RAF Lympne
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| Lympne,Kent in England | |||||||||
%2c_1943-1944._CL1364.jpg) Flying Officer of No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron, c. 1944 | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force satellite station | ||||||||
| Code | PY[1] | ||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry Admiralty | ||||||||
| Operator |
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| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command *No. 11 Group RAF 1940- RAF Second Tactical Air Force Fleet Air Arm | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  RAF Lympne Shown within Kent Show map of Kent RAF Lympne RAF Lympne (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°05′N001°01′E / 51.083°N 1.017°E /51.083; 1.017 | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1916 (1916) & 1939 | ||||||||
| In use | 1939 - 1946 (1946)
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| Battles/wars | First World War European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 104 metres (341 ft)[1]AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force Lympne or more simplyRAF Lympne/ˈlɪm/ is a formerRoyal Air Forcesatellite station in Kent used during theFirst andSecond World Wars. It was opened in 1916 by theRoyal Flying Corps as an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returned from, France. It was later designated as a "First Class Landing Ground". In 1919, the airfield was turned over to civil use asLympne Airport, serving until 1939 when it was requisitioned by theFleet Air Arm asHMSBuzzard, later being renamedHMSDaedalus II.
In 1940, it was taken over by the Royal Air Force, becoming RAF Lympne once again. Lympne was heavily bombed during theBattle of Britain, putting the base out of action for a number of weeks. It was to have been the landing point for a German aircraft in a plot to kidnapAdolf Hitler involving the defection of pilotHans Baur. Preparations were made by the Royal Air Force for his arrival. Later in the war, Lympne was used as anEmergency Landing Ground for bombers returning from raids inEurope. In 1946, RAF Lympne closed, returning to use as a civil airport which continued until 1984.
Work began on creating a landing ground at Folks Wood, Lympne in the autumn of 1915. This site soon proved unsuitable and another site was sought.[2] Lympne was established in March 1916 as an Emergency Landing Ground for theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) home defence fighters defendingLondon againstZeppelins andGotha bombers. By October 1916Bessonneau hangars and other technical buildings had been erected andLympne Castle was being used as an officers mess[3] and No. 1 Advanced School of Air Gunnery operated from Lympne during January and February 1917.[4] In January 1917 it was designated as No. 8 Aircraft Acceptance Park for delivery of aircraft to, and reception from,France.[5] A spur toWestenhanger railway station allowed delivery of aircraft for final assembly at Lympne[6] and three pairs of permanenthangars were erected to enable aircraft assembly.[7] A variety of aircraft were passed through Lympne includingHandley Page O/100 and Handley Page O/400 bombers.[2]
On 25 May 1917 Lympne was bombed byGotha G.IV bombers ofKagohl 3 who dropped 19 bombs on the airfield.[2][8] In August 1917 questions were asked in Parliament byPeter Kerr-Smiley about the lack of leave for RFC Lympne pilots who had not had any in over a year.Under-Secretary of State for WarIan Macpherson stated that the pilots would be allowed leave when conditions allowed.[9]No. 69 Squadron RAF arrived on 24 August equipped with theRoyal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 and departed on 9 September.[4]
In 1918 Lympne was a First Class Landing Ground and used bySopwith Camels ofNo. 50 Squadron RFC (Home Defence Squadron) and in January 1918No. 120 Squadron RFC (Bomber Squadron) was formed at Lympne.[6] On 1 MarchNo. 98 Squadron RFC arrived equipped withAirco DH.9 bomber aircraft, departing on 1 April.[4] The Day and Night Bombing Observation School was formed here in May.[6]
On 16 February 1919 acadre ofNo. 108 Squadron RAF arrived followed by a cadre ofNo. 102 Squadron RAF on 26 March—Both squadrons departed on 3 July. On 17 July No. 120 Squadron returned and flewair mail services between Lympne andCologne,Germany, during July and August 1919 using DH.9 aircraft fitted with B.H.P. (Beardmore Halford Pullinger) engines.[10][11] This service ended on 1 September 1919 when 120 squadron moved toHawkinge.[6] Hawkinge and Lympne lay within a few miles of each other and theAir Ministry could not justify keeping the two bases open following the end of the war; Hawkinge was the one retained.[12] In August 1919, theRoyal Air Force (RAF) – as the RFC had by then become, moved out of Lympne, and it was turned over to civilian use,[6] although 120 Squadron did not depart until 21 October.[4]
Between the wars, the airport was used for annual camps by squadrons of theAuxiliary Air Force.On 1 August 1931,No. 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF began its annual camp at Lympne.[13] In August 1933, No. 601 (County of London) Squadron again held its annual camp at Lympne. They were visited by theMarquess of Londonderry, who was theSecretary of State for Air.[14] The squadron was equipped withHawker Harts.[15] From 13 to 27 July 1934,606 (City of Glasgow) Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne, followed by 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF from 29 July to 12 August.[16] In August 1935, 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne. The squadron having converted from a bomber squadron to a fighter squadron earlier in the year.[17] From 2 to 16 August 1936, 601 Squadron held their annual camp at Lympne.[18]
In November, it was reported that21 Squadron and34 Squadron were temporarily relocated to Lympne as hangars atRAF Abbotsinch had been damaged in gales.[19] In October 1936, Lympne was again taken over by the RAF, becoming a base withinNo. 1 (Bomber) Group. Although some improvements were carried out, Lympne was initially seen as a temporary station.[20] On 3 November,21 Squadron and34 Squadron moved in, equipped withHawker Hind aircraft.[4] On 12 July 1938, 34 Squadron departed Lympne followed by 21 Squadron departing on 15 August.[4] Lympne was placed under "Care and Maintenance" in October 1938, becoming aTraining Command Administration School.[4] In May 1939, Lympne was transferred toFighter Command. It was used by theFleet Air Arm as an outstation for the Air Mechanics School based atHMSDaedalus near Portsmouth.[4] On 1 July 1939, Lympne was taken over by the Fleet Air Arm,becomingHMSBuzzard.[21] The airbase was known asRoyal Naval Air Station Lympne (orRNAS Lympne), its function was the support of disembarked Fleet Air Arm squadrons.[22] Aircraft atBuzzard includedBlackburn Sharks andGloster Gladiators.[23]
In September 1939, the base was renamedHMSDaedalus II,[24] recommissioning on 1 January 1940 and known asRoyal Naval Aircraft Training Establishment Lympne (or simplyRNATE Lympne), responsiblefor the Technical training of Air Apprentices and Air Fitters,[22] but was transferred back to the RAF in May 1940.[25] Early in the war Lympne was home to Army Co-operation and Bomber squadrons.[26] From 19 to 22 May 1940,2 Squadron,16 Squadron,18 Squadron,23 Squadron,53 Squadron and59 Squadron moved in. Nos 2, 16 and 26 Squadrons were equipped withWestland Lysander aircraft.[4] The Lysanders or 16 Squadron and 26 Squadron were used onBlack Violet missions, in support of the remaining British troops following theBattle of France.[24] Nos 18, 53 and 59 Squadrons were equipped withBristol Blenheims. The Blenheim squadrons departed Lympne on 21 May after a stay of just two or three days. On 23 May, Lympne became the HQ of51 Wing.[4] DuringOperation Dynamo in May 1940, aFrench Air Force squadron with itsBloch andPotez fighters was based at Lympne.[27]
On 3 June, 16 Squadron left Lympne, followed by 2 and 26 Squadrons on 8 June, at which date Lympne ceased to be the HQ of 51 Wing.[4] During theBattle of Britain Lympne was a satellite airfield for the stations of 11 Group, being used as a forward stage for flights and not the base for any squadron.[28]On 15 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain, Lympne was bombed byStuka dive-bombers of IIGruppe,StG1. All the hangars were hit and those aircraft belonging to Cinque Ports Flying Club that had not been evacuated toSywell were destroyed in the fire.[29] Lympne was evacuated and only available as an Emergency Landing Ground until mid-September, when a flight ofSpitfires from91 Squadron arrived.[26]
In 1941, Lympne was to be the destination for the landing of an aircraft carryingAdolf Hitler in a daring kidnap plot. A man by the name of Kiroff had given information to the British Military Attaché inSofia,Bulgaria that he was the brother-in-law ofHans Baur, the personal pilot of Hitler. He stated that Baur was planning to defect using Hitler's aircraft, aFocke-Wulf Fw 200, with him on board. The RAF made plans to receive the aircraft at Lympne and 25 March was the date that the defection was expected to occur. Baur did not defect, spending the war as Hitler's personal pilot.[note 1][30] Also in March 1941,91 Squadron moved in, equipped with Spitfires.[4] Additional dispersals and fighter pens were built and three new blister hangars were built during 1941.[24]
Typhoons from1 Squadron were based at Lympne from March 1942 to February 1944 to counter the thread posed by the Luftwaffe's newly introducedFocke-Wulf Fw 190s.[31] A runway was extended across Otterpool Lane to accommodate the Typhoons.[32]
In May 1942,Whirlwinds of137 Squadron were detached fromRAF Manston.[33] On 30 June 1942,72 Squadron and133 Squadron moved in, equipped with Spitfires. Both squadrons departed on 12 July, but 133 Squadron returned on 17 August for five days. On 14 August, Spitfire-equipped401 Squadron RCAF moved in,[4] both in preparation for theDieppe Raid. On 2 October,65 Squadron moved in, equipped with Spitfires. The squadron left Lympne on 11 October.[26]
On 15 March 1943,1 Squadron moved in, equipped with Typhoons. A detachment from245 Squadron also arrived that month, also equipped with Typhoons. The detachment remained at Lympne until May.[4] In June, the detachment from 137 Squadron ended.[33] On 18 August,609 Squadron move in, equipped with Typhoons, staying until 14 December.[4] 609 squadron operated missions in preparation forD-Day, participating in attacks against"Doodlebug" launch sites in thePas de Calais.[34] The squadron included the only German to fly for the RAF,Ken Adam. In December 1943,rocket armedHawker Hurricanes of 137 Squadron were at Lympne for anti-shipping duties.[33]
%2c_1943-1944._CL1360.jpg)
In January 1944, 609 squadron was re-equipped with Typhoons.[33] On 15 February, 1 Squadron departed. On 1 March,186 Squadron arrived, followed by130 Squadron on 5 April, which was the day 186 Squadron departed. At some point after 2 April 137 Squadron departed. On 15 May,74 Squadron arrived, followed by127 Squadron the following day. On 1 July,310 squadron arrived. On 3 July, Lympne became the HQ of134 (Czech) Wing, that day also saw the departure of 74 Squadron. It was followed by the arrival of312 Squadron and313 Squadron on 4 July. These squadrons were all equipped with Spitfires. Also on 4 July 127 Squadron departed. On 11 July 310, 313 and 313 Squadrons departed. They were replaced by 1 Squadron, which was now equipped with Spitfires,41 Squadron, 130 Squadron, and504 Squadron, also equipped with Spitfires. On 12 July 504 Squadron departed, being replaced by165 Squadron. On 10 August, 1 Squadron and 165 Squadron departed. The next day, 130 Squadron returned.[4] On 8 September,403 Squadron RCAF equipped with Spitfire IXs arrived in support ofD-Day.[35] On 27 August, Lympne ceased to be the HQ of 134 (Czech) Wing. On 29 September,[4]350 (Belgian) Squadron arrived, equipped with Spitfire XIVs.[36] They were followed on 12 September by610 Squadron and350 (Belgian) Squadron on 29 September. The next day, 130 Squadron departed. In November, a detachment from567 Squadron arrived. On 3 December 350 Squadron departed, followed by 610 Squadron the next day and 41 Squadron the day after that.[4] Lympne was then downgraded to Emergency Landing Ground status. Consideration was given to building four runways at Lympne, with the longest being 6,000 ft (1,800 m) long, but it was noted that serious demolition work would be required and a number of roads would need to be closed.[37]
In March 1945, a detachment from598 Squadron arrived, departing the following month. This was followed by the arrival451 Squadron RAAF and453 Squadron RAAF on 6 April, equipped with Spitfires. On 2 May 453 squadron departed, followed by 451 Squadron the following day. The detachment from 567 Squadron departed in June.[4] On 1 January 1946, RAF Lympne was handed over to theMinistry of Civil Aviation and becamea civil airport once more,[38] serving until closure in 1984.
The following units were here at some point:[43]
160 hp BHP (Beardmore-Halford-Pullinger) engine,
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