Former RAF Dunholme Lodge

 abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, interesting place, closed / former military, historical layer / disappeared object

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A wartime development, Dunholme Lodge was located in the parishes of Welton and Dunholme on the north-west side of the A46, 3.5 miles outside Lincoln, the name being taken from a large country house a mile from the village that was requisitioned for accommodation. The site was first acquired for a Scampton satellite in 1941 and Hampdens were occasionally dispersed there from the parent station. Horncastle Lane crossing the site was closed. A number of pan-type hard standings were put down round the flying field, which was grass-surfaced. Fuelling and arming facilities were available. However, there are no records of operations being carried out during the 1941/42 period apart from a target-towing flight, which was stationed on the airfield from August to late October 1942.

Scheduled for development to Class A standard. Work began on runway construction in September 1942 with Wimpey as a major contractor. The three runways were 04-22 of 2,000 yards, 16-34 at 1,400 yards and 10-28 at 1,500 yards. However, this last was extended to 1,700 yards by No.5002 Airfield Construction Unit in February-April 1944. Twenty-five pan hardstandings and 14 loop type were provided along the perimeter track, another three of the original pans being isolated and not linked to taxiways. The technical site was northeast between runway heads 22 and 34 near the Lodge. One T2 hangar stood on the technical site, a second further south between heads 04 and 34, near the bomb stores, and a B 1 between heads 04 and 10. Dispersed in the countryside around Welton were seven domestic, two communal and the sick quarters providing for a maximum 1,637 males and 468 females.

Dunholme Lodge was re-opened in May 1943 in No.5 Group and it became the home for the veteran No.44 Squadron removed from its long association with Waddington. No.44's Lancaster's were not joined by another squadron until April the following year when No. 619 moved in from Coningsby. In September 1944, the station was re-allocated to No. 1 Group and both Lancaster squadrons moved out, to Spilsby and Strubby respectively. The following month No. 170 Squadron, recently re-formed as a Lancaster squadron at Kelstern, took up station but its stay was little more than a month before it was moved to Hemswell. Unconfirmed reports state that the airfield was vacated to reduce local night congestion, there being several other stations close by with overlapping circuits. This may be true as the airfield was then used mostly for daylight traffic, namely the reception, storage and delivery of Hamilcar gliders. During Bomber Command's offensive operations from Dunholme Lodge l20 Lancaster's either failed to return or were destroyed in crashes.

Like many other wartime-built airfields, its utility accommodation soon saw the station abandoned once peace came. It was, however, given a brief return to military use in 1959 when it was selected as a site for a Bloodhound ground-to-air missile deployment. The operating unit, No. 141 Squadron, disbanded when the missiles were withdrawn in 1964. The area reverted to agriculture and by the 1990s most of its concrete and buildings had disappeared. The Bl hangar still survives for commercial storage in 2002. A memorial plaque to No. 44 Squadron is to be found in Dunholme church.