RAF Hibaldstow
Encyclopedia
RAF Hibaldstow, near Hibaldstow
, Lincolnshire
, was built with greater things in mind, but it only became a satellite airfield for RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey in 1941. When the runways were constructed, some of the hardcore was made from material taken from demolished bungalows on the site.
took up residence with their Defiant
night fighter
s. These planes had been drawn from RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey and made one 'kill': an He 111 which was shot down near Louth on 5 June 1941.
In June 1941 the Defiants were replaced by Beaufighter II
s and on 23 September 1941 No. 253 (Hyderabad) Squadron
from Skeabrea, Orkney, arrived. In addition Havoc
s from Hunsdon Airfield
in Hunsdon, Hertfordshire also came to the base.
By the start of 1943, the low risk of night attacks by the Luftwaffe
led to the closure of the airbase (23 January 1943). The airbase re-opened on 9 May 1943 for No. 53 OTU and once again closed on 15 May 1945. Shortly before closure WAAF
Margaret Horton had an 'unexpected ride on the tail of a Spitfire
' while acting as a tailweight: she was sitting on the tail of the plane, as was common practice, in order to stop it overturning while it taxied to the end of the runway, a hazard stemming from design drawbacks, strong wind and bouncy grassfield. The pilot, anxious to be airborne, forgot about her and failed to stop to allow the WAAF to jump off the tail. As soon as the plane was in the air, the pilot realised that there was something very wrong with the handling of his aircraft. He radioed the control tower to report the problem. The emergency services were called out and the pilot talked back in without being told what had happened. The aircraft landed safely with Margaret Horton still in one piece.
On 6 August 1947 the station finally closed and during 1960-61 it was sold off for use as agricultural
land. It was also used for Sunday markets, as a skid-pan by Lincolnshire Police
and by a local parachute
club. The control tower
was converted to a two-storey house in 1976.
An Army cadet named Stephen Hilder
fell 4000 metres (13,123.4 ft) to his death at Hibaldstow airfield in July 2003, after the risers on parachutes had been cut.
Hibaldstow
Hibaldstow is a village and civil parish on the B1206, south of Brigg and the M180, in North Lincolnshire, England. The deserted medieval village of Gainsthorpe is situated nearby.-History:...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, was built with greater things in mind, but it only became a satellite airfield for RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey in 1941. When the runways were constructed, some of the hardcore was made from material taken from demolished bungalows on the site.
History
The airfield was commissioned on 12 May 1941 when No. 255 SquadronNo. 255 Squadron RAF
No. 255 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti–submarine unit in World War I and a night-fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
took up residence with their Defiant
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
s. These planes had been drawn from RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey and made one 'kill': an He 111 which was shot down near Louth on 5 June 1941.
In June 1941 the Defiants were replaced by Beaufighter II
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s and on 23 September 1941 No. 253 (Hyderabad) Squadron
No. 253 Squadron RAF
RAF 253 Squadron was based at RAF Waterbeach in the two years 1955 to 1957. It flew Vampire and Venom fighter aircraft.253 squadron Nighthawks.Squadron commander wing commander FinlaysonOne Vampire T Mk 11...
from Skeabrea, Orkney, arrived. In addition Havoc
Douglas DB-7
The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of American attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, that served with several Allied air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States. The DB-7 was also used by the air forces of Australia, South...
s from Hunsdon Airfield
Hunsdon Airfield
Hunsdon Airfield is a largely defunct airfield near Hunsdon, Hertfordshire , England. The airfield was operational between 1941 and 1945.- History :...
in Hunsdon, Hertfordshire also came to the base.
By the start of 1943, the low risk of night attacks by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
led to the closure of the airbase (23 January 1943). The airbase re-opened on 9 May 1943 for No. 53 OTU and once again closed on 15 May 1945. Shortly before closure WAAF
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...
Margaret Horton had an 'unexpected ride on the tail of a Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
' while acting as a tailweight: she was sitting on the tail of the plane, as was common practice, in order to stop it overturning while it taxied to the end of the runway, a hazard stemming from design drawbacks, strong wind and bouncy grassfield. The pilot, anxious to be airborne, forgot about her and failed to stop to allow the WAAF to jump off the tail. As soon as the plane was in the air, the pilot realised that there was something very wrong with the handling of his aircraft. He radioed the control tower to report the problem. The emergency services were called out and the pilot talked back in without being told what had happened. The aircraft landed safely with Margaret Horton still in one piece.
On 6 August 1947 the station finally closed and during 1960-61 it was sold off for use as agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land. It was also used for Sunday markets, as a skid-pan by Lincolnshire Police
Lincolnshire Police
Lincolnshire Police is the territorial police force covering the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of England. Despite the name, the force's area does not include North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, which are covered by Humberside Police instead.In terms of...
and by a local parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
club. The control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
was converted to a two-storey house in 1976.
Hibaldstow Airfield Now
The airfield was taken over in 1992 as a parachute centre and has run skydiving courses there continuously since this period. As one of the biggest civilian dropzones, they have become a regular host to the British National Championships.An Army cadet named Stephen Hilder
Stephen Hilder
Stephen Hilder was a 20-year-old Officer Cadet at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham, Wiltshire, England. On 4 July 2003, Hilder fell to his death when, during a skydive, both his main and reserve parachutes failed.- Investigation :...
fell 4000 metres (13,123.4 ft) to his death at Hibaldstow airfield in July 2003, after the risers on parachutes had been cut.
Main reference
- Bruce Barrymore HalpennyBruce Barrymore HalpennyBruce Barrymore Halpenny is a widely respected English military historian and author, specialising in airfields and aircraft, as well as ghost stories and mysteries. He is also a broadcaster and games inventor.-Parents:...
Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 (ISBN 978-0850594843)