Strubby
STRUBBY: Military aerodrome, later helipad & gliding site
Note: These pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
Military user: WW2: RAF Bomber Command 5 Group
619 & 630 Sqdns (Avro Lancasters)
1975: (Satellite of MANBY operating DH Dominies and Vickers Varsitys)
Operated by: 1980s: Bond Helicopters Ltd
1990/2000: Mr C V Stubbs & Sons and Strubby Gliding Club
2001: Lincolnshire Gliding Club
2002: Strubby Aviation
Gliding: 1981 Strubby Gliding Club
Location: S of A157, W of A1104, WSW of Maltby-le-Marsh, NW of Beesby & NE of Woodthorpe and the B1375, 3nm N of Alford, 4nm SW of Mablethorpe
Period of operation: Military: 1944 to 1972 (1977 at least according to another source). Civil from (?) to -
Runways: WW2: 08/26 1929x46 hard 02/20 1344x46 hard
14/32 1441x46 hard
1990/2000: 08/26 850x46 hard
Note: In October 2022 I was kindly contacted by Mr Mark Taylor who had paid a visit earlier that year. He tells us that this site is now regarded as being two sites; STRUBBY NORTH and STRUBBY SOUTH.
STRUBBY NORTH has two parallel runways, one hard and the other grass. These being, for powered aircraft:
08/26 (About) 600 hard 08/26 (About) 450 grass
STRUBBY SOUTH was being operated by the Lincoln Gliding Club, then using the grassed section of an old WW2 runway:
08/26 650 grass
NOTES: Here again and I apologise if it’s getting boring in this 'Guide', why were all three of these WW2 runways of non-standard length? Surely there must be a reason?
The disused heliport and 'runway' is NE of the present runway.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
According to a poll taken amongst RAF aircrew taken from PoWs at one camp, the average number of sorties flown over enemy territory by Bomber Command aircrews before being shot down in the 1943/44 period, (and with some aircrew surviving of course), was SIX! As so many crews soon realised once on ‘operations’ they were nearly always on suicidal missions.
Today, when looked back upon, it is hard to deny that many raids planned by the top brass in the Air Ministry and RAF Bomber Command, were deliberately planned to inflict maximum damage to the RAF aircrews and aid the German forces. This is not just my opinion, the facts are there for all to see. But, in any war, what is going on behind the scenes is a very murky and unsavioury business, and, regarding WW2 and Bomber Command, I doubt the truth will ever be revealed.
Indeed, it is known that at one RAF Bomber Command Station at least, newly trained aircrews reporting for duty were told, “You are now on operations, your life expectancy is six weeks, go to your billet and make out your will.” What a welcome!
DUAL OCCUPANCY?
In 1977 STRUBBY was still listed, according to one source, as a military/ministry site. This said, it appears that the Bölkows Bo 105D G-BAMF, Bo 105C G-BATC and the Sikorsky S-58T were based here, operated by Management Aviation.
PERMISSION GRANTED
In 2008 planning permission was gained to increase GA movements from fifty a day on three days of the year to allow 'Fly-Ins'.
A PERSONAL MEMORY
Back in 2002, on a tour of more northern airfields in late August, it had been my intention to visit STRUBBY. But checking out the situation at WICKENBY it was clear that a massive fog bank was swiftly moving in over the entire region, as far south as Cambridge. Over the radio, I heard aircraft diverting all over the place, and I just managed to land back at BOURN.
It was of course a graphic illustration of the kind of conditions so many bomber aircrews faced in WW2 when returning from raids, exhausted, short of fuel and as often as not being very scared and indeed frightened. But this was the region, where those in charge had decided to base most of the RAF bomber bases.
BRIAN GOODE
This comment was written on: 2017-10-16 12:15:25Dear old Strubby, I was there from 1954-56 At this time it was aa satellite for Manby, under Flying Training Command flying Meteors and Canberra's, I was a member of the crash crew when Ares iv was "written off", Not a word leaked out, The pilot was at least an Air Commodore, he had two rows of scrambled egg on the peak of his cap! Lady Katy Boyle christened Ares v the day of my demob, it was raining hard, rather than get soaked walking to the airfield at Manby, I decided to go home. God Bless Stub. 4105398 Goode B.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Brian, Many thanks for the memories which I shall keep posted. Best regards, Dick
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