RAF Kelstern
Airfield Code Letters - KS
During World War One military flying began at Kelstern when in December 1916 a landing strip was built for 33 (Home Defence) Squadron. The airfield was located near Mill Farm and was intended to be a refuge for 33 Squadron's Zeppelin hunters if they were low on fuel. The airfield was very seldom used and the site closed in 1919.
Located in the Lincolnshire Wolds RAF Kelstern was built in close proximity to RAF Binbrook and RAF Ludford Magna. At 420ft like Binbrook it is one of the highest airfields in the area and like other Lincolnshire airfields could be a very inhospitable windswept place.
Construction began in July 1942 and was built to a Class A standard with three intersecting concrete runways which dictated the closure of some local roads. The main runway 06-24, was 2,000 yards in length with two subsidiaries 01-19 and 13-31 both of 1,400 yards. To provide a modicum of protection for the ground crews from the harsh Lincolnshire weather, two T.2 hangars and a B.1 were erected. There were also 36 hardstandings of the loop type, the bomb store was located to the south - east with the dispersed sites to the north - west. Located on the site were 110 officers and 1821 other ranks. Accommodation was fairly primitive consisting of concrete or Nissen huts.
The airfield opened in September 1943 as part of 1 Group becoming part of 12 Base (Binbrook) with the first station commander being Gp Capt R.A.Donkin. On 1 October 1943, 625 Squadron was formed at Kelstern flying Avro Lancasters. The Squadron was formed around C Flight from RAF Grimsby (Waltham) based 100 Squadron and was declared operational on 9 October 1943.
Kelstern's Lancasters flew their first mission over the night of 18/19 October and went on to take part in Main Force bomber operations throughout the war. 3,385 sorties were flown which resulted in losses of 66 aircraft, a loss rate of 1.9%. Kelstern's worst loss of the war to date was over the night of 19/20 February 1944 when 823 aircraft were sent to Leipzig. Three Lancasters were lost from 625 Squadron including one of the squadron's Flight Commanders, Sqn Ldr Barry Douetil who became a POW. Three more Lancasters were lost on the final raid to Berlin over the night of 24/25 March.
The weather sometimes intervened to try and curb Kelstern's operations. Over one night in February 1944 two feet of snow fell on the airfield blocking the runways. Within 48 hours the station's personnel had cleared the snow and the airfield was back on an operational footing.
During May and June 1944, 625 Squadron's Lancasters were busy softening up defences in France prior to the D-Day Invasion. At this time within Bomber Command a trip to France counted as one third of an operation towards an operational tour. Losses on such trips were still sustained and could be disproportionate to the target being attacked. One attack to a rail junction at Acheres resulted in the squadron losing three Lancasters from a force of 19. The units Lancasters were also in action on the night of 3 May when three aircraft from the squadron were lost on the disastrous raid to attack German armour at Mailly-le-Camp. The home squadron were briefly joined by 170 Squadron during October 1944 which formed at Kelstern from C Flight of 625, before their Lancasters relocated to RAF Dunholme Lodge. The last operation flown by 625 Squadron from Kelstern was on 3 April 1945 when an attack to Nordhausen took place. The raid cost two aircraft one being from 625 flown by Flt Sgt Collier, he and his crew were the last lost from Kelstern.
During World War One military flying began at Kelstern when in December 1916 a landing strip was built for 33 (Home Defence) Squadron. The airfield was located near Mill Farm and was intended to be a refuge for 33 Squadron's Zeppelin hunters if they were low on fuel. The airfield was very seldom used and the site closed in 1919.
Located in the Lincolnshire Wolds RAF Kelstern was built in close proximity to RAF Binbrook and RAF Ludford Magna. At 420ft like Binbrook it is one of the highest airfields in the area and like other Lincolnshire airfields could be a very inhospitable windswept place.
Construction began in July 1942 and was built to a Class A standard with three intersecting concrete runways which dictated the closure of some local roads. The main runway 06-24, was 2,000 yards in length with two subsidiaries 01-19 and 13-31 both of 1,400 yards. To provide a modicum of protection for the ground crews from the harsh Lincolnshire weather, two T.2 hangars and a B.1 were erected. There were also 36 hardstandings of the loop type, the bomb store was located to the south - east with the dispersed sites to the north - west. Located on the site were 110 officers and 1821 other ranks. Accommodation was fairly primitive consisting of concrete or Nissen huts.
The airfield opened in September 1943 as part of 1 Group becoming part of 12 Base (Binbrook) with the first station commander being Gp Capt R.A.Donkin. On 1 October 1943, 625 Squadron was formed at Kelstern flying Avro Lancasters. The Squadron was formed around C Flight from RAF Grimsby (Waltham) based 100 Squadron and was declared operational on 9 October 1943.
Kelstern's Lancasters flew their first mission over the night of 18/19 October and went on to take part in Main Force bomber operations throughout the war. 3,385 sorties were flown which resulted in losses of 66 aircraft, a loss rate of 1.9%. Kelstern's worst loss of the war to date was over the night of 19/20 February 1944 when 823 aircraft were sent to Leipzig. Three Lancasters were lost from 625 Squadron including one of the squadron's Flight Commanders, Sqn Ldr Barry Douetil who became a POW. Three more Lancasters were lost on the final raid to Berlin over the night of 24/25 March.
The weather sometimes intervened to try and curb Kelstern's operations. Over one night in February 1944 two feet of snow fell on the airfield blocking the runways. Within 48 hours the station's personnel had cleared the snow and the airfield was back on an operational footing.
During May and June 1944, 625 Squadron's Lancasters were busy softening up defences in France prior to the D-Day Invasion. At this time within Bomber Command a trip to France counted as one third of an operation towards an operational tour. Losses on such trips were still sustained and could be disproportionate to the target being attacked. One attack to a rail junction at Acheres resulted in the squadron losing three Lancasters from a force of 19. The units Lancasters were also in action on the night of 3 May when three aircraft from the squadron were lost on the disastrous raid to attack German armour at Mailly-le-Camp. The home squadron were briefly joined by 170 Squadron during October 1944 which formed at Kelstern from C Flight of 625, before their Lancasters relocated to RAF Dunholme Lodge. The last operation flown by 625 Squadron from Kelstern was on 3 April 1945 when an attack to Nordhausen took place. The raid cost two aircraft one being from 625 flown by Flt Sgt Collier, he and his crew were the last lost from Kelstern.
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With the proposed introduction of the Lincoln bomber it was found that, due to its wingspan, existing T.2 hangars located at RAF airfields were not wide enough to accommodate the aircraft. To overcome this, it was decided to take the machine into the hangar sideways. An experiment was trialed at Kelstern, where tram tracks were taken up from Grimsby and laid across the apron to a T.2 hangar. A special trolley was made and placed under the aircraft which was then wheeled in. A prototype Lincoln was flown to the airfield to test the system which worked successfully.
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However, the war ended before the Lincoln came into service and most of the airfields with small hangars were closed, so the system was not implemented elsewhere. The photograph above shows the tram tracks, which still remain in place today.
On 5 April 1945 orders came through for 625 Squadron to relocate to RAF Scampton and by 9 April the airfield was empty. This was the end for RAF Kelstern and the airfield closed in October 1945.
Very little remains today at Kelstern and it is very easy to drive by the former airfield without noticing it's there. A memorial has been erected on a crossroads that leads to the former Technical Site.
Very little remains today at Kelstern and it is very easy to drive by the former airfield without noticing it's there. A memorial has been erected on a crossroads that leads to the former Technical Site.
Memorial To No 625 Squadron - RAF Kelstern
Some of the remains at Kelstern are shown below.
Sources -
Bases Of Bomber Command - Then And Now - Roger A Freeman
The Airfields of Lincolnshire Since 1912 - Ron Blake - Mike Hodgson - Bill Taylor
The Military Airfields Of Britain - East Midlands - Ken Delve
Lincolnshire Airfields In The Second World War - Patrick Otter
Return To Home Page
Bases Of Bomber Command - Then And Now - Roger A Freeman
The Airfields of Lincolnshire Since 1912 - Ron Blake - Mike Hodgson - Bill Taylor
The Military Airfields Of Britain - East Midlands - Ken Delve
Lincolnshire Airfields In The Second World War - Patrick Otter
Return To Home Page