Digby Airfield History

RAF Digby Airfield
(Map edited to show runways)
RAF Digby Crest
© Crown Copyright/MOD 2010
Airfield Code: ?Google Earth Co-ordinates:
53°05'41.74"N 0°26'05.39"W
Runways:
?
Station History

RAF Digby initially opened as RAF Scopwick on 28th March 1918, three days before the formation of the RAF. It had been active since late 1917 as a satellite airfield for RNAS Cranwell. RAF Scopwick was re-named RAF Digby in April 1920. The tale is related that this was due to aircraft parts being lost in the system while RAF Shotwick in Flintshire having a surplus of very similar parts. RAF Scopwick became RAF Digby and RAF Shotwick became RAF Sealand.

After the Great War Digby specialised in flying training from 1920-1937, except for a period of care and maintenance from 1922 to 1924. No.2 Flying Training School and No.3 Flying Training School were based here. Digby took on an operational role in the ramp-up to war becoming Sector Fighter Airfield of No.12 Group Fighter Command on 13th August 1937. The first squadrons to arrive were No.46 Squadron and No.73 Squadron equipped with Gloster Gauntlet Mk II and Gloster Gladiator Mk I. They converted to the Hawker Hurricane Mk.I in November 1938.

The first operational war sortie scrambled at 2134 hrs on 3rd September 1939, only 34 minutes after Digby was ordered by 12 Group to take on the responsibility for defending its sector area. After war broke Digby was augmented by a third Hurricane squadron, No.504 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Later, Digby day and night fighters operated from RAF Wellingore and RAF Coleby Grange satellite airfields. The Digby fighter sector stretched from the Midlands to beyond the coast and operations were generally mounted by 2 day fighter squadrons and a night fighter squadron coordinated by a fighter controller. No.73 Squadron was virtually wiped out during the evacuation from Saint Nazaire on 17th June 1940 aboard HMS Lancastria.

Digby was a very Canadian station. The first RCAF squadrons arrived in December 1940, No.112 Squadron and later, No.402 Winnipeg Squadron RCAF. In September 1942 RAF Digby became Royal Canadian Air Force Station Digby, to reflect the special nature of units based there. The station also had an RCAF Group Captain Ernie McNab as station commander. Throughout the remainder of the war 13 RCAF Squadrons would operate from Digby and its satellites at RAF Coleby Grange and RAF Wellingore. No's.402 Squadron and No.416 Squadron formed Digby Wing in 1943 and February 1944 saw No.144 Wing formed at Digby from No.441 Squadron, No.442 Squadron and No.443 Squadron. It was commanded by Wg Cdr J E "Johnnie" Johnson, the highest scoring RAF ace of the war.

After the war the station became a training unit and part of the RAF College Cranwell, with its Station Commanders also serving as Assistant Commandants with flying training (No.19 Flying Training and No.1 and 2 Initial Training Schools) up to 1953 before beginning its specialistion in the signals role. In 1955 No.399 Signals Unit arrived, to be joined by No.591 Signals Unit and the Aerial Erectors School. No.399 SU became the Joint Service Signals Unit on 15th September 1998.

Digby is also the home to the Sector Ops Room Museum, which has been restored to its wartime state and is open to visitors. There is no need to book, just arrive at the Sports Ground Car Park opposite RAF Digby main gate, and await the guides. More recently, the station has hosted a new annual event open to the public. Party In The Park (established by the RAF itself in 2004) is now a regular fixture in late July or early August.

Aircraft and Squadrons
DateSquadronNotes
February 1919No.209 SqnOperating the Sopwith Camel. Left Digby in June 1919.
February 1919No.210 SqnOperating the Sopwith Camel. Left Digby in June 1919.
March 1919No.213 SqnOperating the Sopwith Camel. Left Digby in December 1919.
March 1919No.11 SqnOperating the Airco DH.4. Left Digby in December 1919.
December 1919No.203 SqnOperating the Sopwith Camel. Left Digby in January 1920.
December 1919No.25 SqnOperating the Airco DH.4/DH.9. Left Digby in January 1920.
April 1920Station re-named RAF Digby.
April 1920No.3 FTSOperating the Avro 504. Left Digby in April 1922.
April 1922Station put on care and maintenance. Activated again in June 1924.
June 1924No.2 FTSOperating the Airco DH.9. Left Digby in December 1933.
October 1934No.2 FTSOperating the Hyderbad Hart. Left Digby in September 1937.
November 1937No.46 SqnOperating the Gloster Gauntlet and Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in December 1939.
November 1937No.73 SqnOperating the Gloster Gauntlet and Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in September 1939.
August 1939No.504 SqnOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in October 1939.
October 1939No.229 SqnOperating the Bristol Blenheim and Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in June 1940.
October 1939No.611 SqnOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in July 1940.
January 1940No.46 SqnOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in May 1940.
June 1940No.29 SqnOperating the Bristol Blenheim/Beaufighter. Left Digby in July 1940.
September 1940No.151 SqnOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in November 1940.
December 1940No.46 SqnOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in February 1941.
March 1941No.401 Sqn RCAFOperating the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in October 1941.>
March 1941No.402 Sqn RCAFOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Squadron left Digby in May 1941.
June 1941No.409 Sqn RCAFOperating the Boulton Paul Defiant. Left Digby in July 1941.
June 1941No.411 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in November 1941.
June 1941No.412 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in October 1941.
November 1941No.92 SqnOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in February 1942.
November 1941No.288 SqnOperating the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Bristol Blenheim and Westland Lysander. Left Digby in December 1942.
November 1941No.609 SqnOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in March 1942.
March 1942No.411 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in March 1943.
April 1942No. 421 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in May 1942.
March 1942No.411 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in March 1943.
December 1942No.198 SqnOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in January 1943.
January 1943No.288 SqnOperating the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Bristol Blenheim and Westland Lysander. Left Digby in November 1943.
February 1943No.302 Sqn Polish AFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in February 1943.
March 1943No.402 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in August 1943.
June 1943No.416 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in August 1943.
August 1943No.350 Sqn Belgian AFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Squadron left Digby in October 1943.
October 1943No.416 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in February 1944.
November 1943No.438 Sqn RCAFOperating the Hawker Hurricane. Left Digby in December 1943.
February 1944No.441 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in March 1944.
February 1944No.442 Sqn RCAFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in March 1944.
February 1944No.443 Sqn RCAF<Operating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in March 1944.
June 1944No.116 SqnOperating the Avro Anson and Airspeed Oxford. Left Digby in May 1945.
April 1944No.527 SqnOperating the Vickers Wellington, Airspeed Oxford and Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in November 1945.
May 1944No.528 SqnOperating the Bristol Blenheim. Left Digby in September 1944.
July 1944No.310 Sqn Czech AFOperating the Supermarine Spitfire. Left Digby in August 1944.
May 1945No.441 Sqn RCAFOperating North American Aviation P-51 Mustang. Left Digby in July 1945.
May 1945No.442 Sqn RCAFOperating North American Aviation P-51 Mustang. Left Digby in June 1945.
1953RAF Digby closed to aircraft.