RAF Metheringham

The airfield was closed following the end of World War II as part of the wider demobilization and reduction of the Royal Air Force. As a purpose-built wartime bomber base, it was deemed surplus to post-war requirements.

The airfield is now closed and largely dismantled. Most of the land was sold in the 1960s and has been returned to agricultural use, with many of the runways and taxiways broken up for hardcore. However, some sections of the perimeter track and a few original wartime buildings remain. A significant part of the site is dedicated to commemoration, hosting the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, which is housed in a restored wartime gymnasium and acts as a museum. There is also a memorial on-site dedicated to the personnel of No. 106 Squadron who served there.

RAF Metheringham was a purpose-built Class A bomber airfield that opened in October 1943. It was a key base within No. 5 Group of RAF Bomber Command. Its primary and sole operational unit was No. 106 Squadron, which flew Avro Lancaster bombers on strategic night bombing missions over Germany and occupied Europe until the end of the war. The squadron flew its first mission from Metheringham in November 1943 and its last in April 1945. During its operational life, the base was instrumental in the Allied strategic bombing offensive. The squadron lost 59 Lancasters on operations from Metheringham, and 261 aircrew were killed while flying from the airfield, highlighting its significant contribution and the high cost of the bomber campaign.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Metheringham as an operational airport. The essential infrastructure, including the runways, has been almost entirely removed, and the land is now privately owned and used for agriculture. The focus of the site is on historical preservation and remembrance through its museum and memorial.