RAF Lindholme

The closure was a result of a post-war military drawdown and strategic realignment within the Royal Air Force. As the V-bomber force was phased out and military needs shifted during the Cold War, many large WWII-era bomber bases like Lindholme were deemed surplus to requirements. The decision was driven by defence budget cuts and the consolidation of RAF operations at fewer, more modern stations.

The former airfield site has been completely redeveloped and is now unrecognizable as an airport. The technical and domestic sites were converted into a large prison complex. The site now houses two separate prisons:

1. **HMP Lindholme:** A Category C men's prison, which opened in 1985 on the site of the former RAF station's main buildings.
2. **HMP Moorland:** A Category C men's prison and Young Offender Institution, which opened in 1991 on an adjacent part of the site.

The former married quarters for RAF personnel were sold and now form a private housing estate known as Lindholme. While some remnants of the runways and taxiways are faintly visible in aerial photography, the land has been largely repurposed for the prison facilities and associated grounds.

RAF Lindholme has significant historical importance, primarily from its role during World War II and the Cold War.

- **Pre-War & WWII:** Opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion scheme. It became a key station within No. 5 Group of RAF Bomber Command. Throughout the war, it was home to several notable squadrons, including No. 50 and No. 103 Squadrons. The station operated various bomber aircraft, starting with Handley Page Hampdens and later Vickers Wellingtons and the iconic Avro Lancaster. Crews from Lindholme participated in major bombing campaigns against strategic targets in Germany and occupied Europe, contributing significantly to the Allied war effort.

- **Post-War & Cold War:** After the war, RAF Lindholme transitioned into a major training facility. It was home to the Bomber Command Bombing School (BCBS), which later became the Strike Command Bombing School, responsible for training bomber crews in navigation and bomb-aiming techniques. In 1961, as part of the UK's air defence network, a site at Lindholme was established for No. 94 Squadron, which operated the Bristol Bloodhound surface-to-air missile system until 1990. The station also served as a relief landing ground for the nearby RAF Finningley.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Lindholme as an airport. The complete and permanent conversion of the site into two large, operational prisons makes any such proposal logistically, financially, and politically unfeasible. Furthermore, the nearby former RAF Finningley was successfully converted into Doncaster Sheffield Airport, serving the region's aviation needs until its own closure in 2022, which further negates any strategic or economic case for re-establishing an airfield at Lindholme.