RAF Digby

 military airbase, military, RAF - Royal Air Force

Digby is a former Royal Air Force station which, since March 2005, has been operated by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Service Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly an RAF training and fighter airfield, it is currently a tri-service military signals installation located near Scopwick, Lincolnshire, England. Standing 11.6 mi (18.7 km) south east of county town Lincoln, Lincolnshire and 132 mi (212 km) due north of London. It houses the headquarters of the Joint Service Signals Organisation, and is the site of the country's oldest Royal Air Force station. The site is now the home to a number of communications and signals related organisations.

The post of Commander JSSO, who also holds the appointment of Head of Establishment for Digby, alternates every two years between an RAF officer or a British Army officer of OF5 rank (a group captain or a full colonel). The station contains personnel from all three of the British Armed Forces and allied forces.

The station's motto Icarus Renatus means Icarus Reborne and relates to the short period when the station was under 'care and maintenance' and then re-activated; the badge depicts a white crane superimposed over a maple leaf (see above). The Douglas Digby Mk1 light bomber flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II was named after RAF Digby.

Order of Battle

HQ Joint Service Signals Organisation (JSSO)

The JSSO is a tri-service MOD organisation that provides specialist support to military operations. As part of its role the JSSO conducts research into new communications systems and techniques in order to provide operational support to static and deployed MOD units.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafdigby/aboutus/hqjsso.cfm
www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Securi...

Joint Service Signals Unit (JSSU) Digby

JSSU (D) is an MOD sponsored unit whose mission is to provide operational support to the development of specialist communication information systems. JSSU (D) is the largest of several Joint Service Signal Units, and as its name implies it comprises personnel from all 3 UK and US Armed Forces, supported by specialist civilian staff and contractors. However, the RAF and the Army together make up most of the 500-strong complement.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafdigby/aboutus/jssu.cfm

591 Signals Unit

591 Signals Unit (SU) was formed at RAF Wythall, near Birmingham on 1 Jun 1952 and soon moved to RAF Medmenham near the River Thames. It was at this location next to the river that the idea of the Unit’s crest was born. The crest features a Kingfisher, and just as the Kingfisher watches over the river, 591 SU maintains watch over the integrity and security of RAF communications.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafdigby/aboutus/591signalsunit.cfm

Aerial Erector School

The Aerial Erector School is located at Digby but is part of the Communications Electronics Basic Training Squadron (CEBTS) at RAF Cosford, it is primarily responsible for conducting Basic and Further Training Courses for Trade Group 4 (TG4) RAF Aerial Erectors. They also provide specialised training courses in Climbing Aptitude, Scaffolding, and Climbing and Working at Height to meet the requirements of Defence Estates 'Safety Rules & Procedures 07' (SRP07).

The school is also one of the few specialist-training providers to offer an in-depth course in Advanced Fibre Optics, which includes both Single and Multi Mode Fibre systems. In addition to military personnel, the school is able to train civilians drawn from a wide variety of commercial companies, many of who require their job applicants to be graduates of the school.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafdigby/aboutus/aerialerectorschool.cfm

Base Facilities

The station gymnasium is around the size of a football pitch being all undersprung and with a 200 m running track around the outside. There is also an out-door astroturf pitch. The station has football, hockey, rugby and cricket teams all willing to host visiting sides. Students at the aerial erector school include some entrants to the civilian electricity supply and broadcasting industries.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafdigby/

History of RAF Digby - Former RAF Scopwick

The station is the oldest RAF station, being named RAF Scopwick on March 31st 1918. Although nominally an RAF station, over the last thirty years it has been used by the Army, Navy, Air Force and more recently, by United States military personnel.

In 1942 it was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force but previous alumni include Douglas Bader and Guy Gibson. It remembers this era with a Supermarine Spitfire replica as a gate guardian.

There is a bunker dating back to the Second World War when RAF Digby was a sector operations HQ, which has been restored and is now a museum.

Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee wrote "the most inspirational poem of aviation literature, High Flight" while stationed with No. 53 Operational Training Unit in Llandow, Wales. After becoming operational on Spitfires, Magee was posted to 412 RCAF Fighter Squadron at Digby in September of 1941. Shortly thereafter, 412 Squadron moved to Wellingore, and became satellite field for Digby.

The station is the oldest RAF station, being named RAF Scopwick on March 31st 1918, the day before the official founding of the RAF and the naming of other stations. Its name was changed because of the similar name of another RAF station, RAF Shopwick. For radio communications reasons both stations' names were changed.

More recently, the station has hosted a new annual event open to the public. Party In The Park - established by the RAF itself in 2004 - is now a regular fixture in late July or early August. In 2007 the event falls on Saturday 4 August. The event has its own website for online ticket sales, commencing in early April 07.