Heritage
of flight
they established radio location beacons
in the drop zones in advance of the
main D-Day airborne assault by allied
forces.
Like most 9th USAAF units
operations at North Witham moved
to Northern France in early 1945 and
the base was handed over to 5 Group
Bomber Command. The site was
placed into Care and Maintenance
in June 1945; some parts used for
bomb storage and other areas like the
domestic site taken over by the RAF
Regiment. This saw North Witham
becoming yet another site for handling
the demob of returning unit members;
again as a Sub-Depot of Belton Park.
259 Maintenance Unit (MU) was
also formed there in July 1945 before
moving on to Woolfox Lodge in August
1945. Structures such as loading
ramps and crane tracks (still visible)
were added to the short southern
runway to assist loading and unloading
of munitions.
Military site activities ceased in 1948
and around 650 acres were planted
with trees by the Forestry Commission.
in South Lincolnshire
Twyford Woods is a ‘must visit
location’ for anyone seeking the
sensation of walking on the original
wartime concrete of an American
World War II base. Allow an hour to
walk south from the small public car
parking area to theCELEBRATING
remains of the
former watch office and back.
Large areas are now densely
wooded but history floods back in
the centre of the former wartime
runways beset by the same gusty
winds that C-47’s skyward
Some areas of concrete have
been reclaimed by mother-nature
as the woodland encroaches, but
others feel almost ready to use!
Remember the thoughtful words
of one aviation researcher who
commented: “D-Day was under
way the moment the wheels of the
first C-47 left RAF North Witham at
21.59 on the night of 5 June 1944.”
OUR AVIATION HISTORY