History of RAF Hemswell Association

A Potted History of RAF Hemswell Revised January 2006
History of Royal Air Force Station Hemswell and the new Parish of Hemswell Cliff The first airfield was opened in 1916 and called Harpswell, a nearby hamlet. It was initially used by the RFC as a night landing ground and in 1918, 199 and 200 Training Squadrons were established at the airfield; shortly after the end of WW1 the site returned to farmland. A new RAF Station, now called Hemswell, was built in the 1930's to a very high standard and was one of a number of permanent bases being built to accommodate the then rapidly expanding RAF. Bomber Command was formed in 1936 and on 31 Dec 1936, Hemswell was opened as one of the first airfields within No.5 Group of the newly formed Command. 144 Squadron arrived on 9th February and 61 Squadron on 8th March 1937, equipped with Avro Anson and Hawker Audax aircraft. Bristol Blenheims replaced these by January 1938 and they were completely re-equipped with Handley Page Hampdens by 20th March 1939. Both Squadrons took part in the very earliest operations of the war. 144 Squadron suffered an early loss on the 29th of September 1939, when a formation of five Hampdens were all shot down over Heligoland. Five men were saved to spend the rest of the war in prison camps and fifteen were killed, including Ronald Herd whose sister, Mrs Kath Edgson of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, was invited to unveil the RAF Hemswell Memorial in 1995. Hemswell's Hampdens are credited with being the first Bomber Command aircraft to drop bombs on German soil. From July`41 to Feb`44, Hemswell, now in No.1 Group, and its satellite airfield at Ingham, were home at various times to 300, 301 & 305 Polish Air Force Squadrons, equipped with Wellingtons. 199 RAF Squadron equipped with Wellingtons also operated from Ingham from Feb to June`43. They all played a very important part in the bomber offensive of that period and suffered heavy losses. The last of the Polish Squadrons moved from Hemswell to Ingham in late 1943 to enable concrete runways to be laid and so bring the airfield up to Class A Standard. Hemswell reopened in January 1944 and No 1 Lancaster Finishing School used the base until, with the arrival of 150 & 170 Lancaster Squadrons in November 1944, Hemswell resumed operations against the enemy. The last hostile operation from Hemswell was on 25th April 1945, the target being the SS Barracks at Berchtesgaden . From 29th April final war operations were of a more humane nature, when 150 & 170 Squadrons took part in Operation Manna, dropping food to the starving Dutch people prior to final surrender on VE Day, 8th of May 1945. From then until their disbandment in November 1945, 150 & 170 Squadrons used their Lancasters, firstly to transport ex-POWs back to the UK, and then to collect long-serving 8th Army men from Italy to well-earned leave in the UK. The much longer "Cold War" brought Mosquitos of 109 & 139 Squadrons who stayed until November 1946. In 1950, 109 & 139 Mosquitos returned, converting onto Canberras in 1952 and finally leaving Hemswell November/December 1955. Lincolns of 83, 100 & 97 Squadrons arrived in October/November 1946; 100 Squadron moved away in 1950 but both 83 & 97 remained at Hemswell until December 1955. 199 Squadron operated from April 1952 to September 1957 equipped at various times with Lincolns, Mosquitos, Canberras and Valiants. 76 & 542 Squadrons operated from April 1957 to July 1958 equipped with Canberras. 97 Squadron returned in 1959 for a further four years, but this time equipped with Douglas Thor Missiles when Hemswell became the lead Station of a group of five missile sites. They were all on full alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and at that time, RAF Hemswell had a large contingent of Americans who partnered their RAF counterparts and lived among the personnel on the station. After the Thor missiles were withdrawn in 1963, the Americans left and the missiles were returned to the USA where most of them were used in the US Space Programme. Following on from Thor, Hemswell was earmarked to return to a flying role when it was decided to move the final development stage of the ill-fated TSR2 project to Hemswell. In the early autumn of 1964 the whole TSR2 project team was posted from Weybridge to Hemswell where they occupied the old Thor site. The first pilot training course on TSR2 avionics systems began in November 1964, with the second course under way when the project was suddenly cancelled in the March 1965 Budget. Hemswell's future could have been very different with the return of real aeroplanes, but it was not to be and final RAF use was as No.1 Recruit Training School and the Station ceased all RAF activities in 1967. The New Parish of Hemswell Cliff - the peacetime legacy RAF Station Hemswell, having started life as a peacetime Station in 1937, quickly settled back into its peacetime role as a permanent part of the local community after the 'interruption' of WW2. Further married quarters were built and RAF Hemswell School was established to cater for the children of RAF families. Because of its air of permanence and relative comfort, Hemswell became a very popular posting. In 1967, the RAF switched off the lights, closed the gates and the base entered a very unhappy period and its handsome buildings were to be sadly neglected for many years. Some years later, a group of entrepreneurs decided to try to rescue the site and turn it into a trading estate. Although not preserved as a museum, the old road layout has been retained and most of the buildings have been restored for various new uses. To the delight of returning veterans in recent years, Hemswell is perhaps the only pre-war RAF Station converted to private use, which has retained its character and still has an unmistakable Royal Air Force feel to it. The site, with good parking facilities on the old parade ground, now houses the largest collection of antiques centres in the U.K. , a large up-market crafts centre, restaurants & cafes, nursing homes, offices and numerous other business enterprises. Even the hangars are well maintained and have been put to good use holding part of Europe 's food surpluses. The old Officers Mess has been transformed, it is now called Hemswell Court and in addition to providing some residential accommodation has retained all the main rooms as a magnificent banqueting suite - highly suitable and much used for weddings and for North Lincolnshire RAF reunions. Some very good internal and external views of the Officers Mess can be seen in the film 'The Dam Busters' which was mainly filmed at RAF Hemswell, although the actual raid by 617 Squadron was from RAF Scampton. In 1995, the RAF Hemswell Memorial was erected on the edge of the old parade ground to commemorate all who served there during its thirty-year life as a Royal Air Force Bomber Command base. The memorial is also an important piece of local history and records the successful transition of a former Bomber Command airfield with its married quarters, into its present more peaceful role as part of the new Parish of Hemswell Cliff. Most appropriately, the children who take such an important part in the annual commemorative service at the memorial on RAF Hemswell Day (third Wednesday in September) are from Hemswell Cliff School , which began life as Royal Air Force Hemswell School. RETURN

History of Royal Air Force Station Hemswell
and the new Parish of Hemswell Cliff

The first airfield was opened in 1916 and called Harpswell, a nearby hamlet. It was initially used by the RFC as a night landing ground and in 1918, 199 and 200 Training Squadrons were established at the airfield; shortly after the end of WW1 the site returned to farmland. A new RAF Station, now called Hemswell, was built in the 1930's to a very high standard and was one of a number of permanent bases being built to accommodate the then rapidly expanding RAF. Bomber Command was formed in 1936 and on 31 Dec 1936, Hemswell was opened as one of the first airfields within No.5 Group of the newly formed Command.

144 Squadron arrived on 9th February and 61 Squadron on 8th March 1937, equipped with Avro Anson and Hawker Audax aircraft. Bristol Blenheims replaced these by January 1938 and they were completely re-equipped with Handley Page Hampdens by 20th March 1939. Both Squadrons took part in the very earliest operations of the war. 144 Squadron suffered an early loss on the 29th of September 1939, when a formation of five Hampdens were all shot down over Heligoland. Five men were saved to spend the rest of the war in prison camps and fifteen were killed, including Ronald Herd whose sister, Mrs Kath Edgson of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, was invited to unveil the RAF Hemswell Memorial in 1995. Hemswell's Hampdens are credited with being the first Bomber Command aircraft to drop bombs on German soil.

From July`41 to Feb`44, Hemswell, now in No.1 Group, and its satellite airfield at Ingham, were home at various times to 300, 301 & 305 Polish Air Force Squadrons, equipped with Wellingtons. 199 RAF Squadron equipped with Wellingtons also operated from Ingham from Feb to June`43. They all played a very important part in the bomber offensive of that period and suffered heavy losses. The last of the Polish Squadrons moved from Hemswell to Ingham in late 1943 to enable concrete runways to be laid and so bring the airfield up to Class A Standard. Hemswell reopened in January 1944 and No 1 Lancaster Finishing School used the base until, with the arrival of 150 & 170 Lancaster Squadrons in November 1944, Hemswell resumed operations against the enemy. The last hostile operation from Hemswell was on 25th April 1945, the target being the SS Barracks at Berchtesgaden . From 29th April final war operations were of a more humane nature, when 150 & 170 Squadrons took part in Operation Manna, dropping food to the starving Dutch people prior to final surrender on VE Day, 8th of May 1945. From then until their disbandment in November 1945, 150 & 170 Squadrons used their Lancasters, firstly to transport ex-POWs back to the UK, and then to collect long-serving 8th Army men from Italy to well-earned leave in the UK.

The much longer "Cold War" brought Mosquitos of 109 & 139 Squadrons who stayed until November 1946. In 1950, 109 & 139 Mosquitos returned, converting onto Canberras in 1952 and finally leaving Hemswell November/December 1955. Lincolns of 83, 100 & 97 Squadrons arrived in October/November 1946; 100 Squadron moved away in 1950 but both 83 & 97 remained at Hemswell until December 1955. 199 Squadron operated from April 1952 to September 1957 equipped at various times with Lincolns, Mosquitos, Canberras and Valiants. 76 & 542 Squadrons operated from April 1957 to July 1958 equipped with Canberras.

97 Squadron returned in 1959 for a further four years, but this time equipped with Douglas Thor Missiles when Hemswell became the lead Station of a group of five missile sites. They were all on full alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and at that time, RAF Hemswell had a large contingent of Americans who partnered their RAF counterparts and lived among the personnel on the station. After the Thor missiles were withdrawn in 1963, the Americans left and the missiles were returned to the USA where most of them were used in the US Space Programme.

Following on from Thor, Hemswell was earmarked to return to a flying role when it was decided to move the final development stage of the ill-fated TSR2 project to Hemswell. In the early autumn of 1964 the whole TSR2 project team was posted from Weybridge to Hemswell where they occupied the old Thor site. The first pilot training course on TSR2 avionics systems began in November 1964, with the second course under way when the project was suddenly cancelled in the March 1965 Budget. Hemswell's future could have been very different with the return of real aeroplanes, but it was not to be and final RAF use was as No.1 Recruit Training School and the Station ceased all RAF activities in 1967.

The New Parish of Hemswell Cliff - the peacetime legacy

RAF Station Hemswell, having started life as a peacetime Station in 1937, quickly settled back into its peacetime role as a permanent part of the local community after the 'interruption' of WW2. Further married quarters were built and RAF Hemswell School was established to cater for the children of RAF families. Because of its air of permanence and relative comfort, Hemswell became a very popular posting.

In 1967, the RAF switched off the lights, closed the gates and the base entered a very unhappy period and its handsome buildings were to be sadly neglected for many years. Some years later, a group of entrepreneurs decided to try to rescue the site and turn it into a trading estate. Although not preserved as a museum, the old road layout has been retained and most of the buildings have been restored for various new uses. To the delight of returning veterans in recent years, Hemswell is perhaps the only pre-war RAF Station converted to private use, which has retained its character and still has an unmistakable Royal Air Force feel to it.

The site, with good parking facilities on the old parade ground, now houses the largest collection of antiques centres in the U.K. , a large up-market crafts centre, restaurants & cafes, nursing homes, offices and numerous other business enterprises. Even the hangars are well maintained and have been put to good use holding part of Europe 's food surpluses. The old Officers Mess has been transformed, it is now called Hemswell Court and in addition to providing some residential accommodation has retained all the main rooms as a magnificent banqueting suite - highly suitable and much used for weddings and for North Lincolnshire RAF reunions. Some very good internal and external views of the Officers Mess can be seen in the film 'The Dam Busters' which was mainly filmed at RAF Hemswell, although the actual raid by 617 Squadron was from RAF Scampton.

In 1995, the RAF Hemswell Memorial was erected on the edge of the old parade ground to commemorate all who served there during its thirty-year life as a Royal Air Force Bomber Command base. The memorial is also an important piece of local history and records the successful transition of a former Bomber Command airfield with its married quarters, into its present more peaceful role as part of the new Parish of Hemswell Cliff. Most appropriately, the children who take such an important part in the annual commemorative service at the memorial on RAF Hemswell Day (third Wednesday in September) are from Hemswell Cliff School , which began life as Royal Air Force Hemswell School.

RETURN