There's a reason Lincolnshire earned the nickname 'Bomber County'. Half a century ago, it was the very heartbeat of Britain's formidable air power. This action-packed book explores Lincolnshire's rich RAF history - in particular the crucial role it played during the Second World War.
Get ready to travel back in time to the days when the skies above Lincolnshire never ceased to throb with the drone of departing and returning aircraft.
It might seem hard to imagine it now, but at the peak of wartime aviation, Lincolnshire was home to some 46 military airfields. These airfields covered an estimated 30,000 acres of the county, accommodating 80,000 RAF personnel, including squadrons from America, Australia, Canada and Poland. Britain's most famous airmen of all, the Dambusters, had their base here.
Each of those airfields is described here, and details of its wartime function given. Also highlighted are the many and varied aircraft that comprised the operational units. Numbered among them are the Lancaster, Manchester, Hampden, Wellington, Hurricane, Spitfire and Beaufighter.
These, and the young airmen who flew them, made an immense contribution to the defeat of the Third Reich, as Allied bombers and fighters flew increasingly larger raids across the North Sea and into the dangerous smoke-filled skies of occupied Europe.
Lincolnshire Airfields in the Second World War tells their story. CONTENTS Map of the Lincolnshire airfields
Map of the targets
Chapter 1: Setting the Scene; The Airfields; The Bombers; The Fighters; Coastal Command; Training The Americans; The Aircraft
Chapter 2: Bardney Chapter 3: Barkston Heath; Folkingham; North Witham Chapter 4: Binbrook Chapter 5: Blyton; Sandtoft; Sturgate Chapter 6: Coleby Grange; Wellingore Chapter 7: Coningsby Chapter 8: Cranwell; Grantham; Harlaxton Chapter 9: Digby Chapter 10: Dunholme Lodge Chapter 11: East Kirkby Chapter 12: Elsham Wolds Chapter 13: Faldingworth Chapter 14: Fiskerton Chapter 15: Fulbeck Chapter 16: Goxhill Chapter 17: Hemswell Chapter 18: Hibaldstow & Caistor Chapter 19: Ingham Chapter 20: Kelstern Chapter 21: Kirmington Chapter 22: Kirton Lindsey Chapter 23: Ludford Magna Chapter 24: Manby & The Ranges Chapter 25: Metheringham Chapter 26: North Coates & Donna Nook Chapter 27: North Killingholme Chapter 28: Scampton Chapter 29: Skellingthorpe Chapter 30: Spilsby Chapter 31: Strubby Chapter 32: Sutton Bridge Chapter 33: Swinderby Chapter 34: Waddington Chapter 35: Waltham Chapter 36: Wickenby Chapter 37: Woodhall Spa Chapter 38: The Civilians Bibliography Index
