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Summary

Site of RAF Waltham airfield, to the west of Holton le Clay. Also known as RAF Grimsby.

Full description

After several years of negotiations a small civil airport was opened at Waltham near Grimsby on 12 June 1933. Originally used by the Lincolnshire Aero Club and several small air services, it was taken over as a training ground for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from June 1938.
RAF Waltham was also known as RAF Grimsby and was formerly requisitioned by the government for the RAF in May 1940, when concrete runways were laid and it became a bomber station. Later in 1943, it became No.12 Base substation. The base was home to the Lancasters of 100 Squadron from January 1942 to April 1945. After the Second World War, the airfield was placed on a care and maintenance footing until it was decommissioned in 1950. Although much civil flying activity took place in the late 1950s, Waltham was never restored to its pre-war status. In 1958 the land was sold and parts of the airfield have been put to a variety of purposes. Parts of the runways are still visible, although the site now houses a golf driving range. {1}{2}{3}{4}

<1> Otter, P, 1996, Lincolnshire Airfields in the Second World War, pp.249-55 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI7228.

<2> T.N. Hancock, 1978, Bomber County, p.118 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1060.

<3> Ron N.E. Blake, Mike Hodgson and Bill J. Taylor, 1984, The Airfields of Lincolnshire Since 1912, p.89 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI10563.

<4> Johnston, Philip Ralph, 2008, RAF-Lincolnshire.info, http://raf-lincolnshire.info/grimsby/grimsby.htm (Website). SLI11967.

Monument Types

• AIRFIELD (Mid 20th Century - 1933 AD to 1958 AD)
• CIVIL AIRPORT (Mid 20th Century to Second World War - 1933 AD to 1939 AD)
• MILITARY AIRFIELD (Second World War to Mid 20th Century - 1940 AD to 1950 AD)
• CIVIL AIRPORT (Mid 20th Century - 1950 AD to 1958 AD)

Sources and further reading

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