Report - RAF Wellingore, Lincs, March 2016

[HughieD]

Been through Wellingore too many times to time count but never got off the main road through this hilltop Lincs village and to the south-east where the former WW2 airfield is situated. There is still quite a lot to see here and from the pictures I’d seen of the place knew it was well worth a visit. And when I finally got round to going it didn’t disappoint. There’s Pillbox a-plenty along with defended dispersals plus a reasonable condition Battle HQ. There was even the unexpected bonus of some other RAF buildings just west of the main airfield. This Technical Site for RAF Wellingore includes a power house, two large ‘Maycrete type’ workshops and a blast shelter. Which all-in-all made for a very satisfying explore. Here’s the history bit.

The airfield originally opened in 1917 as a Royal Naval Air Service station called Wellingore Heath. It then re-opened in 1935 and remained in active service until the end of the Second World War, finally closing in 1947. It had two grass runways, a concrete perimeter track and one extra over blister hanger and seven blister hangers. The site just south of village was used as Relief Landing Ground (RLG) by Cranwell until June 1940 and then as a satellite site for RAF Digby with 46 Squadron Hurricanes and 29 Squadron Blenheims and Beaufighters. Notable personalities include Wing Commander Guy Gibson who lived with his young wife in the nearby Navenby village. The station was also used as a prisoner of war (POW) camp for prisoners from Germany and the Ukraine. It operated as a work camp, where inmates were sent to work as labourers in the local area. The land was then given back to the local land-owner (the Overtons). Many of the original buildings, including the control have been demolished but many others, as mentioned earlier, still remain. Immediately to the east of the airfield runs the High Dyke (Ermine Street Roman Road).

Here’s the pix. Former technical site first.

Oooh…this looks promising:

img4811 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Very promising. Is this the power-house?

img4812 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Think this is one of the Maycrete type’ workshops:

img4832 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And another workshop…

img4816 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4818 by HughieDW, on Flickr

These are definitely the blast trenches:

img4821 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nature is ever-advancing:

img4823 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4824 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4830 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The workshops are used by the local farmer for storage now:

img4822 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Including this old dog kennel called ‘Bone View’:

img4825 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And this vintage piece of farm machinery:

img4831 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Here’s the obligatory old RAF toilet shot:

img4828 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the main site:

img4833 by HughieDW, on Flickr

There are plenty of pillboxes scattered around:

img4834 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4839 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This one’s sealed but a peek through the slit reveals the iron gun loop mounts intact:

img4835 by HughieDW, on Flickr

There are plenty of defended dispersals too:

img4840 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4843 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4844 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4845 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4846 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4848 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4849 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This pillbox is on the site’s perimeter:

img4851 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Again with the machine-gun mounts present:

img4853 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4856 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Finally we have the Battle HQ:

img4858 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4859 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img4862 by HughieDW, on Flickr

 

[WildBoyz]

Good shots history as always