Former RAF Manby

United Kingdom / England / Burwell /
 RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, closed / former military
 Upload a photo
RAF Manby was opened in 1938 as home to the Empire Air Armament School. Many bomb disposal techniques were invented at Manby, often a trial by fire. By June 1940, RAF Manby housed the Joint Services Bomb Disposal School. Royal Engineers and Royal Navy demolition parties being trained alongside their RAF counterparts. In August 1940, the bomb disposal workload, generated by ever-increasing enemy activity, led to the establishment of 25 mobile BD squads, increased in manpower strength from three to 25 personnel each.

RAF Strubby came under RAF Manby RAF Flying College from VJ Day until closure in 1972. The nucleus of the staff of the Empire Central Flying School was transferred to RAF Manby to open the Flying College in 1946. Manby later became the home of the College of Air Warfare, part of which was the School of Refresher Flying.

In Oct 1954 a Canberra bomber belonging to the RAF Flying College, Manby, makes the first jet flight over the North Pole.

Since the closure of the airfield, the houses have been sold to the general public and the former RAF station has been sold for commercial use. The headquarters of East Lindsey District Council are in one of the buildings on the station Tedder Hall. The disused airfield is used as a showground and also a off-road driver training and experience centre.It also has a Chieftain Tank parked in the entrance to the airfield which acts as the gate guardian for the Manby Motorplex centre.

Lindsey Airsoft also use the airfield site, holding regular milsim skirmishes and survival exercises. The hangars are used for commercial storage by Winchester Marine Ltd. In 2008 the RAF site was proposed by East Lindsey district council as a possible location for an eco-town of 5,000 homes. It appeared on a government shortlist of ten sites, however after protests from residents the council voted to withdraw the plan.


www.controltowers.co.uk/M/Manby.htm
raf-lincolnshire.info/manby/manby.htm
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manby
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   53°21'33"N   0°5'4"E

Comments

  • This airfield is also used by the Slaithwaite motor club for rally events.
  • Thanks Angela that was a nice story.
  • I used to live in Calton Park. My father was in the RAF his name was Christopher Harris, His friend lived a few doors down and his name was Tony saunders. I am confused with the name Calton Park as I thought there was another name also "Siskin Crescent" Anyway we faced the field and the airfield was to the Left. I went to the primary school by a bus I think? The community was a very tight knit community. I see the post office but I think next to it or near by was a co-op type of store or possibly a supermarket. Love to hear any updates from anyone especially my father.
  • In the mid 1980s all the former NCO married quarters known as Carlton Park/Siskin Crescent were purchased by Roger Byron-Collins' Welbeck Estate Group and were modernised and sold mainly to first time buyers and many were acquired by former RAF personnel as Welbeck operated a discount scheme for RAF and ex RAF persons. Roger Byron-Collins was the son of an RAF aircrew officer who specialised in purchasing former RAF facilities, having spent 25 years living in the same. . In 1992 he purchased the nearby RAF North Coates and RAF Hemswell in 1987and the NCO married quarters at RAF Faldingworth, RAF Scampton, RAF Fiiningley, the prewar NCO MQs at RAF Cranwell and the Bomber Command HQ at RAF Bawtry. He remains active and has his own website at www.twsg.co.uk
  • When I was no more than a slip of a girl, I lived in Manby at #9 Siskin Crescent. My father was on exchange with the RAF and did two years there from 1965 to 1967. His name was James Roy Anderson. I had three brothers at the time and it was so lovely to go shopping in Louth and then buy penny candy or a bag of raisens. I think that Siskin Crescent was redeveloped into into Carlton Park or something like that. I was near the corner and used to play in the yard at St. Mary's and help the ladies sweep up the military graves in the spring and summer. I started infant school at Manby AFB in 1965, but then transferred with my brothers to Grimoldby Primary nearby. I remember how the birds used to gather in the church yard in the evenings and mornings, and then wait for the milkmen to deliver the bottles of milk. If you didn't get your milk off of the stoop, the birds would peck the bright foil tops and eat the cream floating in the tops of the bottles. The butcher, green grocers, and ice cream truck would often come a bit early and the mothers would have to make a run for it if they didn't want to pack their children into the car for a trip to Louth. I loved watching the horses ride along the edge of the airfield, but I felt sorry for the rabbits...the poor things. My infant school teacher was Mrs. Taylor and she had an assistance who I think was called Mrs. Buchwald. The winter fogs were so thick when the artic current dropped down, but I enjoyed snow, playing conkers, and learning to read. I was teased mercilously when I returned to the states because of my "accent" and had to learn to spell all over...while vocally complaining "Mrs. Taylor never taught so..."! And, since the first national anthem I had ever learned to sing was "God Save the Queen" I was terribly stubborn when my American teacher attemped to persuade me that it had been "adapted" to a song called "My Country Tis of Thee..".
This article was last modified 12 years ago