Heavy Conversion Unit Training

LINDHOLME
An expansion scheme aerodrome built on the wide expanse of Hatfield moors, some five miles east of Doncaster, the site, to the east of the A614 Trone to Bawtry road, was a mile south of the small village of Hatfield Woodhouse, the name first selected for the new station. Work began in the spring of 1938 taking in approximately 250 acres of pasture for the airfield itself and a further 150 for the camp and support facilities. Three Type C hangars fronted the south-west side of the bombing circle, with a fourth and fifth behind the two outer hangars. The administration, technical and barrack area lay alongside the A614. As common with these expansion scheme airfields, the construction of buildings took place over several months and the pace was only quickened by the outbreak of war. Officially opened in June 1940 under No.5 Group, No.50 Squadron and its Hampdens arrived the following month. Two and a half months after its official opening, notification was received on August 18 that the station name was to be changed to Lindholme, the reason being possible confusion with Hatfield airfield in Hertfordshire. Lindholme was a country house and hamlet on the eastern boundary of the airfield. No. 50 was the sole resident at Lindholme until June 1941 when a new Canadian manned bomber squadron was raised there. No.408 Squadron was equipped with Hampdens and, once having found its feet, it was moved to Syerston to begin operations in July. The following month, Lindholme was one of a number of No.5 Group stations handed over to No.1 Group, as a result of which No.5 Group moved its No.50 Squadron to Swinderby. From Syerston, No.1 Group moved in two of the Polish squadrons under its charge - Nos.304 and 305 - both flying Wellingtons. These two squadrons, having been operational since April, continued their contribution to Bomber Command's offensive from the new station throughout the following winter. In May 1942, No.304 Squadron was detached to assist Coastal Command but the detachment soon became an assignment and did not return to Bomber Command. Two months later No. 305 was transferred to Hemswell to concentrate Polish-manned bomber squadrons on one station. During the first two years of war, a bomb store had been constructed on the far side of the A614 as had a taxi spur with three pan hardstandings. A perimeter track and over 30 pan hardstandings had also been built during this period. By 1942 Lindholme was due for upgrading and the construction of concrete runways was put in hand. However, extension of the airfield was somewhat restricted by the Hatfield Moor Drain on the eastern boundary but more land was acquired to the north necessitating the closure of two roads, one to the hamlet of Lindholme. Because of these physical restrictions, only two runways were built, 14-32 and 05-23, both of which were extended to 1,400 and 2,000 yards respectively. A new bomb store was fashioned on land to the north of the station, which resulted in obstruction of seven pan dispersal points. Two others were lost due to the construction of a new perimeter track. Even so, the station ended up with 41 pans and one loop type. A few additional camp sites were added to the south of the main area giving the station maximum accommodation for 2,192 men and 365 females.Re-opened for flying in late October 1942, No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit moved in with a few Lancasters and Manchesters from Breighton to serve No. 1 Group's conversion to the former type. Now an operational training base, over the next two years. Lindholme was host to other units with an instructional mission. Both Lancaster and Halifax crews were tutored here with No.1667 HCU being established on the airfield here in June 1943, moving out to Faldingworth in October. In November the same year, No.1 Lancaster Finishing School was activated using existing flights with a similar mission. On November 3, 1944, the station became No.71 Base under the new training organisation - No.7 Group. Meanwhile, No.1656 HCU remained at Lindholme until November 1945 when many Bomber Command units were disbanded. During the war, a total of 76 bombers were lost on operations flying from this airfield: 40 Hampdens, 35 Wellingtons and a single Lancaster.The immediate post-war years found Nos.57 and 100 Squadrons with their Lincolns in residence from May to September 1946. Thereafter the station went back to a training role, the longest resident being the Bomber Command Bombing School which had become the Strike Command Bombing School by the time it moved out in 1972. Hangars were used for storage by a USAF detachment during the height of the Cold War and later various RAF ground units, including Northern Radar, occupied the camp area. By 1980 Lindholme had been reduced to the status of a relief landing ground and in 1985 the whole camp was sold and turned into a prison. Much new building took place to effect the jail although most of the original permanent camp buildings still survive. The last RAF connection, an automatic routing installation, was closed in March 1996. Details from : http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s13.html