Waddington

[broadtown]

Hi everyone

Waddington, was it a fighter station then a TDS? I can't quite work out the hangar layout.

Picture dates 5/4/1918

best wishes

Bob

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Bob

See:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/history1.html

Dave

[broadtown]

Thanks Dave, cleared that up nicely. I like the bit about the hangars being used as 'alternative landing grounds'. Clearly some RAF authors have a sense of humor!

Bob

[Lorraine CJ]

Sorry to use your post, but I have a question about Waddington.

The first military flying took place at Waddington with the arrival of 47 & 48 Reserve Squadrons in November 1916, and later 51 Sq. was added.

I have a letter written from Waddington at that time which is headed No. 37 TS. Either this is wrong, or has been copied down wrong, or 37 TS suddenly popped up there. Does anyone have any idea if the latter is possible?

Thanks,

LCj

[broadtown]

Sorry to use your post, but I have a question about Waddington.

The first military flying took place at Waddington with the arrival of 47 & 48 Reserve Squadrons in November 1916, and later 51 Sq. was added.

Don't apolgise, this is where forums are at there best. Diversity leads to full understanding I always find.

Bob

[Frank_East]

Sorry to use your post, but I have a question about Waddington.

The first military flying took place at Waddington with the arrival of 47 & 48 Reserve Squadrons in November 1916, and later 51 Sq. was added.

I have a letter written from Waddington at that time which is headed No. 37 TS. Either this is wrong, or has been copied down wrong, or 37 TS suddenly popped up there. Does anyone have any idea if the latter is possible?

Thanks,

LCj

I do not think No 37 Training Squadron was ever based at Waddington.However, between November 1916 and September 1917 it operated out of Brattleby (now Scampton) with Avro 504, FK3 and DH6 aircraft.

The WW1 shot of Waddington airfield showing the hangers is the area which is now immediately to the west of the A 15 Lincoln /Sleaford.The WW1 site was cleared in the mid 1930s RAF expansion programme.Type C hangers,the present ones, were then erected on the opposite side of the airfield, ie on the Waddington village side of the airfield.

Vulcan XM607 which bombed Stanley airfield during the Falklands War on 30 April 1982 now stands permanently at dispersal adjacent to the A15 and on the WW 1 site.

[broadtown]

Thanks Frank,

So the hangars in my picture have all now gone and the airfield Tech and domestic site is over the other side of the field if I understand you right.

Top info thanks once again.

Bob

[Lorraine CJ]

Thanks.

Do you know what aircraft either 47 or 48 TS flew?

I also have this info which I would like to corroborate: 82 TS formed from nucleus of 15 RS went to Waddington in March 1917. For how long were they there?

LCj

[mickdavis]

My aerodrome spreadsheet won't fit this page but you should be able to follow background information and the sequence of units at that station. I've also added some information on 47 & 48 RS/TS.

The main cluster of aeroplane sheds shown in the photo were actually on the southern boundary, with the other three to the west along the line of the old Roman road, Ermine Street.

WADDINGTON 1½ miles from Waddington railway station and 4 miles from Lincoln railway station

OS 1 : 50000 sheet 121 : Grid Reference SK 985645 : Lincolnshire : 350 acres : 1650 x 1250 yards : 230 feet amsl.

HD NLG 2nd for 38 (HD) Sqn and 90 (HD) Sqn RFC/RAF : Training Squadron Station and Training Depot Station RFC/RAF 11.1916 – 1920 : Relinquishment confirmed 26.2.1920.

Nine 1916 pattern GS Sheds, 170 x 85 feet, plus one 1917 pattern GS Shed, 170 x 100 feet, for 27th Wing ARS.

47 RS/TS 13.11.1916 from Cramlington. 4.7.1918 disbanded into 48 TDS

48 RS/TS 13.11.1916 from Narborough. 4.7.1918 disbanded into 48 TDS

23rd Wing ½ ARS* 3.3.1917 from Thetford. 15.5.1917 re-designated 27th Wing ARS

82 Sqn 30.3.1917 from Beverley. 17.11.1917 to St Omer for Savy (F)

27th Wing HQ* 5.5.1917 formed. 1.4.1919 disbanded

51 RS/TS 14.5.1917 from Wye. 4.8.1918 to Baldonnel

27th Wing ARS* 15.5.1917 formed ex 23rd Wing ½ ARS. 1.4.1919 disbanded

105 Sqn 23.9.1917 formed, with nucleus ex 51 TS. 3.10.1917 to Andover

5 Training Depot Station B Flt nucleus 15.9.1917 formed, attached to 48 TS. 24.9.1917 to Easton-on-the-Hill

6 Training Depot Station A Flt nucleus 1.10.1917 formed, attached to 82 Sqn. 1.11.1917 to Boscombe Down

75 TS 14.11.1917 formed. 22.12.1917 to Cramlington

44 TS 24.11.1917 from Harlaxton . 14.3.1919 disbanded into 48 Training School

97 Sqn 1.12.19197 formed, with nucleus ex 51 TS. 21.1.1918 to Stonehenge

117 Sqn 1.1.1918 formed. 1.4.1918 to Hucknall

135th Aero Sqn USAAS* 8.1.1918 from New York, USA*. 24.6.1918 to en-route for Issoudun (F)

135th Aero Sqn USAAS flts* 1.1918 detached from parent unit to Scampton and South Carlton

135th Aero Sqn USAAS flts* 27.2.1918 from Scampton and South Carlton

123 Sqn 1.2.1918 formed. 1.3.1918 to Duxford

48 Training Depot Station 4.7.1918 formed ex 47 TS & 48 TS. 14.3.1919 re-designated 48 Training School

11th Aero Sqn USAAS* 24.6.1918 from Wittering (Stamford). 7.8.1918 en-route for Delouze (F)

204 Sqn cadre* 11.2.1919 from Heule (. 31.12.1919 disbanded

48 Training Squadron 14.3.1919 formed ex 48 TDS. 4.11.1919 disbanded

23 Sqn cadre* 15.3.1919 from Clermont (. 31.12.1919 disbanded

203 Sqn cadre* 27.3.1919 from Boisdinghem (F). 12.1919 to Scopwick

Note – the station was intended to house a flight of 54 (HD) Sqn from Castle Bromwich in 6.1916 but the plan was abandoned.

Commands - 48th Wing, 24 Group, Midland Area, VI Brigade 1918 : 27th Wing, 12 Training Group, Midland Area 1918

47 RESERVE/TRAINING SQUADRON RFC/RAF

Bases

Formed in 19th Wing at Cramlington 2.11.1916 with nucleus from 58 Squadron. To Waddington and 23rd Wing 13.11.1916. Designated as an Elementary Reserve Squadron and establishment at 23.12.1916 set at 18 MF or GW. To 27th Wing 5.5.1917. Disbanded into 48 TDS Waddington 4.7.1918.

Representative Aeroplanes

Airco DH6 C6648, C6823, C6826, C6827, C6837, C7227, C7231, C7234, C7238, C7251, C7272, C7274, C7363.

Airco DH9 C1201, C1256.

Avro 504J/K D109.

AW FK3 B9601, B9638, B9639, B9640.

MF Se.11 A6892, A7091, A7094, A6892, B2002, B2029, B4679, B4680, B4689, B4795, B8788, B8793.

RAF BE2e C7157.

RAF RE8 A4579, B4069, B4112, D1538, D4720, E160.

48 RESERVE/TRAINING SQUADRON RFC/RAF

BasesFormed in 7th Wing at Narborough 2.11.1916 with nucleus from 59 Squadron. To Waddington and 23rd Wing 13.11.1916. Designated as an Elementary Reserve Squadron and establishment at 23.12.1916 set at 18 MF or GW. To 27th Wing 5.5.1917. Disbanded into 48 TDS Waddington 4.7.1918.

Representative Aeroplanes

Airco DH6 A9761, C2018.

Airco DH9 D5555.

AW FK3 B9600.

GW XV A1679, A1681, A1684, A1685, A1689, A1699, A1700, A1701, A1703, A1704, A1705.

MF Se.11 A2218, A6841, A6842, A6843, A6852, A6853, A6854, A6861, A6864, A7015, A7046, B2030, B4657.

RAF RE8 B4045, B6635.

Sopwith Pup B1735, B1736.

[KONDOA]

I am informed that one of these hangers was moved to Bracebridge nearby where it was used by A V Roe for repair works. It later became the Lincolnshire Roadcar workshops and was only demolished about 20 years ago.

Roop

[mickdavis]

Bracebridge Heath was a separate aerodrome, built to take 4 AAP from Lincoln racecourse. Its hanarage comprised seven 1917 pattern GS sheds, 170 x 100ft, as three coupled plus one single unit, plus two HP sheds, 540 x 170ft. These were the sheds used by Avro.

[mickdavis]

Correction - it should read two triple plus one single unit.

[KONDOA]

Thanks for that clarification Mick.

[Frank_East]

An interesting point about Bracebridge Heath airfield was that it was owned by Robeys as a test field but the company failed to have one of their aircraft designs accepted.Consequently Robeys built a a number of other companies' aircraft under licence.The only period of operational flying at Bracebridge was a brief period when No 120 Squadron were in residence from 3 August to 23 November 1918.The site has tended to be remembered more for its role in the Second World War as an aircraft repair facility.

No 4 AAP unit moved to Bracebridge Heath in 1918 and the unit was disbanded here in 1919/1920.

The Bracebridge Heath site was then used for commercial purposes until it was requisitioned by the Air Ministry during World War 2 for AV Roe as a reception and repair centre for crashed Lancasters.From here the recovery of damaged Lancasters was assessed and the work delegated to contractors in Northampton,Loughborough and Derby with AV Roe using RAF Langer for assembly of the fuselage,wings and tail planes.All in all,nearly 4000 Lancasters were returned to service through AV Roe's repair organisation.It was said that only 75% of damaged Lancasters could be expected to be returned to service from repair which was backed up by spares equivalent to 622 Lancasters.

Alas of the Great War hangers, all were dismantled as recently as 2001 apart from a single unit but across the A15 road, workers' bungalows from the era, survive,

Regarding Waddington in its Great War days,I can now see that the shot is taken from the southern boundary looking north west at the Great War hangers,Nos1,2 and 3 from the north.These were replaced by the 5 Type Cs again numbered from the north with No 1 and No 2 abreast. About 1990, a large hanger (Alpha ) and an equally large dispersal were constructed north of Hangers Nos 1 and 2 to accomodate the AWAC aircraft, Sentry AEW 1 servicing.

The Great War southern boundary has been moved further south as the airfield expanded.Consequently Mere Road does not exist west of the A15 but the original boundary lies at a point where the now B 1178 leaves the A15 in an easterly direction to the village of Potterhanworth.

Vulcan XM607 stands near to Bravo dispersal which appears to lie beween the Mere Road hanger complex (old southern boundary) and the A15.

From the air, the section of Ermine Street lost during the 1930s expansion can easily be seen as a boulevard running between the Type C hangers and the domestic site