North Luffenham flying sites
NORTH LUFFENHAM: Military aerodrome later also military heliport
Note: This picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Note: These four items were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'.
Military users: WW2: RAF Bomber (5 Group) and Training Commands
Note: In researching this subject it really is astonishing how much information varies. For example I thought I had found a source of information regarding NORTH LUFFENHAM which was so detailed I felt that it had to accepted as being correct. But then I decided to look at the information available for these individual squadron histories.
This is not to say that the original source is incorrect. It may well be correct but I have, so far, found no means to confirm to dismiss this. Can anybody please assist here?
5 Squadron: Listings for it being based exist, but I cannot find any firm evidence to date.
7 Squadron. As above, listed but no evidence found.
23 Squadron. Just the same, nothing found.
51 Squadron. Here again no evidence found to substantiate them being based here.
91 Squadron. Once again, nothing found to link this squadron here.
92 Squadron. And finally, still nothing found.
TRAINING
17 EFTS [Elementary Flying Training School] (DH.82A Tiger Moths)
1653 HGCU [Heavy Glider Conversion Unit] 1944
29 HCU [Heavy Conversion Unit) 1944 to 1945
61 Sqdn OTU [Operational Training Unit] (Handley Page Hampdens)
144 Sqdn (Handley Page Hampdens)
Note: It appears 61 and 144 Squadrons were moved here from RAF HEMSWELL in 1941.
408 (RCAF) Sqdn (Handley Page Hampdens)
Late 1944: Glider Erection Unit (MAP)
Post 1945: RAF Bomber, Flying Training and Transport Commands 25 Group
No.1 FTS (Fighter Training Squadron)
102 FRS
1653 HCU
21 HGCU
238 OCU
Note: It appears that 228 OCU, temporarily renumbered as 238 OCU, were detached here from RAF LEEMING, where the runways there were being extended to 7000 feet, (2130 metres), for Gloster Javelin operations. It appears they remained here for over a year.
240 OCU
1382 TCU
1951: Became a RCAF base with No.1 Fighter Wing 410 (Cougar), 439 (Tiger) and 441 (Silver Fox) Squadrons. The first Canadian NATO base in Europe. They stayed until 1955 before moving to Marville in France.
In 1952: RAF 1 LRFU were formed and briefly based here
1955: Reverted back to RAF control AWOCU
238 OCU Temporary: 111 Squadron
1978: RAF ATC Wing
Heliport: 1960 onwards operated by the Army
Manufacturing: WW2: 1943 Ministry of Aircraft Production
Location: SE of Edith Weston & NE of North Luffenham villages, 6nm SW of Oakham
Period of operation: 1940, (some sources state1941) to 1958 for fixed wing flying.
In 1959 became a RAF Bomber Command ‘Thor’ IRBM missile Base until 1963. Also 151 Wing Fighter Command with Bristol Bloodhound SAMs until 1963.
RAF ground units, such as the Aviation Medical Training and Tests Unit, used the base until 1997. (Other sources say 1998)
A JIM ELEY GALLERY
Note: In the last picture, with the Vampire formation, NORTH LUFFENHAM airfield can be seen.
After serving with 514 Squadron flying Lancasters at the end of WW2, in 1951 Jim was selected - along with another bomber pilot - to become a fighter pilot. This was a three month course and the first six weeks were spent at OAKINGTON, learning to fly Harvards, and the introduction to fighter pilot techniques etc.
Then they posted here to fly Spitfires and Vampires. Just why the RAF saw fit to waste time converting pilots to fly an advanced but obsolete piston-engine fighter, before training on jets seems a mystery. It must surely have been counter-productive?
Note: Although fixed wing flying ceased in 1958 it finally closed as a RAF station in 1999, NORTH LUFFENHAM is apparently now under Army command, and, it was envisaged in 2001 that Army helicopter operations might take place. Has this happened?
Runways: WW2: 1941 to 1943 grass airfield
Later in WW2: 1944: 01/19 1280x46 hard 08/26 1829x46 hard
14/32 1280x46 hard
NOTES: It seems that 29 OTU took part in the first 1000 bomber raids on Germany in May and June 1942.
THE GIDER ERA
In 1943 it appears that General Aircraft Hamilcar assault gliders were assembled here and in 1944 the HGCU (Heavy Glider Conversion Unit) started arriving from BRIZE NORTON with Airspeed Horsas towed by Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys
OPERATION 'LEAPFROG 1'
The arrival of the RCAF 439 (Tiger) Squadron in May 1952, it seems, went down in the aviation history books as being a notable achievement. Named Operation ‘Leapfrog 1’ they ferried 21 Canadair Sabres, (License built North American Sabres and single-engined of course), over the North Atlantic with refuelling stops scheduled at Bogatville, Goose Bay, Bluie West 1, Keflavik and Kinloss. Scheduled to be a four day trip, weather increased this to sixteen days.
In September Operation ‘Leapfrog 2’ was undertaken by three RCAF squadrons which included three Sabres destined for RAF service! Until embarking on this research I never knew the RAF operated Sabres - did you? Go to the top of the class if you did.
A PICTURE
In June 2021 Simon Donell sent me this picture, quite possibly taken by his father, and asked if it could be identified. Mike Holder came to the rescue and told us it was NORTH LUFFENHAM. Simon also wondered when exactly it was taken? This is not known?
A SHORT STAY
In February 1958 111 Squadron with Hunter F.6s arrived for a short stay from RAF NORTH WEALD whilst the runways were being repaired. 111 Squadron provided the RAF with the premier Black Arrows display team. They departed for RAF WATTISHAM in June.
SOMETHING OF INTEREST?
It appears that the de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth, G-ANRV, (ex N9300), was registered to Allan Gerald McCallum, of 1(F) Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force, and based here from 28.02.55 until 19.08.57. And then scrapped.
AN INTERESTING STORY
We have Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for finding this account from Ken Wallis Experiences.
"The most positive proof of the efficiency of the single-seat autogyro must surely be in the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment report, following the 'Airfield Damage and Repair Reconnaissance Trails' at North Luffenham Airfield in 1987. This involved Day and Night All-Weather flying of my single seat Rolls-Royce powered WA-117, G-AVOV, and some single seat WA-118's which were Limbach and Rotax powered."
"The WA-117 was equipped with Infra-Red Linescan with 'real-time' imagery transmission to a ground viewing and recording station, (the kit was valued at £90,000!) Also taking part in the trials were a 'Puma' helicopter with six men maintaining and flying it, plus a 'Gazelle' helicopter with four crew and engineers and finally a remote piloted helicopter that didn't work - in fact we all had to take cover if they tried to fly it."
NORTH LUFFENHAM: Private airstrip
Location: Just N of North Luffenham village, on part of disused NORTH LUFFENHAM WW2 aerodrome
Period of operation: 1980s only?
NOTES: Was this during the period when NORTH LUFFENHAM was officially in LEICESTERSHIRE?
Geoff Milner
This comment was written on: 2019-04-08 15:07:34ref 1653 H.C.U You have some dates wrong.My late father trained as a pilot then flight Engineer and joined his new crew at North Luffenham on 4th Nov 1944 and trained together until they left on 23rd Feb 1945 and went to C flight 115 Sqdn at RAF Witchford.All the best Geoff Milner
Jan Pilkington
This comment was written on: 2020-05-26 13:15:46Geoff, I'm interested in your comments about your late father.My father was a navigator and was in C flight /115 sqn at Witchford too. He trained in Canada.He was posted to N Luffenham on completion of his sorties as an instructor.
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
