RAF Lindholme
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RAF Lindholme RAF Hatfield Woodhouse 
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Lindholme, South Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||
| Built | 1937 | ||||||||||||||
| In use | 1938–1985 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 23 ft / 7 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 53°32′46″N 000°58′00″W / 53.54611°N 0.96667°WCoordinates: 53°32′46″N 000°58′00″W / 53.54611°N 0.96667°W | ||||||||||||||
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 RAF Lindholme
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Royal Air Force Station Lindholme or more simply RAF Lindholme is a former Royal Air Force station in South Yorkshire, England. It is located 3.9 miles (6.3 km) south of Thorne and 6.9 miles (11.1 km) north east of Doncaster and was initially called RAF Hatfield Woodhouse.
RAF Lindolme started life as an expansion scheme aerodrome built on the wide expanse of Hatfield moors, some five miles east of Doncaster. The site, to the east of the A614 Thorne to Bawtry road, was a mile south of the small village of Hatfield Woodhouse, the name first selected for the new station. Work began in the spring of 1938 taking in approximately 250 acres (1.0 km2) of pasture for the airfield itself and a further 150 for the camp and support facilities.
Three Type C hangars fronted the south-west side of the bombing circle, with a fourth and fifth behind the two outer hangars. The administration, technical and barrack area lay alongside the A614. As was common with these expansion scheme airfields, the construction of buildings took place over several months and the pace was only quickened by the outbreak of war. Officially opened in June 1940 under No.5 Group, No. 50 Squadron RAF and its Hampdens arrived the following month. Two and a half months after its official opening, notification was received on 18 August that the station name was to be changed to Lindholme, the reason being possible confusion with Hatfield airfield in Hertfordshire. Lindholme was a country house and hamlet on the eastern boundary of the airfield.
No. 50 was the sole resident at Lindholme until June 1941 when a new Canadian-manned bomber squadron was raised there. No. 408 Squadron RCAF was equipped with Hampdens and, once having found its feet, it was moved to Syerston to begin operations in July. The following month, Lindholme was one of a number of No.5 Group stations handed over to No.1 Group, as a result of which No.5 Group moved its No.50 Squadron to RAF Swinderby. From RAF Syerston, No.1 Group moved in two of the Polish squadrons under its charge – Nos.304 and 305 – both flying Vickers Wellingtons. These two squadrons, having been operational since April, continued their contribution to Bomber Command's offensive from the new station throughout the following winter. In May 1942, No.304 Squadron was detached to assist RAF Coastal Command but the detachment soon became an assignment and did not return to RAF Bomber Command. Two months later No. 305 squadron was transferred to RAF Hemswell to concentrate Polish-manned bomber squadrons on one station.
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