Former RAF Binbrook

 Second World War 1939-1945, Cold War 1947-1991, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, closed / former military, historical layer / disappeared object

One of the last batch of pre-war expansion scheme airfields, Binbrook was built on Ash Hill in the Lincolnshire Wolds, north-west of the village of Binbrook on the B1203 road, seven miles from Market Rasen. Construction did not begin until the spring of 1938 and was not completed until late 1940. The usual arrangement of the later Type C hangars, five in number, facing the bombing circle was backed by the administration, technical and barrack sites in close proximity.

The flying area and basic operational facilities were ready by June 1940 and during the following month Nos. 12 and 142 Squadrons, decimated during service in France, arrived with a few Fairey Battles. However, their services were needed in the south and both squadrons moved their Battles down to East church to engage in attacks on French and Low Countries ports where invasion shipping was mustered. Returning to Binbrook in September they continued to fly night sorties over the Low Countries. The Battle being already obsolescent, the arrival of Wellingtons in November 1940 was welcomed but these bombers were in short supply due to the demands of other squadrons and it was the early spring before they first operated from Binbrook. During 1940 and 1941 a number of pan-shape aircraft hard standings were put down round the airfield.

After a year at Binbrook No. 142 Squadron was transferred to the new satellite airfield at Waltham, officially named Grimsby. No. 12's Wellingtons pressed on with night bombing until September 1942 when the squadron was transferred to Wickenby as Binbrook was scheduled to have hard runways put down under a £200,000 contract. These were 04-22 of 2,000 yards, 09-27 of 1,415 yards and 15-33 of 1,429 yards. To obtain the required lengths it was necessary to extend the airfield boundaries in some areas, which resulted in the main runway having a slope towards the valley at its 27 end.

A perimeter track was also laid at this time and l9 loop hard standings for aircraft were added to the 18 pan types that survived the runway building programme. With additional accommodation the station provided for a maximum of 2,298 male and 420 female personnel.

In May 1943, No. 460 Squadron, a Royal Australian Air Force unit, arrived from Breighton, which was being, transferred to No. 4 Group. Flying Lancaster's, No. 460 remained the sole operational unit based at Binbrook for the rest of the war. It was developed to maintain three full flights and frequently had a complement of three dozen Lancaster's. In consequence, the squadron is credited with delivering a higher bomb tonnage than any other in Bomber Command in the region of 24,000 Imperial tons.

However, Binbrook also sustained the highest casualties and losses in No. 1 Group with some 130 Lancaster's lost on operations and another 30 written off in crashes. Additionally, on July 3, 1943, two Lancaster's were destroyed and eight damaged on the airfield when incendiaries ignited during loading operations. All told 226 Bomber Command aircraft were lost on operations flying from this station, seven Battles, 79 Wellingtons and 140 Lancaster's. No. 460 Squadron was moved to East Kirk by in July 1945 and at the end of the summer Nos. 12 and 101 Squadrons moved from the utility buildings of' their wartime bases to the permanent accommodation at Binbrook.

The following year brought squadrons equipped with Lincolns, namely Nos. 9, 12 and 617. Canberra units first appeared in the summer of 1952 and at one time there were five squadrons with the type based at the station, Nos. 9, 101, 109, 139 and 617. Eventually all were moved or disbanded and at the end of 1959 Binbrook was put on care and maintenance status. The airfield then held appeal for Fighter Command which called for development work including the extension of the main runway by another 500 yards. Reopened for flying in June 1962 the first element of Fighter Command to take up station, was No. 64 Squadron with Javelins, which stayed nearly three years.

No. 85 Squadron, with Meteors and Canberra's for air fighting development duties, was at Binbrook for nearly nine years. Then in October 1965 English Electric Lightning's arrived for a re-born No.5 Squadron, joined by a second squadron, No.11, in 1972. The Lightning squadrons remained until May 1985 - the last in RAF service.

The airfield was then surplus to RAF requirements and plans were made for its disposal. Before this occurred, Binbrook was selected for location filming of the Warner remake of Memphis Belle. This took place in July 1989 with five B-17 Fortresses on hand, two of which had flown in from the United States and two from France. One of the latter suffered a take-off crash and was burnt out, fortunately without loss of life. For the film it was necessary to erect a wartime-type control tower which-was built by local labour in brick slightly in front of the post-war building.

It was demolished after the filming was completed. The pan hard standings on the west side of the airfield were used to park the B-17s, beyond which a fake church tower was erected in a fanner's field to simulate the opening sequence in William Wyler's original film.

The larger part of the airfield was put up for sale late in 1989, although the hangars were retained for military storage until 1998 when they too were sold. Only the flying field and runway are now retained by the Ministry of Defense. A memorial to No. 460 Squadron is to be seen in Binbrook village.

main runway 20/02

Below is a link to Jonkerbosch War Cemetery Holland ware the Crew of RAAF Lancaster Mk.1 W4960 460Sqn RAAF Lancaster have their final resting place.
wikimapia.org/#lat=51.8219992&lon=5.8299637&z=16&l=0&m...

RAF Bomber Command Memorial
www.rafbombercommand.com/memorialfund/

460Sqn RAAF website
www.w4960.nl/index.html

WWII Allied Aircraft Crashes in the Netherlands
ww2.texlaweb.nl/index.htm