RAF Kelstern – Lincolnshire
This airfield was a wartime bomber station approx 4 miles south east of RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire and 5 miles west of the market town of Louth. It was situated high on the Lincolnshire Wolds.
During WW1 an area of agricultural land just to the east of the WW2 airfield site was used as a emergency landing field by 33 Home Defence Squadron. However there was minimal presence on site and no aircraft were based there. I believe the site was manned by a handful of airmen who lit the emergency landing lights as required with several of huts for their accommodation, messing and storage etc. The site returned to agricultural use at the conclusion of hostilities
During WW2 with the increasing demand for bomber airfields in the area the site was resurveyed and approved.
The airfield was built to the standard war time pattern with three runways and a perimeter track with hard stands for the aircraft and 3 T2 hangars The first unit to be based there was 625 Squadron which was formed from the C Flight of 100 Squadron based at nearby RAF Waltham. 625 Squadron commenced operations on the 18/19th October 1943 when they detailed 9 aircraft to attack Hanover.
I do not know of any 103 Squadron or 576 Squadron personnel that had served with 625 Squadron apart from Douglas David Haig and Ken Trent. Douglas Haig was promoted OC 625 Squadron in the spring of 1944 and led the Squadron with great distinction being awarded a DSO. Ken Trent and his crew who flew 14 ops with 576 before joining 625 in October 1944. Trent was awarded an immediate DFC whilst with 625 and then went on to fly with 617 Squadron at the end of the war when he was awarded a second DFC
Ken Trent
In October 1944 170 Squadron which had previously been an Army Co-operation Unit was formed at Kelstern and moved the RAF Dunholme Lodge a month later.
625 Squadron continued to operate from Kelstern until April 1945 when they moved to Scampton.
The airfield was closed just before the war ended. Apart from the bleak location and primitive facilities the airfield suffered serious overlap problems with nearby airfields Binbrook and Ludford Magna.
There is now almost nothing visible to indicate there was an airfield on the site. However there is a rather nice memorial to 625 Squadron is located at the Elkington, Ludbrough, Binbrook cross roads. This was erected by 625 Squadron Veterans Association and dedicated in 1964 which must make it one of the first if not the first such memorial in the UK.
625 Squadron Memorial at Elkington, Ludbrough, Binbrook cross roads
Kelstern airfield main entrance.
A small section of the Kelstern main runway survives visible from the road.
A general view over the old airfield now almost completely reverted to agricultural use.
Compiled by David Fell. Photos from my archive
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