RAF Kirmington
Encyclopedia
RAF Kirmington was a Royal Air Force
Bomber Command
station in North Lincolnshire
during World War II
.
It took its name from the village of Kirmington
nearby; the most notable squadron based there was 166 Squadron
and a memorial plaque to the members of that unit is in the parish church.
to the Ministry of Agriculture
in 1953.
In 1970, after changing hands several times, Kirmington was selected as the best location for a regional airport serving the Hull
, Grimsby
and Scunthorpe
localities and has become Humberside International Airport.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
station in North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
It took its name from the village of Kirmington
Kirmington
Kirmington is a village in North Lincolnshire, England with a population of 337 .It is alongside the A18 road close to Humberside International Airport and borders with Habrough and Brocklesby, between Scunthorpe and Grimsby.Eastern Airways has its head office in the Schiphol House on the grounds...
nearby; the most notable squadron based there was 166 Squadron
No. 166 Squadron RAF
No. 166 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that formed just after the end of World War I. It was the first and one of only three to be equipped with the Handley Page V/1500 heavy bomber.-History:...
and a memorial plaque to the members of that unit is in the parish church.
| Squadron | Aircraft | Date arrived | Date departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 No. 150 Squadron RAF No. 150 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during both World War I and World War II.The squadron was reformed - as 150 Sqn. - on 8 January 1959 as one of 20 Strategic Missile squadrons associated with Project Emily... |
Wellington IC and III Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a... |
October 1942 | January 1943 |
| 142 No. 142 Squadron RAF -History:No. 142 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at RFC Ismailia, Egypt in 1918, flying a mixed bag of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. On the formation of the Royal Air Force, on 1 April 1918, 142 Squadron was at RFC Julis in Palestine, becoming No. 142 Squadron RAF... |
Wellington II, III, IV and X | December 1942 | January 1943 |
| 166 No. 166 Squadron RAF No. 166 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that formed just after the end of World War I. It was the first and one of only three to be equipped with the Handley Page V/1500 heavy bomber.-History:... |
Wellington III | January 1943 | February 1943 |
| Wellington X | February 1943 | September 1943 | |
| Lancaster B I and B III Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other... |
September 1943 | November 1945 | |
| 153 No. 153 Squadron RAF No. 153 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force. On 1 July, 1958, the unit was renumbered as No. 25 Squadron RAF.-Aircraft operated:... |
Lancaster B I and B III | October 1944 | October 1944 |
After World War II
From February 1946 the station was put on care and maintenance until relinquished by the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
to the Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
in 1953.
In 1970, after changing hands several times, Kirmington was selected as the best location for a regional airport serving the Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
and Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
localities and has become Humberside International Airport.