Action Stations 2: Linclonshire and the East Midlands

Everyone knows that the famous 'dams' raid was launched from Scampton, but did you know that both Douglas Bader and Guy Gibson flew from Digby or that Leonard Cheshire won his VC while at Woodhall Spa? That an escaped German prisoner of war nearly made off with a Spitfire from Hucknall? That Ken Wallis, designer of the 'James Bond' autogyro, used to pilot Wellingtons from Elsham Wolds? That the first American 'Eagle' squadron was based at Kirton-in-Lindsey or that the first Polish bomber squadron formed at Bramcote? Or, on a less martial note, that the 'Reindeer' pub in Long Bennington used to be a favourite haunt of Australian airmen?
For anyone with an interest in aviation history, this book, the second in PSL's Action Stations series (which will eventually cover every military airfield in the UK), is a 'must'. Lincolnshire and the East Midlands were bomber country during the Second World War and bore the brunt of the airborne offensive against the Third Reich. And many are the stories of heroism, tragedy, humour and success which emerge from the histories of the airfields in this area.
In this book the author begins by describing the background to the airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands - how they acquired their names, how they were laid out and what types of control towers and hangars were erected. He then gives the individual history of each base in the region from the time it first opened to what surviving structures may still be seen today. Arranged alphabetically for easy reference, with an index of units, map references and directions on how to get to each site.


by Bruce Barrymore Halpenny
Published by Patrick Stephens Ltd 1984 reprint 217pp mint, including d/j





Note:
"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "new edition" "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.