air Force Woodhall Spa, became a site of the Bristol Blood Hound, operated by 222 Squadron. The mascot was the Viledee Beast.
[edit] Present Day
Whilst little evidence remains of the extent of the activities at RAF Woodhall Spa part of one of the accommodation blocks is now occupied by the Thorpe Camp Visitors Centre and commemorates the sacrifice made by those who fought in World War 2 and has an extensive array of exhibits that portray both RAF Woodhall Spa and many aspects of life both within the forces and civilian live during the Second World War.
[edit] Reference Sources
- Bruce Barrymore Halpenny Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 (ISBN 978-0850594843)
[edit] External links
Media related to RAF Woodhall Spa at Wikimedia Commons
