Dunholme Lodge
DUNHOLME LODGE: Military aerodrome
Note: These three pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: RAF Bomber Command 1 Group
44 (Rhodesia), 49, 170 & 619 Sqdns (Avro Lancasters)
Location: Just SW of Welton village, W of Dunholme and 5nm NE of Lincoln
Period of operation: 1943 to 1964
Runways: WW2: 16/34 1554x46 hard 04/22 1829x46 hard
09/27 1280x46 hard
NOTES: You will by now have noticed that nearly all RAF WW2 airfields have one runway that is much longer than the others. This was presumably the one usually used for taking off when fully loaded.
When returning and much lighter it is of course much easier to land on a runway that is more or less into wind especially as in WW2 nearly all aircraft, including heavy bombers, where still ‘tail-draggers’. On the other hand when exercises were taking place with aircraft at much less than AUW (All Up Weight) a runway more into wind was probably used when taking-off?
AN INTERESTING ASIDE
I found an interesting note on a web site regarding 44 Squadron that in WW2 it was named 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, to acknowledge the country in the Empire where the crews, (and presumably engineers etc), had come from. A common practise and quite rightly so. But, the note goes on to say that 44 Squadron had more men per capita than any other Empire country. I wonder how many black people from Rhodesia were serving? Without much doubt - none? Only an item of small interest I suppose and we certainly must always remember their courage and sacrifice.
PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE
Even so, yet another example of misleading minor statistics as these small numbers of people from Rhodesia account for little against those provided by New Zealand, Australia and most of all, Canada.
And of course, to a large extent as in WW1 trench warfare, the RAF bombing campaign was largely a numbers business, basically based on how many aircraft and crews could be afforded to be thrown away. It was a very, very brutal campaign.
Sjaan Smits
This comment was written on: 2017-11-29 20:53:4722 june 1944 a Lancaster III LM 592 Bomber crashed at Riethoven in the Netherlands. All of the 7 men died. We wonder if there are still relatives of these brave men.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Dear Sjaan, Many thanks for your enquiry, I shall keep this posted. Without any doubt there will be relatives and I do hope the message gets to them. Could you kindly add a contact address. Best regards, Dick
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