Woolfox Lodge
WOOLFOX LODGE: Military aerodrome
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth.
Military users: WW2: RAF Bomber Command 3, 5 and 7 Groups
1651 HCU (Avro Lancasters)
1665 HCU (Short Stirlings)
1429 (Czech) OTF (Oxfords & Wellingtons)
29 OTU (Operational Training Unit)
61 Sqdn (Avro Manchesters)
90 Sqdn (Short Stirlings)
218 Sqdn (Short Stirlings later Lancasters)
635 Sqdn (Avro Lancasters)
33 HGMS (Possibly this was a HGMU - Heavy Glider Maintenance Unit?)
1944: USAAF 9th TCCSU and 62nd SCS (But nothing actually happened here it seems?)
1945: It appears that in Sept 1654 HCU moved here from WIGSLEY (Lancasters)
1951: RLG for 7 FTS Cottesmore
Location: Just E of and adjacent to the A1, 6nm NW of Stamford
Period of operation: 1940 to 1944. 1951 to 1964 but does missile use constitute flying activity?
1960 RAF Fighter Command 62 Squadron, (151 SAM Wing), with Bloodhounds until being disbanded in 1964
Runways: 1940: Initially all-over grass airfield?
1943: 03/21 1280x46 hard 08/26 1280x46 hard
14/32 1692x46 hard
NOTES: I suppose it is difficult to appreciate today the massive effort and resources that went into the preparation and training before crews went onto ‘full time’ combat missions. This said, despite the huge efforts made, this training was very often woefully inadequate to fully equip crews for front line duties. A poll taken in a PoW camp by RAF aircrew revealed the average amount of sorties conducted before being shot down…..was SIX!
The biggest problems started from the top both in the Air Ministry and the top brass in the RAF. Depending on your point of view it was either gross incompetence and/or sometimes having Nazi sympathisers deeply entrenched? Either way there is now little if any doubt that the management of and the strategies and methods employed on so many major raids were seemingly deliberately planned to aid the enemy and inflict maximum damage on the RAF.
218 SQUADRON
There is perhaps a liitle know episode in this squadrons history involving D-Day in 1944. Still flying Short Stirlings with 3 Group, they were one of several squadrons tasked with giving the Germans the impression that a large force of vessels were crossing the Channel for an invasion on the Pas de Calais. This involved flying at low level and dropping 'Windows', (long strips of aluminium), that would be picked up by German radar. A couple of German radar stations in the region were deliberately left untouched for this reason.
In order for this to work the aircraft had to fly an extremely accurate pattern, dropping batches of 'Windows' at very precise locations. An account by a navigator in 218 Squadron explained that in order to achieve this a 'double' crew was carried, complete with extra new and top secret apparatus.
Rick Axby
This comment was written on: 2018-03-04 13:17:46Who owns the Airfield now and can it be visited ??. My partners father flew from there with 218 Sqdn and would like to see the airfield as described in his Log Book.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Rick, Thank you for the enquiry. I have no idea who owns the land but some of the airfield can be seen from the road that runs parallel to the A.1. There is a small industrial estate there so perhaps so somebody might be able to help, especially with recommending any alternative views. I believe the WW2 control tower is still in existence. Perhaps a better option would be to contact a flying school/club and see if they can arrange a flight over the site. You could try Leicester East, Peterborough (Connington), Nottingham or Fenland for example. Woolfox Lodge is within the RAF Cottesmore MATZ (Military Air Traffic Zone), so there will no doubt be restrictions at certain times. Hope this helps, Regards, Dick
Bruce Duncan
This comment was written on: 2018-07-10 15:09:43In 1985 I took my father-in-law to the Rutland area to see if we could find the Woolfox airfield. By chance we came across a Borough refuse centre on the edge of the A1 surrounded by fields. I found a large opening in a hedge which I drove through and found myself on a concrete track. This turned out to be a perimeter road off which I made a 90 degree turn up the hill at the top of which the runways of the airfield appeared - complete after so many years. At the back of the airfield was the control tower referred to and in which my relative served as part of the RAF personnel. I have a photo of him standing in front of the tower which was rather derelict and had been housing sheep. A great find for father-in-law.
Davy Potter
This comment was written on: 2019-12-13 09:17:11Great website and lots of information especially the unusual interesting facts. Keep it going. Well done
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