Woolfox Lodge
Location:
Dates of Operation:
Alongside the A1 near Greetham
1941 to 1944 – 5 Group airfield
1945 – Training base
1960 to 1964 – Bloodhound Surface
to Air Missile base
“Very successful operation, 218 Squadron completed
Glimmer exactly to schedule, with no casualties,
and simulated an extremely effective convoy”
Squadrons / Units:
RAF Woolfox Lodge
was opened as a Relief
Landing Ground
(RLG) for nearby
RAF Cottesmore in
1941 and then as
a satellite base
to RAF North
Luffenham with
61 Squadron
flying both
61 Squadron
218 Squadron
1651 Heavy Conversion
Unit (HCU)
62 Squadron (part of 151 Wing, RAF
North Luffenham)
40
Manchesters and
Lancasters.
The base was awarded
full station status in June
1943 with three typical
tarmac runways, five
hangars plus temporary
accommodation for nearly
1,400 people.
By early 1944 Woolfox
Lodge was home to 218
Squadron, operating
Stirlings. In mid-May the
squadron selected its best
crews to undertake timed
training flights - designed
for ‘Operation Glimmer’, the
major deception operation
flown by Bomber Command
as part of the D-Day
Landings.
‘Operation Glimmer’ saw
aircraft dropping ‘window’