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RAF Kelstern 
Summary
Royal Air Force Kelstern or RAF Kelstern[2] is a former Royal Air Force satellite station 3.6 miles (5.8 km) south east of Binbrook, Lincolnshire and 4.9 miles (7.9 km) north west of Louth, Lincolnshire, England.
RAF Kelstern | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelstern, Lincolnshire in England | |||||||||||
  RAF Kelstern Shown within Lincolnshire  RAF Kelstern RAF Kelstern (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 53°24′36″N 000°06′54″W / 53.41000°N 0.11500°W | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force satellite station 12 Base substation | ||||||||||
| Code | KS[1] | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Bomber Command * No. 1 Group RAF | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1917 & 1942/3 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1917 - 19 September 1943 - May 1945 | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 126 metres (413 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
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| [2] | |||||||||||
Station history
editThe airfield first opened in 1917 as a night landing ground before closing in 1919.[3]
RAF Kelstern re-opened in 1943 and the following squadrons used the airfield:
- No. 33 Squadron RAF.[4]
- No. 170 Squadron RAF reformed at the airfield on 15 October 1944 with the Avro Lancaster I and III before moving to RAF Dunholme Lodge on 22 October 1944.[5]
- No. 625 Squadron RAF reformed at Kelstern on 1 October 1943 with the Lancaster I and III before moving to RAF Scampton on 5 April 1945, where the squadron disbanded on 14 October 1945.[6]
See also
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ a b Falconer 2012, p. 120.
- ^ a b "Forgotten airfields europe". www.forgottenairfields.com.
- ^ "Bomber Command - Kelstern". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ "RAF Kelstern". Raf-Lincolnshire.info. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 65.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 101.
Bibliography
edit- Falconer, Jonathan (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.