RAF Binbrook
Binbrook,Lincolnshire in England
The RAF operated theEnglish Electric Lightning from RAF Binbrook between 1965 and 1988
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station * Parent Station 1940-43 * 12 Base HQ 1943-45[1]
Code	BK[1]
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Bomber Command *No. 1 Group RAF
Condition	Closed
Location
RAF Binbrook Shown within Lincolnshire Show map of Lincolnshire RAF Binbrook RAF Binbrook (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°26′45″N000°12′32″W / 53.44583°N 0.20889°W /53.44583; -0.20889
Grid reference	TA190960[2]
Site history
Built	1939 (1939)/40
In use	June 1940–1995 (1995)
Fate	Site sold, technical buildings and hangars in use as anindustrial park, domestic site established asBrookenby village
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: GSY,ICAO: EGXB,WMO: 033880
Elevation	114 metres (374 ft)[1]AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 03/21 2,286 metres (7,500 ft) Asphalt 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac

Royal Air Force Binbrook orRAF Binbrook is a formerRoyal Air Force station located nearBinbrook,Lincolnshire,England. The old domestic site (married quarters) has been renamed to become the village ofBrookenby. RAF Binbrook was primarily used byBomber Command in theSecond World War. TheCentral Fighter Establishment moved to Binbrook fromRAF West Raynham between 1959 and 1962 and twoEnglish Electric Lightning squadrons were stationed there between 1965 and 1988.

RAF Binbrook was opened as a Bomber Command station in June 1940 during theSecond World War^[3] and home toNo. 12 Squadron RAF, withVickers Wellington Mk II and III, between 3 July 1940 and 25 September 1942 before it moved toRAF Wickenby.^[4] Another squadron stationed at Binbrook before 1942 was142, with theFairey Battle, from 3 July 1940 to 12 August 1940 and from 6 September 1940 to 26 November 1941 when it moved toRAF Waltham. The squadron used the Battle until November 1940 before switching to the Wellington Mk II.^[5]

RAF Binbrook closed in 1942 for the installation of three concrete runways, reopening in 1943 as home toNo. 460 Squadron,Royal Australian Air Force.^[6] Post-war, Binbrook was home to a number of distinguishedRAF bomber squadrons, notablyIX,12,101 and617, all four of which were there for more than a decade.^[7][8] The airfield saw the start of the RAF's transition to jet bombers with the arrival of the firstEnglish Electric Canberras.^[7]

After the departure of IX and 12 squadrons in 1959,64 Squadron withGloster Javelin all-weather fighters moved to Binbrook together with part of theCentral Fighter Establishment fromRAF West Raynham.85 Target Facilities Squadron also moved to Binbrook with a mixture of Canberras andGloster Meteors.^[7]

English Electric Lightnings moved to Binbrook in 1965 with5 Squadron, and 1972 with11 Squadron. 5 and 11 were the last two RAF Lightning squadrons. 5 Squadron re-equipped with theTornado F3 atRAF Coningsby early in 1988, leaving 11 Squadron to continue at Binbrook for a few more months with the remaining few Lightnings in RAF service. When 11 Squadron disbanded to also re-equip with the Tornado F3 atRAF Leeming, the Lightning was withdrawn from service.

The station closed as a main operating base in the 1980s, although it continued as a relief landing ground forRAF Scampton into the early 1990s before eventually closing and all military activity ceasing, it was subsequently sold off for development.^[7][9]

The control tower and adjacent fire section were demolished in 1995. In the mid-90s,Lincolnshire Police andHumberside Police used the site to teachriot control techniques to its police officers.

As of 2012 a majority of the accommodation blocks have been demolished. The hangars and offices are used as an industrial estate housing many businesses. The flight line is fenced off and used for storage of mainly ex-military equipment awaiting resale. The married quarters are private housing, forming the new village of Brookenby. There is also a memorial to 460 Squadron (RAAF) consisting of a memorial plaque and benches around the former ident square.

The following units were here at some point:^[10]

• No. 1 Group Target Towing Flight RAF (November 1941)^[11] becameNo. 1481 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (November 1941 - January 1942) becameNo. 1481 (Target Towing and Gunnery) Flight RAF (January - November 1942)^[12]
• No. 50 Squadron RAF
• No. 109 Squadron RAF
• No. 139 Squadron RAF
• No. 460 Squadron RAAF Notably, the squadron: flew the most sorties of any Australian bomber squadron; dropped more bomb tonnage than any other squadron in Bomber Command; lost 188 aircraft and suffered 1,018 combat deaths.
• No. 643 Volunteer Gliding School RAF (June 1991 - October 1992)^[13]
• 819 Naval Air Squadron
• 849 Naval Air Squadron
• No. 849B Flight of 849 NAS
• Air Bomber Training Flight (No. 1 Group) RAF (June - September 1942)^[14]
• Bomber Command Aircraft Maintenance Unit RAF (July 1952 - ?)^[15]
• Bomber Command Jet Conversion Flight RAF (December 1950 - July 1952)^[16]
• Bomber Command Supply Support Unit RAF (October - November 1956)^[16]
• Day Fighter Combat Squadron RAF (November 1962 - November 1965)^[17]
• Instant Readiness Reserve Unit RAF (June 1979 - 1981)^[18] became Lightning Augmentation Flight RAF (1981 - 82)^[19]
• Lightning Special Engineering Project Team RAF (April 1974 - ?)^[19]
• Lightning Training Flight RAF (October 1975 - April 1987)^[19]

In 1989 RAF Binbrook alongsideRAF Little Rissington served as theUSAAF airbase for filming for the 1990 movieMemphis Belle.^[20] Some of the aircrew of the original"Memphis Belle", aBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress, visited Binbrook during the filming, and met the cast of the movie.Robert Hanson, the airplane's radio operator, said the cast were "... not quite as good-looking as we were ... but they are young and enthusiastic—exactly like we were."^[21]

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

• Birtles, Philip (2012).UK Airfields of the Cold War. Midland Publishing.ISBN 978-1-85780-346-4.
• Falconer, J (2012).RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing.ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore.Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2. Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1981.ISBN 0-85059-484-7.
  Later published (With 16 page Update Supplement) as:
  • Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1991.ISBN 1-85260-405-0.
• Jefford, C.G.RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001.ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997).Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians).ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRAF Binbrook.

• Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore.English Electric/BAC Lightning (Osprey Air Combat Series No.4). Publishing Ltd., 1984.ISBN 0-85045-562-6.
• Scott, Stewart.Airfield Focus: Binbrook. GMS Enterprises, 2000.ISBN 1-870384-80-6.

• Royal Air Force stations in Lincolnshire
• Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom
• Military airbases established in 1940
• Military airbases closed in 1992

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