RAF Ossington

Military drawdown following the end of World War II. Like many temporary wartime airfields, it was deemed surplus to requirements by the post-war Royal Air Force.

After its closure in 1946, the airfield was sold by the Ministry of Defence in the late 1950s. In 1958, the site was converted into a low-security (Category D) prison, HMP Ossington. The prison operated for several decades before closing in 2003.

Following the prison's closure, the site was sold for redevelopment. The prison buildings were demolished, and the area has been transformed into a modern housing estate. The development is named 'Lancaster Grange' and 'The Furlongs' in a clear tribute to the site's aviation heritage. While the main runways have been removed or returned to agricultural use, faint outlines of the original airfield layout and some sections of the perimeter track are still visible in satellite imagery. A few original wartime buildings may survive on the periphery, repurposed for farm use.

RAF Ossington was a significant Royal Air Force station during World War II. Opened in January 1942, it primarily served as a satellite airfield for the larger RAF Syerston, operating under No. 5 Group of RAF Bomber Command. Its main role was to host heavy bomber squadrons.

Key operations and units included:
- **No. 106 Squadron:** This was one of the most famous squadrons to be based at Ossington, flying Avro Manchester and later Avro Lancaster bombers. Notably, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, V.C., commanded No. 106 Squadron here from April 1942 to March 1943 before he was selected to form the famous No. 617 'Dambusters' Squadron.
- **No. 97 Squadron:** Also flew Lancasters from Ossington for a period.
- **Training Base:** Towards the end of the war and immediately after, the station's role shifted to training. It housed No. 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) for training bomber crews, and later No. 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit (AFU) flying Airspeed Oxfords.

The airfield was built with three concrete runways and was a typical example of the Class A bomber airfields constructed across the UK during the war.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Ossington as an airport. The site has been extensively redeveloped for residential and agricultural use, with the core infrastructure, including runways and hangars, having been removed or built over. Reopening as an aviation facility is not feasible.