RAF Hemswell Association. The Memorial

The RAF Hemswell Memorial and the Parish of Hemswell Cliff
The RAF Hemswell Memorial and the New Parish of Hemswell Cliff - the peacetime legacy The RAF Hemswell Memorial was erected in 1995 to commemorate all those who served there during its thirty-year life as an RAF Bomber Command Station. 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 newly formed Parish of Hemswell Cliff. 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

The RAF Hemswell Memorial and the Parish of Hemswell Cliff

The RAF Hemswell Memorial and the New Parish of Hemswell Cliff - the peacetime legacy

The RAF Hemswell Memorial was erected in 1995 to commemorate all those who served there during its thirty-year life as an RAF Bomber Command Station. 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 newly formed Parish of Hemswell Cliff.

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