Spilsby

Spilsby Airfield was located east of Spilsby village, to the north of Great Steeping. Opened in September 1943, it was a Class ‘A’ bomber airfield allocated to 5 Group. Main runway length was 1,430 yards and the remaining two were 1,400 yards, both these were extended to 2,000 yards.

Two T2 hangars were provided, one in the technical site on the south-west side of the airfield and the other off the eastern perimeter track. A B1 hangar was sited off the norther n perimeter track, close to the bomb stores. The communal and accommodation sites were dispersed around the village of Great Steeping.

On 12 October 1943, 207 Squadron arrived from Langar, Nottinghamshire equipped with Lancasters. The squadron carried out operations from Spilsby until the end of WWII, leaving for Methwold, Norfolk on 30 October 1945.

Spilsby became a two-squadron airfield when Lancasters of 44 Squadron arrived from Dunholme Lodge on 30 September 1944, staying almost ten months before departing for Mepal, Cambridgeshire on 21 July 1945. Their place at Spilsby was taken by 75 Squadron until they disbanded in October 1945.

The airfield was retained by the RAF and housed a series of fighter units until April 1946, when it was put on Care and Maintenance. It saw a return to life as a USAF non-flying site in 1955 but was fully closed in 1958.

Today several fragments of the perimeter track and part of the dispersals can be seen along minor roads to the east of Great Steeping. The B1 hangar still stands, as does the operations block. The communal and accommodation buildings are still in existence, in use as farm buildings.

A memorial can be found built on the base of the crash tender shed. This replaced an existing memorial and was unveiled on 21 June 2012.

 

Map: Spilsby