Swinderby Airfield History

RAF Swinderby was located to the south of Swinderby village, adjacent to the A46. Although the airfield was opened shortly after the outbreak of WWII, it was unfinished and still grass surfaced. Originally it was intended to have ‘C’ Type hangars but due to austerity measures introduced, Swinderby was provided with three ‘J’ Type hangars. The technical and living accommodation followed the expansion pattern, being grouped together east of the airfield, bisected by a public road.

Swinderby was allocated to 1 Group and in August 1940, No.300 (Mazowiecki) Squadron and 301 (Pomorski) Squadrons arrived on the twenty-second and twenty-ninth respectively. Equipped with Battles, they converted to Wellingtons later that year. The two squadrons were the first Polish-manned in the RAF and stayed at Swinderby until 18th July 1941, when they moved to Hemswell, in 1 Group. Swinderby transferred to 5 Group and on 20th July 1949, No.50 Squadron equipped with Hampdens, arrived from Lindholme, South Yorkshire. The squadron operated from Swinderby until 26th November, when the deteriorating state of the grass forced a move to Skellingthorpe, allowing the construction of concrete runways.

On 6th June 1941, No.455 Squadron RAAF was formed at Swinderby but it was not until 1st September that’s its personnel arrived. The airfield was reopened in June 1942 after the three concrete runways were laid, although initially shorter than class ‘A’ standard, they were later extended. To the north of the technical site, in addition, three T2s were provided and aircraft dispersals were increased to 36. To expand the accommodation, three dispersed sites were constructed in the countryside towards Thurlby. On 29th June, No.50 Squadron, now equipped with Lancasters, returned to resume operation. They stayed at Swinderby until 16th October, when they returned to Skellingthorpe.

Following the departure of No.50 Squadron, Swinderby was selected as a training airfield, with 1660 HCU forming there. The station transferred to 7 (Training) Group in November 1944, and the HCU remained at the airfield into 1946. Swinderby was retained by the RAF and continued in its training role, until its closure in 1993. The airfield site was put up for sale in 1995 and today comprises housing and a business park.

Date	Squadron	Notes
August 1940		RAF Swinderby opened.
August 1940	No.300 (Polish) Sqn	Operating the Fairey Battle and Vickers Wellington. The squadron left the station on the 18th July 1941. For more information on No.300 (Polish) Sqn please Click Here.
August 1940	No.301 (Polish) Sqn	Operating the Fairey Battle and Vickers Wellington. The squadron left Swinderby on the 18th July 1941. For more information on No.301 (Polish) Sqn please Click Here.
June 1941	No.455 (RAAF) Sqn	Operating the Handley Page Hampden. The squadron left station on the 27th November 1941.
July 1941	No.50 Sqn	Operating the Handley Page Hampden. The squadron left the airfield on the 26th November 1941. For more information on No.50 Sqn please Click Here.
November 1941		RAF Swinderby received hard runways. Re-opened in April 1942.
May 1942	No.1654 HCU	Operating the Avro Manchester and Airspeed Oxford. The Heavy Conversion Unit left the station on the 16th June 1942.
June 1942	No.50 Sqn	Operating the Avro Manchester. The squadron left Swinderby on the 16th October 1942.
August 1942	No.207 CF	Operating the Avro Manchester. The Conversion Flight disbanded and formed part of No.1660 HCU on the 20th October 1942.
August 1942	No.61 CF	Operating the Avro Manchester. The Conversion Flight disbanded and formed part of No.1660 HCU on the 20th October 1942.
October 1942	No.97 CF	Operating the Avro Manchester. The Conversion Flight disbanded and formed part of No.1660 HCU the same month.
October 1942	No.106 CF	Operating the Avro Manchester. The Conversion Flight disbanded to form part of No.1660 HCU the same month.
October 1942	No.1660 HCU	Operating the Avro Lancaster and Manchester, Handley Page Halifax and Shorts Stirling. The Heavy Conversion Unit disbanded at the station on the 11th November 1946.
November 1943	No.5 Group Comm Flt	Operating the Avro Anson and North American Harvard. The Comm Flt disbanded at the airfield on the 15th December 1945.
September 1945	No.13 AMU	Operating the Avro Lancaster. The Aircraft Modification Unit disbanded at the station on the 1st August 1946.
November 1946	No.17 OTU	Operating the Vickers Wellington. The Operational Training Unit was renamed No.201 CTU in September 1947.
May 1947	No.21 Group Comm Flt	Operating a variety of different aircraft. The Comm Flt disbanded at the station on the 1st March 1955.
September 1947	No.201 CTU	Operating the Vickers Wellington. The Conversion Training Unit was renamed No.201 AFS.
?	No.201 AFS	Operating the Vickers Wellington, Varsity and Valetta. The Advanced Flying School was renamed No.11 FTS on the 1st June 1954.
June 1950	No.204 AFS	Operating the de Havilland Mosquito. The Advanced Flying School left the airfield on the 20th February 1952.
June 1954	No.11 FTS	Operating the Vickers Varsity. The Flying Training School disbanded at the airfield on the 1st June 1955.
September 1954	No.8 FTS	Operating the de Havilland Vampire. The Flying Training School disbanded at the station on the 20th March 1964.
July 1964	No.7 SoRT	The School of Recruit Training left RAF Swinderby on the 1st April 1993.
July 1979	FSS	Operating the de Havilland Chipmunk. The Flying Selection School left the station on the 1st June 1987.
1993		RAF Swinderby was closed.
1995		RAF Swinderby was sold-off.