Monument record MLI54074 - RAF Blyton

Summary

RAF Blyton

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

Blyton Airfield was opened in November 1942, and was closed in 1945. {1}{2}{3} A desk-based assessment included a site visit to part of the airfield. A single standing Second World War building was observed: a single-storey brick structure of uncertain purpose, although it was possibly a minor guard-post. Remains of other structures, including runways, dispersal pans and two hangars, were observed across the site and re-used tie-downs were also seen. Much of the remaining hard surface remains, e.g. the runway remains, are currently in use as motorsport tracks and have had various temporary features constructed on them. In the north-west corner of the site, artificial fishing lakes and associated structures have obscured or destroyed many features. The desk-based assessment report also includes a detailed history of the airfield as well as a list of aircraft which crashed on the airfield or nearby. {4} Plans for a new Bomber Command training base, RAF Blyton, were created in early 1941, and the base opened in November 1942. It was a standard 'Class A' pattern, with 3 hardened runways and a concrete perimeter track linking 36 aircraft hard-standings. RAF Blyton was first occupied by the 18 (Polish) Operational Training Unit, and then the 1481 Gunnery Flight, 199 Squadron and their Wellington bombers, and the 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit. During peak occupation in summer 1944, there were up to 40 bomber crews, with 1966 male and 389 female personel on site. These crew members were housed at 6 disperesed accommodation sites to the west of the airfield, so they were out of immediate danger if the airfield was bombed. The only surviving example of these accomodation sites is Site No.8, located in Laughton Wood, where there are 4 extant Stanton air raid shelters, and the concrete and brick bases of 28 Nissen huts (see PRN 58229). After the war, the base was used for equipment storage until 1947, when it was put on care and maintenance, and it briefly returned to use as a relief landing ground in the 1950s. RAF Blyton was officially closed in May 1954, and the land was sold and mostly returned back to agricultural use by the early 1960s. Part of the former airfield is being reused as a racetrack. {5}

Sources/Archives (5)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: T.N. Hancock. 1978. Bomber County. pp.49, 76, 95, 113.
  •  Map: OS. 1956. OS 6 INCH SERIES. SK 89 NE.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. SK8695: LI.645.1.1.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2006. Land at Blyton Airfield, Blyton: Archaeological Assessment. -.
  •  Report: Austin Heritage Consultants. 2019. 'Site No.8' - Former RAF Blyton, The Woodlands, Laughton. -.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 8695 9614 (1827m by 2046m)
Civil Parish LAUGHTON, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE
Civil Parish BLYTON, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (1)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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