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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

RAF Collyweston

RAF Collyweston is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) satellite aerodrome located 3.2 miles (5.1 kilometres) south-west of Stamford, Lincolnshire and 11 miles (18 kilometres) north east of Corby, Northamptonshire, England.

The airfield was a satellite station of RAF Wittering, and used by the No. 1426 Flight (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF during the Second World War.

History

Founded in 1917 as No. 5 Training Depot Station, the station was renamed RAF Collyweston following formation of the Royal Air Force, via merger of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on 1 April 1918. The airfield was absorbed as a satellite station of RAF Wittering in 1939. A unit at Collyweston during the war was No. 1426 (Captured Enemy Aircraft) Flight, they flew and assessed enemy aircraft that crashed or forced landed.

In 1941, the runways of Wittering and Collyweston were joined to make one 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) long grass runway.

Units

The following units were based at Collyweston at some point:

Current status

Most of the former RAF Collyweston site has been retuned to agricultural uses. No infrastructure remains of the former airfield, the exception being its remote weapon storage area (WSA, or bomb dump), which is now used by a private company for secure logistics storage.

References

Citations

  1. ^ Falconer 2012, p. 68.
  2. ^ "RAF Wittering station history". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  3. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 32.
  4. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 59.
  5. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 62.
  6. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 81.
  7. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 83.
  8. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 88.
  9. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 103.

Bibliography

Media related to RAF Collyweston at Wikimedia Commons