RAF Wainfleet

Last updated

RAF Wainfleet
Near Wainfleet, Lincolnshire in UK
Tower and Targets, RAF Wainfleet - geograph.org.uk - 669903.jpg
Tower and Targets, RAF Wainfleet
Locator Dot.png
Lincolnshire outline map with UK.png
Coordinates 53°04′18″N0°12′48″E / 53.07177°N 0.21321°E / 53.07177; 0.21321
TypeNATO Air Weapons Range
Site information
OperatorDefence Training Estates (East)
StatusClosed
Site history
In useAugust 1938 – June 2010
Airfield information
Identifiers ICAO: EGYW

RAF Wainfleet was a Royal Air Force weapons range on The Wash on the east coast of England near Wainfleet, in the civil parish of Friskney, although the north-east part of the range was in Wainfleet St Mary. Other ranges nearby include RAF Holbeach, also on The Wash, and RAF Donna Nook. It was also known as The Wash (North side) Bombing Range. It was only a few miles south-west of Gibraltar Point. [1]

Contents

History

The range opened to aerial operations in August 1938; but had previously been used as a range from 1890 by the 1st Lincolnshire Artillery. However, there is evidence that the area was in use for military practice as far back as Napoleonic times when the River Steeping was navigable and Wainfleet itself was an important harbour. [2]

During the 1920s and 1930s it was also used by the RAF and Royal Artillery. [3] The range was administered by RAF Coningsby as an Air Weapons Range within RAF Strike Command. During the Second World War, it was used by 617 Squadron to test the Stabilised Automatic Bomb Sight. [1] Postwar, it was used by both fixed wing and rotary aircraft from NATO. On 1 April 2006 control was transferred to Defence Estates and the range was then administered by Defence Training Estates (East) from their headquarters at West Tofts Camp near Thetford. [4]

Due to funding cuts the range was closed for operations on 2 December 2009 [5] and finally closed in July 2010. [6]

The tower and some surrounding buildings reopened as holiday accommodation in 2017. [7]

1981 air crash

A USAF Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft crashed on Friday 8 May 1981 at 2.45 pm near Friskney. [8] 25 year old First Lt Henry Louis Gagne, born on 14 February 1956, died in RAF Nocton Hall several hours later, of Gulfport, Mississippi. He was an engineering graduate of Mississippi State University. [9] [10] [11]

1983 air crash

An RAF Hawker Siddeley Harrier XV742 crashed on Friday 28 October 1983. [12] 24 year old Flying Officer John Sewell from St Anthony's Road in Blundellsands was killed. The aircraft flew from RAF Wittering. [13] [14]

1990 air crash

On Monday 5 February 1990 at 5.30 pm, a USAF General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark aircraft crashed. One pilot was found at 7 pm by a boat from Boston. The Skegness lifeboat was looking for the other pilot. [15] The pilot was found three days later strapped in the seat. [16] [17]

Operation

The site was controlled from the Control Tower. Targets included old ships. There were two smaller wooden observation towers to the east nearer the shore but these were demolished in 2009. Access was via a narrow road called Sea Lane via the junction with the A52 at the Barley Mow at Friskney Eaudyke.

Weapons clearance

The site was cleared daily by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from RAF Coningsby. [18] Although the range has finally closed unrecovered ordnance and unexploded ordnance will remain for many years.

SSSI

The range area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest thanks to the large number of resident and migrating birds found there. The location is a major stopping point for flocks of brent geese on their way from the Arctic coast. There is also the red-legged partridge. Skegness gets its weather recorded from the automatic equipment at Wainfleet.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wash</span> Bay and estuary on east coast of England

The Wash is a shallow natural rectangular bay and multiple estuary on the east coast of England in the United Kingdom. It is an inlet of the North Sea and is the largest multiple estuary system in the UK, as well as being the largest natural bay in England and is the outflow for the rivers Witham, Welland, Nene and the Great Ouse. It is also one of the most important places of conservation in Europe, with several nature reserves located within this area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Bridge</span> Village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England

Sutton Bridge is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A17 road, 7 miles (11 km) north from Wisbech and 9 miles (14 km) west from King's Lynn. The village includes a commercial dock on the west bank of the River Nene over which spans a swing bridge, and the parish, two 19th-century lighthouses 3 miles (5 km) to the north from the village on the Nene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Scampton</span> Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England

Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton is a former Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and 6 miles (9.7 km) north-west of the city of Lincoln, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Coningsby</span> Royal Air Force main operating base in Lincolnshire, England

Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby, is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located 13.7 kilometres (8.5 mi) south-west of Horncastle, and 15.8 kilometres (9.8 mi) north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and home to three front-line Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 units, No. 3 Squadron, No. 11 Squadron and No. 12 Squadron. In support of front-line units, No. 29 Squadron is the Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit and No. 41 Squadron is the Typhoon Test and Evaluation Squadron. Coningsby is also the home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) which operates a variety of historic RAF aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holbeach Air Weapons Range</span> Military range in Lincolnshire, England

Holbeach Air Weapons Range is a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence academic air weapons range (AWR) situated between Boston and King's Lynn in the civil parish of Gedney on The Wash, in Lincolnshire, eastern England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Wittering</span> Royal Air Force air combat support station in Cambridgeshire, England

Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coningsby</span> Town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire, England

Coningsby is a town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire, England, it is situated on the A153 road, adjoining Tattershall on its western side, 13 miles (21 km) north west of Boston and 8 miles (13 km) south west from Horncastle.

BMARC was a UK-based firm designing and producing defence products, particularly aircraft cannon and naval anti-aircraft cannon. It was based on a 60-acre (24 ha) site on Springfield Road in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wainfleet All Saints</span> Ancient port and market town in Lincolnshire, England

Wainfleet All Saints is an ancient port, market town and civil parish on the east coast of England, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, on the A52 road 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Skegness and 14 miles (23 km) north-east of Boston. It stands on two small rivers, the Steeping and Limb, that form Wainfleet Haven. The town is close to the Lincolnshire Wolds. The village of Wainfleet St Mary is to the south. In 2011 the parish had a population of 1604.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF East Kirkby</span>

Royal Air Force East Kirkby or more simply RAF East Kirkby is a former Royal Air Force station near the village of East Kirkby, south of Horncastle in Lincolnshire, just off the A155. The airfield is now home to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Goxhill</span> Former Air Force station, UK

Royal Air Force Goxhill or RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombing range</span>

A bombing range usually refers to a remote military aerial bombing and gunnery training range used by combat aircraft to attack ground targets, or a remote area reserved for researching, developing, testing and evaluating new weapons and ammunition. Bombing ranges are used for precision targeting of high-explosive aerial bombs, precision-guided munitions and other aircraft ordnance, as opposed to a field firing range used by infantry and tanks. Various non-explosive inert "practice bombs" are also extensively used for precision aerial targeting bombing practice—to simulate various explosive aerial bomb types and minimise damage and environmental impact to bombing ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Hemswell</span> Former RAF station in Lincolnshire, England

Royal Air Force Hemswell or more simply RAF Hemswell is a former Royal Air Force station located 7.8 miles (12.6 km) east of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Fulbeck</span> Airport in Lincolnshire, England

Royal Air Force Fulbeck or more simply RAF Fulbeck is a former Royal Air Force station located 6.3 miles (10.1 km) east of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire and 10.9 miles (17.5 km) west of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Elsham Wolds</span>

Royal Air Force Elsham Wolds or more simply RAF Elsham Wolds is a former Royal Air Force station in England, which operated in the First World War and the Second World War. It is located just to the north east of the village of Elsham in north Lincolnshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Nook Air Weapons Range</span> Military range in Lincolnshire, England

Donna Nook Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England. The range, as well as a now defunct airfield and radar station, were previously operated by the Royal Air Force and known as RAF Donna Nook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friskney</span> Village and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England

Friskney is a village and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Binbrook</span> Former Royal Air Force flying base in Lincolnshire, England

Royal Air Force Binbrook or RAF Binbrook is a former Royal Air Force station located near Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England. The old domestic site has been renamed to become the village of Brookenby. RAF Binbrook was primarily used by Bomber Command in the Second World War. The Central Fighter Establishment moved to Binbrook from RAF West Raynham between 1959 and 1962 and two English Electric Lightning squadrons were stationed there between 1965 and 1988.

The Kirkstead and Little Steeping Railway, locally known as the New Line, was a railway line in England built to shorten the route between Lincoln and Firsby in Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Cowden</span> Former Royal Air Force bombing range in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

RAF Cowden was a Royal Air Force bombing range, near to the village of Aldbrough, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site was used by the RAF and other air forces between 1959 and 1998, though the land part of the site was used by the army for training in the Second World War. Since closure, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams have had to visit the site on numerous occasions due to erosion of the cliffs by the North Sea revealing old practise bombs.

References

  1. 1 2 "RAF Wainfleet control tower for sale". BBC News. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "Public information leaflet; Defence Training Estate East" (PDF). www.gov.uk. Defence Estates. p. 5. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Halpenny 1981, p. 195.
  4. ↑ "Public information leaflet; Defence Training Estate East" (PDF). www.gov.uk. Defence Estates. p. 8. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "RAF-lincolnshire.info :: Wainfleet". www.raf-lincolnshire.info. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Wainfleet History – BCAR.org.uk". www.bcar.org.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "RAF Wainfleet – The Tower (ref UKC1178) in Friskney, near Skegness, Lincolnshire | cottages.com". www.cottages.com. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Lincolnshire Standard Friday 15 May 1981, page 40
  9. ↑ Skegness Standard Friday 15 May 1981, page 1
  10. ↑ Birmingham Mail Saturday 9 May 1981, page 8
  11. ↑ 1981 A-10 crash
  12. ↑ Lincolnshire Echo Saturday 29 October 1983, page 1
  13. ↑ Liverpool Echo Saturday 29 October 1983, page 1
  14. ↑ 1983 Harrier crash
  15. ↑ Grimsby Evening Telegraph Tuesday 6 February 1990, page 5
  16. ↑ Grimsby Evening Telegraph Wednesday 7 February 1990, page 28
  17. ↑ 1990 F-111 crash
  18. ↑ "RAF – News and Weather". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2017.

Bibliography

Video clips

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.