RAF Kirton in Lindsey

Royal Air Force Kirton in Lindsey or more simply RAF Kirton in Lindsey is a former Royal Air Force station located north of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.

It is a custom of the RAF (inherited from the RFC) to name its bases after the nearest railway station, possibly to simplify the process of issuing Rail Warrants to personnel posted there. By that token, the site should be RAF Kirton Lindsey, Kirton Lindsey being the name of the nearby railway station constructed in 1849. No.255 Squadron's Operations Record Book (ORB)The National Archives : AIR27/1518 consistently uses that version of the name. So does the airfield's separate ORB, from the date of the site's WWII creation (15 May 1940) through to May 1941. After mid-1941 and the departure of No. 255 Squadron, the name RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey begins to appear in the site's own records; eventually dominating.The National Archives : AIR28/427 (Overview, various dates 1940–1941).

On 25 March 2013 it was announced the MOD planned to dispose of the airfield and technical facilities with only accommodation remaining, which was emptied later that year. The airfield used to host No. 1 Air Control Centre (1ACC), the RAF's only deployable ground-based early warning and air control radar unit, which was parented by RAF Scampton.

First World War The Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force airfield at Kirton in Lindsey was used during the First World War from December 1916 to June 1919. Although referred to as Kirton Lindsey this airfield was actually outside the town, north along the B.1398. The airfield was used by B Flight of 33 Squadron from nearby Gainsborough until June 1918; 33 Squadron was a home defence squadron equipped with the Bristol Fighters and Avro 504s.

With the end of the war, the airfield was returned to agricultural use.

RAF Fighter Command use The airfield was built on a new site by John Laing & Son in the late 1930s.Ritchie, p. 91 It opened in May 1940 as a Fighter Command Station covering the NE of England during the Second World War. Many Boulton Paul Defiant and Supermarine Spitfire Squadrons rested here for a short time during the Battle of Britain.

Sgt Ian Clenshaw was the first pilot casualty during the Battle of Britain, when he flew on a dawn patrol from here on 10 July 1940, and was killed in what is generally regarded as a disorientation accident."Battle of Britain Then and Now," 1st ed., p 266

The airfield was home of Number 71 Squadron of the RAF's Fighter Command. The squadron was made up of mostly American pilots and was one of the "Eagle Squadrons" of American volunteers who fought in the Second World War prior to the American entry into the war. 71 Squadron was assigned the squadron code XR.

The squadron arrived at the station in November 1940 and by January the squadron was declared combat ready. They began flying convoy escorts over the North Sea. On 9 April No. 71 was moved to RAF Martlesham Heath.

The following units were also here at some point:

RAF units and aircraft DatesUnitAircraftVariantNotes1942No. 43 (China-British) Squadron RAFHawker HurricaneIShort stay in September before the squadron moved to North Africa1941No. 65 (East India) Squadron RAFSupermarine SpitfireIIAFebruary to September operating coastal patrols before moving south1940–1941No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron RAFHawker HurricaneIEagle Squadron1940No. 74 Squadron RAFSupermarine SpitfireIIAShort stay August/September 19401940No. 85 Squadron RAFHawker HurricaneIShort stay October/November 19401941No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAFHawker HurricaneI and IIBEagle Squadron formed May 1941 before moving to RAF North Weald1941–1942No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAFSupermarine SpitfireIIA then VA and VBEagle Squadron1941No. 136 Squadron RAFHawker HurricaneIIA and IIBSquadron formed August 1941 before moving to the Far East1942No. 169 Squadron RAFNorth American MustangIDetachments from Doncaster1940No. 222 (Natal) Squadron RAFSupermarine SpitfireITwo short stays1940No. 253 (Hyderabad State) Squadron RAFHawker HurricaneIMay to July1940–1941No. 255 Squadron RAFBoulton Paul DefiantHawker HurricaneII1940No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAFBoulton Paul DefiantI1943No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine SpitfireVB19421942–1943No. 303 Squadron RAFSupermarine SpitfireVB1942No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine SpitfireVB1940No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron Boulton Paul DefiantIFormed September 19401941–1942No. 409 Squadron RCAFBristol BeaufighterIIFDetachment from Coleby Grange1941No. 452 Squadron RAAFSupermarine SpitfireI and IIA1942No. 457 Squadron RAAFSupermarine SpitfireVBShort stay before move to Australia.1942No. 486 Squadron RNZAFHawker HurricaneIIFormed March 19421940–1941No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron AAFSupermarine SpitfireI

USAAF use

Kirton in Lindsey was allocated to the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force in 1942. It was assigned USAAF Station number 349, code "KL"

1st Fighter Group Beginning in June 1942, the 94th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group at RAF Goxhill used the station for training with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The squadron remained until October.

81st Fighter Group In October 1942, the 91st Fighter Squadron of the 81st Fighter Group used the station for training. The squadron arrived in Europe from Muroc Army Air Field, California flying Bell P-39 Airacobras. The squadron remained until December then departed for French Morocco as part of Twelfth Air Force.

RAF Flying Training Command use In May 1943, the station was returned to RAF control for use as a Fighter Operational Training Unit with Spitfires of No. 53 OTU from Llandow. Caistor and Hibaldstow being used as satellite airfields. Kirton in Lindsay was a training station and had the following units stationed at it, during the Cold War May 1946 to 1948, No. 7 Service Flying Training School RAF with Oxfords from Sutton Bridge, moved to Cottesmore. 1948 to 1952, Used by non-flying RAF Training Schools. 1952 to 1957, No. 2 ITS (later renamed No. 1 ITS), an Officer Cadet Training Unit with de Havilland Tiger Moths. 1957 to 1959, Airfield closed and on Care and Maintenance (but still used by 643 Volunteer Gliding School). August 1959 to December 1965, Reopened with No. 7 School of Technical Training and 643 Volunteer Gliding School.

British Army use In 1966, control of Kirton in Lindsey was transferred to the British Army.

The 1st Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers arrived in June 1966 and were immediately sent to Aden from August 1966 to June 1967. On 23 April 1968, the battalion was amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the camp was known as 'St. Georges Barracks'. The regiment completed tours of Northern Ireland, before departing for Gibraltar in 1971.

In 1972 the site was passed on to the Royal Artillery and the station was renamed 'Napier Barracks'. In 2004 22 Regiment Royal Artillery left Kirton in Lindsey, to be absorbed into 39 Regiment at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland.

Due to the Royal Artillery association, the Army Cadet Force detachment which is still housed there has the Royal Artillery cap badge.

Return to RAF control In 2004, the station was returned to RAF control and became the home of No. 1 Air Control Centre (No. 1 ACC), a deployable Air Surveillance and Control System, which relocated from RAF Boulmer. The unit refurbished the hangars and associated buildings on the technical site, as well as reopening the Junior Ranks accommodation and Mess. Across the road the historic Officers' Mess was reopened as a Combined Officers, Warrant Officers, and SNCOs' Mess. The associated Service Families Accommodation was also occupied as well as the Gymnasium. In 2005, the opening of the Control and Reporting Centre at nearby RAF Scampton increased personnel numbers significantly. Junior Ranks from both stations were accommodated on the RAF Kirton in Lindsey technical site, SNCOs re-occupied the former SNCOs Mess at RAF Scampton and the Officers' Mess at RAF Kirton in Lindsey reverted to Officers only. At this time the unit became a satellite administered by, RAF Scampton.

In 2012, the technical site was vacated when No. 1 ACC moved to RAF Scampton. During the same period the Junior Ranks Mess, accommodation blocks and dental centre were all closed. Junior Ranks were moved to accommodation at RAF Scampton, while the Officers' Mess again became a Combined Mess for Officers, Warrant Officers and SNCOs. The Gym and a number of Service Families Accommodation were retained until 2014 when the final occupants vacated and the houses were handed back to Annington Homes who put them on the open market. The technical site was also sold by the MOD in 2014 to Acorn Recyclers. Parts of the site are now being used for Airsoft games.

Present day After 85 years, on 11 June 2025 RAF Kirton started to be demolished for 350 homes to be built on the site. Also, the landlord requires the Trent Valley Gliding Club, which operated on the main runways, to leave the site by the end of this year, so that it can be returned to agricultural use. The club has said they are looking for alternative locations.

Despite this, the site was visited on 22 May 2025 by the Stowarzyszenie Lotników Polskich (Association of Polish Pilots), who were travelling through Europe to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and to commemorate the wartime Polish pilots. RAF Kirton was one of the many bases used by wartime Polish pilots.

RAF Kirton in Lindsey

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