RAF Wainfleet
Encyclopedia
RAF Wainfleet was a Royal Air Force
weapons range on The Wash
on the east coast of England
near Wainfleet
, in the civil parish of Friskney
, although the north-east part of the range was in Wainfleet St Mary. Other ranges nearby include RAF Holbeach
, also on The Wash, and Donna Nook
. It was also known as The Wash (North side) Bombing Range. It was only a few miles south-west of Gibraltar Point
.
. The range was administered by RAF Coningsby
as an Air Weapons Range within RAF Strike Command. On 1 April 2006 control was transferred to Defence Estates and the range was then administered by Defence Training Estates (East) from their headquarters at West Tofts Camp
near Thetford. It was used by both fixed wing and rotary aircraft from NATO. During the Second World War, it was used by 617 Squadron
to test the Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight
. Due to funding cuts the range was closed for operations on 2 December 2009 and finally closed in July 2010.
at the Barley Mow at Friskney Eaudyke
.
thanks to the large number of resident and migrating birds
found there. The location is a major stopping point for flocks of Brent Geese
on their way from the Arctic
coast. There is also the Red-legged Partridge
. Skegness
gets its weather recorded from the automatic equipment at Wainfleet.
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...
weapons range on The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
on the east coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
near Wainfleet
Wainfleet, Lincolnshire
Wainfleet All Saints is an ancient port and market town on the east coast of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the B1195 between Spilsby and Boston. The town stands on the small rivers Steeping and Limb that form Wainfleet Haven. The town is close to Skegness, Boston, Spilsby, the Lincolnshire...
, in the civil parish of Friskney
Friskney
Friskney is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies west of the A52, north-east from Boston and south-west from Skegness....
, although the north-east part of the range was in Wainfleet St Mary. Other ranges nearby include RAF Holbeach
RAF Holbeach
RAF Holbeach is a Royal Air Force bombing range situated between Boston and Kings Lynn in Gedney Drove End on The Wash, in Lincolnshire, eastern England. Most of the range, including the control tower and four observation towers are in Gedney, but it does overlap with Holbeach to the west...
, also on The Wash, and Donna Nook
Donna Nook
Donna Nook is a bombing range on the coast of Lincolnshire, England, north of the village of North Somercotes. The area is salt marsh, and is used by a number of Royal Air Force bases in Lincolnshire for bombing practice. The site was also made available to commercial organisations such as BMARC...
. It was also known as The Wash (North side) Bombing Range. It was only a few miles south-west of Gibraltar Point
Gibraltar Point
Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve is an area of approximately in Lincolnshire, England.The reserve is owned by Lincolnshire County Council and East Lindsey District Council and is administered by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust...
.
History
The range opened in August 1938. However usage of the site as a range dated back to 1890 by the 1st Lincolnshire Artillery. During the 1920s and 1930s it was also used by the RAF and Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. The range was administered by RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
as an Air Weapons Range within RAF Strike Command. On 1 April 2006 control was transferred to Defence Estates and the range was then administered by Defence Training Estates (East) from their headquarters at West Tofts Camp
Stanford Battle Area
Stanford Battle Area, better known as the Stanford Training Area , is a British Army training area situated in the English county of Norfolk. The area is approximately in size; it is some north of the town of Thetford and south-west of the city of Norwich...
near Thetford. It was used by both fixed wing and rotary aircraft from NATO. During the Second World War, it was used by 617 Squadron
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
to test the Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight
Stabilizing Automatic Bomb Sight
The Stabilized Automatic Bomb Sight was a tachometric bombsight introduced into operational service by the Royal Air Force in 1943 during World War II. Hand-made throughout its lifetime, the SABS was produced in very small numbers and used only in specialist roles...
. Due to funding cuts the range was closed for operations on 2 December 2009 and finally closed in July 2010.
Operation
The site was controlled from the Control Tower. Targets included old ships. There were two smaller wooden observation towers to the east nearer the shore but these were demolished in 2009. Access was via a narrow road called Sea Lane via the junction with the A52A52 road
The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from the junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness before terminating on the east Lincolnshire coast at...
at the Barley Mow at Friskney Eaudyke
Friskney
Friskney is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies west of the A52, north-east from Boston and south-west from Skegness....
.
Weapons clearance
The site was cleared by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from RAF Coningsby. Although the range has finally closed unrecovered ordnance and unexploded ordnance will remain for many years.SSSI
The range area is a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
thanks to the large number of resident and migrating birds
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
found there. The location is a major stopping point for flocks of Brent Geese
Brent Goose
The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is...
on their way from the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
coast. There is also the Red-legged Partridge
Red-legged Partridge
The Red-legged Partridge is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. It is sometimes known as French Partridge, to distinguish it from the Grey or English Partridge....
. Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
gets its weather recorded from the automatic equipment at Wainfleet.
External links
- RAF website
- History of the site
- Photographic gallery
- 2001 Bombing competition
- 1999 Bombing competition
- Defence Estates
- Abandoned seal found on the bombing range
Video clips
- Weapons burst by an A-10 Thunderbolt IIA-10 Thunderbolt IIThe Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
- F-15