RAF Wellingore


Royal Air Force Wellingore or more simply RAF Wellingore is a former Royal Air Force fighter relief landing ground located south of Navenby, Lincolnshire and south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.

History

The airfield was originally opened in 1917 as a Royal Naval Air Service station called Wellingore Heath. 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 and several hangars. It initially operated as a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Cranwell before later operating as a RLG for RAF Digby. Various squadrons equipped with Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims and Beaufighters flew from the station.
The airfield was closed in 1947.

Squadrons

;Units:
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.

Guy Gibson

In November 1940, Guy Gibson, who later led Operation Chastise, 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.

Post-war use

The station was used as a prisoner of war camp before being handed back to the local land owner. Many of the original buildings, including the control have been demolished. A number of airfield defence concrete bunkers remain dotted around the airfield which has been returned to agricultural use.