RAF Swinderby

RAF Swinderby was a Royal Air Force Bomber Command airfield opened in 1940, one of the last of the stations completed under the RAF's expansion plans started in the 1930s. It was built near the village of Swinderby, Lincolnshire just off the south east side of the A46 (the Fosse Way) between Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire and Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.

Under the command of Number 1 Group, Swinderby came under the auspices of RAF Bomber Command and housed numbers 300 and 301 squadrons, mainly Polish manned initially flying the Fairey Battle. Later squadrons would use such diverse aircraft as the Handley Page Hampden, the Vickers Wellington, Avro Manchester and finally Avro Lancasters.

In 1964, Swinderby changed its role to that of recruit training, responsible for the basic training of all enlisted RAF personnel prior to their trade training.

In 1995 the station was put up for sale to commercial development and the airfield plays host to semi-regular events including antique fairs.

Many buildings, hangars and the air traffic control tower remain in evidence along with acres of concrete runways and taxiways.

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s80.html Official RAF History of Swinderby]
* [http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=4205 Photos of the base today]
* [http://lincolnshireairfields.fotopic.net/ More Photos]