Former RAF Ingham / Cammeringham

 Second World War 1939-1945, RAF - Royal Air Force, closed / former military, historical layer / disappeared object

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The site of this airfield was apparently considered for an expansion scheme airfield in the mid-1930s but was passed over for more favourable grounds. Nevertheless, with the proposed growth of Bomber Command, Ingham was resurrected early in 1940 and developed as a satellite for Hemswell.

Sandwiched between the A15 and B1398, east of Ingham village, gradients restricted the size of the flying field making it unsuitable for the hard three-runway configuration then seen as the necessary standard for a bomber airfield. A total of 24 pan-type aircraft standings were put down and in the spring of 1942 a complete perimeter track with 12 extra dispersals. Plans also called for the extension of the grass runway across the road on the southern boundary but this work does not appear to have been carried out. The technical site with a T2 hangar bordered the B1398. A second T2 was erected near the eastern boundary alongside the A15.

Apart from the occasional dispersal of aircraft from Hemswell, Ingham was little used until May 1942 when the Wellingtons of No.300 Squadron arrived. The squadron operated from Ingham until January when No. 1 Group decided to concentrate Polish bomber squadrons at Hemswell. The Wellingtons of No. 199 Squadron (ex-Blyton) arrived soon after the Poles left, only to be transferred, less aircraft, south to No. 3 Group in June 1943. In the same month, the Poles of No. 300 returned, plus No. 305 Squadron, to avoid the runway laying at Hemswell. Extra buildings were put up by Wates Ltd in early 1943, presumably to accommodate two squadrons. The Poles continued operating with Wellingtons until September when No. 305 was transferred to the Second Tactical Air Force to become a Mitchell-equipped bomber unit. No. 300 soldiered on alone until March 1944 when it was scheduled to be re-equipped with Lancaster's and moved to Faldingworth. A total of 35 Wellingtons had been lost in the course of operations flown from Ingham.

Ingham had remained a sod-surface airfield, unsuitable for the operation by four-engine heavy bombers due to the limitations of the grass runways, and for the rest of 1944 the station was home to bomber defence training units, Nos. 1481 and 1687 Flights, charged with target-towing and bomber interception practice using mainly Martinets and Hurricanes.

On November 24, 1944, notice was given that the name of the station had been changed to Cammeringham. This was to avoid confusion with villages of the same name in Suffolk and Norfolk although why it took four years for officialdom to decide this was necessary is puzzling. In any case, by January 1945 the surface of the airfield had deteriorated to a point where it was no longer considered suitable for flying and was put in the hands of a holding party until closure shortly before the end of hostilities.

Today it is difficult to realise there ever was an airfield at Ingham.