Lincoln, Lincolnshire, GB 🇬🇧 Closed Airport
GB-0244
-
200 ft
GB-ENG
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 53.340841° N, -0.548759° E
Continent: EU
Type: Closed Airport
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1946. While active flying operations largely ceased in December 1944, the station was officially closed and put up for disposal in 1946 following the end of World War II.
The airfield was closed as part of the massive post-World War II military drawdown. The UK had constructed a vast number of airfields for the war effort, and with the cessation of hostilities, RAF Ingham, like many others, was deemed surplus to requirements and was not needed for the smaller, peacetime Royal Air Force.
The site is now a mix of agriculture and historical preservation. Most of the runways have been removed and the land returned to farming, but sections of the perimeter track and some original wartime buildings, including the Airmen's Mess, remain. A significant portion of the site is dedicated to remembrance and heritage, managed by the **RAF Ingham Heritage Group**. They have established the **RAF Ingham Heritage Centre** in the restored Airmen's Mess, which serves as a museum preserving the history of the airfield and, in particular, the Polish squadrons that served there. A memorial to the Polish airmen is also located on the site. The ICAO code 'GB-0244' is an unofficial identifier used in historical airfield databases and is not an active aviation code.
RAF Ingham was a significant Class A bomber airfield built during World War II. It opened in May 1942, initially named RAF Cammeringham, but was renamed RAF Ingham in late 1942 to avoid confusion with the nearby RAF Coningsby. The station's primary historical importance lies in its role as a base for Polish Air Force squadrons operating under RAF Bomber Command. It became the first all-Polish staffed RAF station. Key operations and units included:
- **No. 300 'Masovian' Polish Bomber Squadron:** Arrived in June 1942, operating Vickers Wellington bombers on strategic night bombing raids over Germany and occupied Europe. They remained at Ingham until March 1944.
- **No. 305 'Ziemia Wielkopolska' Polish Bomber Squadron:** Arrived in June 1943, initially with Vickers Wellingtons and later converting to the fast and versatile de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber. They flew night intruder and tactical bombing missions in support of ground forces. The squadron departed for France in November 1944 after the D-Day landings.
After the Polish squadrons departed, the airfield was briefly used by No. 17 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit for training purposes before flying operations ceased.
None. There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Ingham as an operational airfield. Its future is firmly rooted in its role as a historical site, a place of remembrance, and agricultural land. The focus of the community and heritage groups is on preserving the remaining structures and telling the story of those who served there.
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