Saturday, May 20, 2017

BRIGG GROUPS CAN HELP TELL THE STORY OF BOMBER COUNTY


FROM NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL

A new Aviation Heritage Festival is coming to North Lincolnshire later this year. We are looking for groups and organisations to help us tell the northern Lincolnshire aviation story from World War One to the present day. Could you help?
The festival, which will embrace our aviation heritage from the early 20th century to now, will take place on 16 July at Skydive Hibaldstow. Events of the past will be brought to life, to educate visitors and celebrate aviation in our area.
To tell this story we need the help of local, regional and national groups and organisations. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Vicki Brooks on 01724 297774 or email vicki.brooks@northlincs.gov.uk
A spokesperson at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This festival is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the story of northern Lincolnshire’s aviation heritage. Visitors from near and far can celebrate the brave efforts of those who fought for our freedom during the wars.
“If you or your organisation may be able to help, please get in touch with Vicki. You can help us inspire the aircrew and engineers of the future, by getting involved with the festival and by influencing an educational programme to tie in with the national curriculum.

NF ADDS: There were WW2 fighters based at the airfields in Hibaldstow and Kirton Lindsey, while bomber stations included Elsham and Kirmington. Many airmen used pubs in Brigg - during and after the war. So did women from local bases.


12 comments:

Ken Harrison said...

Elsham, Kirton Lindsey and Scampton were established in 1916 as Royal Flying Corps stations...established to attack Zeppelins, which regularly flew along the 'Zeppelin Corridor' to attack northern and Midland cities...as well as Humber targets..

Ken Harrison said...

One RAF Station, close to Brigg, is often forgotten, although it remained operational until the 1960's.
RAD Caistor, constructed as a relief/flying training station in 1940.
It ceased to function in 1963, as a result of the Cuban Nuclear Missile Crisis in October 62.
The Crisis, a time when we came very near a nuclear war, was a face-off between Kennedy and Khrushtrev.....but the Russians didn't just retreat from Cuba, as promoted for facades afterwards; they negotiated, but their withdrawal, that the USA would withdraw the nuclear missile bases facing Russia in Turkey and Italy. Similarly, part of the deal was the closure of RAF Thor nuclear missile in the UK...hence the closure of RAF Caistor in 1963...

Ken Harrison said...

Other local, often obscure, aviation snippets:
1. The R38 Airship crashed into the Humber, 1931.
2. The Spitfire that took off with a WAAF sitting on the tail happened at Hibaldstow....and the Spitfire, AB 910 is still flying with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
3.There was a Royal Naval Air Service station at N. Killingholm..from 1914..to undertake sea recce, but the aircraft were to slow to catch Zeppelins.
4.Barns Wallace and Nevil S. Norway (better known as Nevil Shute) were the chief engineers on the R100 Airship built at Howden). They repeatedly informed the Air Ministry that their airship R101, being built at Cardington in Bedfordshire, was too structually weak.
The R101 broke it back on its maiden flight over France.
Wallace's R100 was immensely strong being contructed with Barn's geodetic construction techniques.
The only flight the R100 made was to fly to Cardington where it was purposely destroyed by a steam roller...and that was the end of the British airship aviation....
5. The Germans' in WW1 used radio navigation to fly over the North Sea to bomb Britain...and after London, the Humber was the (owing to its distinctive coast line) 2nd over-fly zone.
6.A German bomber crashed into the escarpment near Worlaby..WW2.
7.An incendiary bomb was found lodged in the fork of a tree in 1924....thought to have been dropped by Zeppelin L13 about midnight 31 Jan/1Feb 1916 following its bombing raid on Scunny.
8. Concorde landed at Kirmington some years ago..while comparatively recently, the Canadian Lancaster was hangared there during its UK visit.
9.RAF Finningley, now Robin Hood Airport has a very long runway...as an RAF station, it had three operational squadrons of Valcans.... In recent years

Ken Harrison said...

continued...in recent years it was a recognised diversion airfield for the Space Shuttle, should the need arrive.

Ken Harrison said...

Amendment..the R38 crashed 1921, not 31 (typo error)..

Ken Harrison said...

Amendment..the R38 crashed 1921, not 31 (typo error)..

Ken Harrison said...

continued...in recent years it was a recognised diversion airfield for the Space Shuttle, should the need arrive.

Ken Harrison said...

Other local, often obscure, aviation snippets:
1. The R38 Airship crashed into the Humber, 1931.
2. The Spitfire that took off with a WAAF sitting on the tail happened at Hibaldstow....and the Spitfire, AB 910 is still flying with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
3.There was a Royal Naval Air Service station at N. Killingholm..from 1914..to undertake sea recce, but the aircraft were to slow to catch Zeppelins.
4.Barns Wallace and Nevil S. Norway (better known as Nevil Shute) were the chief engineers on the R100 Airship built at Howden). They repeatedly informed the Air Ministry that their airship R101, being built at Cardington in Bedfordshire, was too structually weak.
The R101 broke it back on its maiden flight over France.
Wallace's R100 was immensely strong being contructed with Barn's geodetic construction techniques.
The only flight the R100 made was to fly to Cardington where it was purposely destroyed by a steam roller...and that was the end of the British airship aviation....
5. The Germans' in WW1 used radio navigation to fly over the North Sea to bomb Britain...and after London, the Humber was the (owing to its distinctive coast line) 2nd over-fly zone.
6.A German bomber crashed into the escarpment near Worlaby..WW2.
7.An incendiary bomb was found lodged in the fork of a tree in 1924....thought to have been dropped by Zeppelin L13 about midnight 31 Jan/1Feb 1916 following its bombing raid on Scunny.
8. Concorde landed at Kirmington some years ago..while comparatively recently, the Canadian Lancaster was hangared there during its UK visit.
9.RAF Finningley, now Robin Hood Airport has a very long runway...as an RAF station, it had three operational squadrons of Valcans.... In recent years

Ken Harrison said...

History seems to repeat itself!!!

Ken Harrison said...

History seems to repeat itself!!!

Ken Harrison said...

Barnes Wallis......!!!!! Whose this Barns Wallace that keeps creeping in?

Ken Harrison said...

Barnes Wallis......!!!!! Whose this Barns Wallace that keeps creeping in?