RAF Sutton Bridge
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Royal Air Force Sutton Bridge or more simply RAF Sutton Bridge is a former
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...
found next to the village of
Sutton Bridge Sutton Bridge is a town and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A17 road, north from Wisbech and west from King's Lynn. The village includes a commercial dock on the west bank of the ...
in the south-east of
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
. The airfield was to the south of the current A17, and east of the
River Nene The River Nene ( or ) flows through the counties of Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk in Eastern England from its sources in Arbury Hill in Northamptonshire. Flowing Northeast through East England to its mouth at Lutt ...
, next to Walpole in
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
.


History

On 1 September 1926 the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
established R.A.F. Practice Camp Sutton BridgeThe official naming used and found in official Air Ministry notices, the London Gazette and other publications is "R.A.F. Practice Camp Sutton Bridge". One example publication: FLIGHT, 24 May 1928, Air Ministry Announcements, Page 394: The Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Intelligence, Appointments, I.W.C. Mackenzie to "R.A.F. Practice Camp, Sutton Bridge", 14.4.2

/ref> The National Archives (United Kingdom), The National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom, Reference: AIR 28/788 on 289
acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...
of acquired agricultural land next to Sutton Bridge village from Guy's Hospital Agricultural Estates.Combat Ready!, Author: Alastair Goodrum, Publisher: GMS Enterprises, Peterborough, 1997, Airfield Focus 65: Sutton Bridge, Author: Alastair Goodrum, Publisher: GMS Enterprises, Peterborough, 1997, It was the responsibility of the first camp commandant, Flight Lieutenant A. Mackenzie, to establish the base camp and its flying ground, to set up, operate and maintain ground and towed targets for practice machine gun firing and bomb dropping by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
and
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
squadrons. Its principal gunnery range was to be located along the coastal marshland on
The Wash The Wash is a shallow natural rectangular bay and multiple estuary on the east coast of England in the United Kingdom. It is an inlet of the North Sea and is the largest multiple estuary system in the UK, as well as being the largest natural ba ...
in close vicinity to the small village of Gedney Drove End (see Holbeach Marsh Range).GOV.UK Publications, Ministry of Defence: Holbeach Air Gunnery and Bombing Range Bylaws 1939.
/ref> Although an RAF aircraft gunnery practice camp from 1926, from 1 January 1932 it was officially renamed to No. 3 Armament Training CampPublication: FLIGHT, 8 January 1932, Air Ministry Announcements, Page 43: The Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Intelligence, Reorganisation of the Armament and Gunnery School, from 1 January 1932, R.A.F. practice camps will be known as armament training camps and numbered as follows...: No. 3 Armament Training Camp, Sutton Bridg

/ref> Sutton Bridge, subsequently No. 3 Armament Training Station Sutton Bridge,Publication: FLIGHT, 26 May 1938, Page 516, "A pair of Gloster Gauntlet single-seaters over the ranges at No. 3 Armament Training Station, Sutton Bridge

/ref> and later simply RAF Sutton Bridge. In October 1939 No. 266 Squadron RAF reformed at RAF Sutton Bridge as a fighter squadron and from January 1940 operated the
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
, becoming the RAF's second Spitfire fighter Squadron after
RAF Duxford Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area. History The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of t ...
’s
No. 19 Squadron RAF No. 19 Squadron (sometimes written as No. XIX Squadron) is a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first squadron to operate the Supermarine Spitfire. It currently operates the UK's Control and Reporting Centre from RAF ...
. In March 1940 No. 6 Operational Training Unit (OTU) was formed and arrived at RAF Sutton Bridge for training fighter pilots, commanded by Squadron Leader Philip Campbell Pinkham, with a complement of
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
, Miles Mentor and
North American Harvard The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, which was used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Ro ...
aircraft, including one
Gloster Gladiator The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. Developed privat ...
, its first pilot pool came from
No. 11 Group RAF No. 11 Group is a group in the Royal Air Force first formed in 1918. It had been formed and disbanded for various periods during the 20th century before disbanding in 1996 and reforming again in 2018. Its most famous service was in 1940 in the B ...
transferring to
No. 12 Group RAF No. 12 Group RAF (12 Gp) of the Royal Air Force was a group, a military formation, that existed over two separate periods, namely the end of the First World War when it had a training function and from just prior to the Second World War until t ...
of
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
. No. 6 OTU RAF was re-numbered in November 1940 to No. 56 OTU RAF and remained at RAF Sutton Bridge until relocating in March 1942 to RAF Tealing. The single most important function of RAF Sutton Bridge was as the home for the RAF's Central Gunnery School (CGS) from April 1942 to March 1944. Here for the first time, fighter pilots of
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
and air gunners of
RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...
were trained together so as to become Gunnery Instructors who would then be sent to airfields around the country to pass on newly acquired skills. In the words of Group Captain
Allan Wright Group Captain Allan Richard Wright, (12 February 1920 – 16 September 2015) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. Wright scored 11 kills, three shared kills, five probable kills and seven damag ...
"the Central Gunnery School itself was the first of its kind in the world".


Runway

4,200 ft Grass
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
, orientated North-East/South-West (NE/SW).
2,400 ft x 50 ft Sommerfeld Tracking runway, numbered 13/31.
3,450 ft x 150 ft PSP (Pierced steel planking)
Marsden Matting Marston Mat, more properly called pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), is standardized, perforated steel matting material developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the ...
runway, numbered 08/26.


Units present at Sutton Bridge

* R.A.F. Practice Camp, 1 September 1926 ― 31 December 1931 * Sutton Bridge Station Flight, April 1929 ― September 1941 * No. 3 Armament Training Camp, 1 January 1932 ― 28 February 1936 * No. 3 Armament Training Station, 1 March 1936 ― 3 September 1939 * No. 3 Recruits Sub-Depot, 3 September 1939 ― (re-designated) * No. 3 Recruits Training Pool, September 1939 ― 16 November 1939 (unit deactivated) *
No. 264 Squadron RAF No. 264 Squadron RAF, also known as No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. World War I No. 264 Squadron was first formed during the First World War, from two former Royal Naval Air Service flights, No. ...
, 1 November 1939 ― 25 November 1939 * No. 266 Squadron RAF, 30 October 1939 ― 29 February 1940 * Towed Target Flight, later Station Flight, Sutton Bridge, 1 January 1940 ― 30 November 1940 *
No. 254 Squadron RAF No. 254 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was the designation of a number of units formed throughout the 20th century. History World War One No. 254 Squadron first formed in 1918 as a coastal reconnaissance squadron operating from Prawle Point. ...
, 9 December 1936 ― 27 January 1940 *
No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF The numero sign or numero symbol, (also represented as Nº, No̱, No., or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, the ...
(OTU), 10 March 1940 ― 31 October 1940 * No. 56 Operational Training Unit RAF (formerly No. 6 OTU), 1 November 1940 ― 31 March 1942 * No. 1489 Flight, later Target Towing Flight, Sutton Bridge, 1 October 1941 ― ca. April 1942 * No. 2884 Squadron RAF Regiment (LAA Squadron), between 1 June 1943 ― 30 November 1943 * RAF Central Gunnery School (CGS), 1 April 1942 ― 23 February 1944 * No. 2750 Squadron RAF Regiment (
Duxford Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area. History The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of t ...
), with detachment at
RAF Wittering Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire ...
, 1 June 1943 ― 31 October 1943 * No. 7 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF, 1 March 1944 ― 1944 * No. 16 (Pilots) Service Flying Training School (SFTS), 1944 ― August 1944 * No. 7 (French Air Force) Service Flying Training School (SFTS), September 1944 ― November 1944 * No. 1 Ground & Target Towing Flight (
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
USAAF), May 1944 ― November 1944 * No. 7 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF, 21 June 1944 ― November 1944 * No. 7 Service Flying Training School RAF (SFTS), November 1944 ― April 1946 *
No. 58 Maintenance Unit RAF The following is a list of Royal Air Force Maintenance Units (MU). The majority of MUs were previously Equipment Depots (ED), Storage Depots (SD) and Aircraft Storage Units (ASU)s. No. 1 MU – No. 100 MU No. 101 MU – No. 200 MU No. ...
, 20 July 1954 ― 1 November 1957#1 Account of RAF Aircraft Engineer Joe Bosher (serving from late 1956 with No. 58 Aircraft Maintenance Unit RAF) stationed at RAF Sutton Bridge
/ref>


Airfield ground defences

During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, airfield ground defence at RAF Sutton Bridge consisted an array of
Anti-Aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...
(AA) weapons, such as
Bofors 40 mm Bofors 40 mm gun is a name or designation given to models of 40 mm calibre automatic anti-aircraft guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors: * Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/43 - developed in the 1930s with market entry in 1934, wid ...
cannons and
Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...
or
Vickers machine guns The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a Water cooling, water-cooled .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army. The gun was operated by a three-man crew but typically required more me ...
, manned by some 66 officers and men of "D" Company 1st Battalion of the
Cambridgeshire Regiment The Cambridgeshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, and was part of the Territorial Army. Originating in units of rifle volunteers formed in 1860, the regiment served in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First and Seco ...
, from defences and '' pillboxes'' distributed around the airfield station perimeter. Two such pillboxes still stand and can be found along the former airfield perimeter (see Pillbox #1: , Pillbox #2: ). As most air raid warnings occurred during the hours of darkness, a
searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely luminosity, bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a part ...
battery operated by 10 men of the
Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
was also present.


Decoy "Q" site

Expecting attacks by the German ''
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
'' on RAF airfields, the Air Ministry implemented a plan for secret decoy airfields in 1939.Norfolk And Suffolk Aviation Museum - DECOY SITES, Wartime Deception in Norfolk and Suffolk, Huby Fairchild.
Sites intended to attract night raids were designated "Q" sites, while decoys for day raids were known as "K" sites. RAF Sutton Bridge had a "Q" site, four miles north-east of the airfield (), on cultivated farmland in Norfolk, at Terrington Marsh, near the village of
Terrington St Clement Terrington St Clement is a village and civil parish in King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough and district in Norfolk, England. It is in the drained marshlands to the south of the Wash, west of King's Lynn, Norfolk, and east of Sutton Bridge, Li ...
.BBC Archive of World War Two memories, Article ID: A6674394, Terrington Marsh "Q" Site, 1940.
/ref> The "Q" site consisted of an elaborate lighting system, including adjustable-intensity electric lights, to simulate a runway flare path, and other runway lights. Obstruction lights were also installed, to prevent Allied aircraft from mistakenly landing on the decoy dummy airfield.


Air raid attacks

The German Luftwaffe took its first aerial bombing assault on RAF Sutton Bridge on the night of 30–31 August 1940, where the Terrington decoy "Q" site would prove its effectiveness. On that night, four
High Explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
(HE) bombs were dropped North-West of the detected "Q" site flare-path, with a further fifteen explosions minutes later. Another air raid, on 22 September 1940, saw a single German
bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...
drop a further seven bombs on the "Q" site. The Luftwaffe returned in strength on 14 February 1941, twelve bombers unloaded 47 High Explosive bombs and approximately 1,000
incendiary bombs Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires. They may destroy structures or sensitive equipment using fire, and sometimes operate as anti-personnel weaponry. Incendiarie ...
, once again the decoy "Q" site proved its effectiveness, on the next night the Luftwaffe returned. On 16 February 1941, amidst low
cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may ...
and afternoon
drizzle Drizzle is a light precipitation which consists of liquid water drops that are smaller than those of rain – generally smaller than in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low stratiform clouds and stratocumulus clouds. Precipitation r ...
, and without warning, a single
Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...
bomber appeared out of the grey sky, circuited RAF Sutton Bridge airfield, dropped nine bombs and sprayed the area with machine gun fire, before disappearing back into the cloud as quickly as it had appeared. One further air raid followed on the "Q" site when two bombers dropped eight High Explosive bombs shortly after midnight on 17–18 February 1941. No further direct air raid attacks materialized during
the Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...
until the early hours of 12 May 1941 when Sutton Bridge was re-visited by the Luftwaffe, as part of a series of countrywide air raids targeting infrastructures and RAF airfields. Between the hours of 1-2 am on 12 May 1941, in addition to attacking the neighbouring town of Spalding, three bombers conducted a separate aerial bombing assault on RAF Sutton Bridge airfield, sixteen bombs fell in total on parked Hawker Hurricanes, setting two on fire and causing severe damage to seven others.Spalding Guardian, 70th anniversary of bombing of Spalding, 12 May 2011.
/ref> On 24 July 1942 during a raid four bombs were dropped, one landing on the armoury. The Fighter Wing office and lecture rooms were destroyed, two hangars, a decontamination centre and the orderly room were damaged. An airman was critically injured.


Central Gunnery School

The Central Gunnery School (CGS) was formed on 6 November 1939 after the RAF recognised the need for both continuing and advanced instruction, initially for air gunners in Bomber Command. Its first base was
RAF Warmwell Royal Air Force Warmwell or more simply RAF Warmwell is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station near Warmwell in Dorset, England from 1937 to 1946, located about 5 miles east-southeast of Dorchester, Dorset, Dor ...
and the CGS ran its first course in April 1940, where the main focus was on turret-gunnery. On 1 April 1942 the CGS moved from
RAF Chelveston Royal Air Force Chelveston or more simply RAF Chelveston is a former Royal Air Force station located on the south side of the B645 (former A45 road), east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, England. During ...
near Northampton to RAF Sutton Bridge. During the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
, it became apparent that while aircrew had acquired essential flying skills, they had received little or no training in aerial gunnery. This was a serious deficiency for inexperienced pilots, meaning such training and the teaching of
deflection shooting Deflection shooting is a technique of shooting ahead of a moving target, also known as leading the target, so that the projectile will "intercept" and collide with the target at a predicted point. This technique is necessary when the target will ...
had largely to be carried out or just picked up during operations, resulting in fewer combat successes. For this reason, and after repeated approaches to senior officers by Wing Commander
Adolph Malan Adolph Gysbert Malan, (3 October 1910 – 17 September 1963), better known as Sailor Malan, was a South African fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force (RAF) who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain. He finishe ...
widely known as ‘Sailor’ Malan, he finally received authority to set up a Fighter Wing at the CGS. He was a respected leader and high-scoring fighter pilot, whose Ten Rules For Air Fighting were already on many fighter squadron notice boards. There was mutual advantage for the Bomber and Fighter wings to be based at the same location so that relevant gunnery flying exercises could be carried out together. Thus, the Central Gunnery School transferred to Sutton Bridge on 1 April 1942, with its new wider remit, and remained until February 1944. It comprised the Gunnery Leader (Bomber) Wing and the Pilot Gunnery Instructors Training Wing. Each training course lasted a month and comprised 10 fighter pilots and 32 air gunners; with a 50% overlap of courses there were always twice that number of airmen at the School. Thus, its purpose was to give advanced training to experienced aircrew to become gunnery Instructors who were then posted to airfields around the country to use their newly acquired instructing skills. Fighter Command and Bomber Command worked together at the airfield. The two principal aircraft used were the
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
and the
Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson, a key feature of t ...
respectively, although a large number of aircraft types were based at the airfield.


Pilot Gunnery Instructors Training Wing

Spitfire pilots with operational experience were given a month's training to become gunnery Instructors who would then be posted out to APCs (Armament Practice Camps) to teach freshly trained pilots deflection shooting. Some of the training was undertaken using wing-mounted cine-cameras, simulating attacks with machine guns and cannons. In order to learn how to attack bombers and to learn dogfighting skills, the simulated attacks were made on both Wellingtons and on other Spitfires; for some purposes the School's target towing aircraft were sufficient as targets for these attacks. The gunnery film taken during simulated attacks was subsequently evaluated to assess proficiency. Training using live ammunition was carried out on drogue targets (similar to a windsock), towed behind a
target tug A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent c ...
, most commonly
Miles Master The Miles M.9 Master was a British two-seat monoplane advanced trainer designed and built by aviation company Miles Aircraft, Miles Aircraft Ltd. It was inducted in large numbers into both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) durin ...
s or
Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander is a British Army cooperation aircraft, army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War. After becoming obsolete in the army co-operat ...
s.
Hawker Henley The Hawker Henley was a British two-seat target tug derived from the Hawker Hurricane that was operated by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Design and development In 1934 Air Ministry Specification P.4/34 was issued which cal ...
s were also used briefly at the School - see link for photograph of a drogue. The CGS operated its own Target Towing Flight. The ammunition of various Spitfires was painted in different colours, for example, blue green and red. Three Spitfires made attacks on one drogue, after which the target-towing aircraft dropped the drogue at a dropping zone near the airfield; it would then stream another drogue in readiness for another three pilots to make their attacks. By subsequent examination of the colour of the paint around the holes in the drogue, percentage hit rates of individual pilots could be assessed. In 1943, the Air Ministry produced a 48-page training book for fighter pilots titled "Bag The Hun". This dealt with the estimation of range and angle off in deflection shooting, with the sub-title "Try This Series Of Exercises & Improve Your Shooting". This formed the basis of the training, and was issued to all instructors and pilots attending fighter gunnery courses. (For modern animation of a gunnery training class, see external links.) A typical series of pilot's logbook entries for training flights during a course at the School would include: Ranging and line of flight on
Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...
;
Range estimation on
Wellington Bomber The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson, a key feature of ...
(Wimpy);
¼ attack on Wimpy;
Deflection practice on Spitfire 200mph;
Deflection 250mph;
Deflection 300mph;
¼ attack on Spitfire;
Half roll attack on
Miles Master The Miles M.9 Master was a British two-seat monoplane advanced trainer designed and built by aviation company Miles Aircraft, Miles Aircraft Ltd. It was inducted in large numbers into both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) durin ...
;
¼ attack and half roll from above on Wimpy;
Spitfire evading 200mph;
Spitfire evading 300mph;
¼ attack on Miles Master;
¼ attack on Miles Master with patter;
Varied attacks on Wimpy;
Astern shots at Spitfire;
Snap shots at Spitfire;
Attacking Wimpy taking full evasion.
(Wimpy = RAF aircrew nickname for Vickers Wellington bomber).


Gunnery Leader (Bomber) Wing

During the simulated attacks by Spitfires on Wellingtons, the bomber Gunnery Leaders were also trained using cine-film rather than live ammunition. Again, the film was subsequently evaluated to assess proficiency. After passing the course, trainees were posted to Operational Training Units around the country, where they became Instructors to train bomber gunnery crews.


Officers commanding Central Gunnery School 1942 to 1944

Station Commanders RAF Sutton Bridge: * 7 May 42 to 5 Sep 42 Gp. Capt. Claude Hilton Keith * 5 Sep 42 to 26 Nov 43 Gp. Capt. Charles Eric St John Beamish * 26 Nov 43 to 22 Feb 44 Gp. Capt. Michael Harington Dwyer Officers Commanding Pilot Gunnery Instructor Training Wing, CGS: * Mar 1942 to Sep 1942 Wg. Cdr.
Adolph Malan Adolph Gysbert Malan, (3 October 1910 – 17 September 1963), better known as Sailor Malan, was a South African fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force (RAF) who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain. He finishe ...
* Sep 1942 to Dec 1942 Wg. Cdr. Peter Russell 'Johnnie' Walker * Dec 1942 to Jun 1943 Wg. Cdr. James Rankin * Jun 1943 to Oct 1943 Wg. Cdr. Peter Russell 'Johnnie' Walker * Oct 1943 to (Feb 1944) Wg. Cdr.
Alan Christopher Deere Air Commodore Alan Christopher Deere, (12 December 1917 – 21 September 1995) was a New Zealand fighter ace with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was also known for several near-death experiences over the course o ...
Officers Commanding Gunnery Leader (Bomber) Wing, CGS: * Mar 1942 to Jun 1942 Wg. Cdr. John Mortimer Warfield * Jun 1942 to Jun 1943 Wg. Cdr. J.J. Sutton * Jun 1943 to Dec 1943 Wg. Cdr. Claydon * Dec 1943 to (Feb 1944) Wg. Cdr. Arthur Ernest Lowe Chief Instructors Fighter Wing, CGS: * Mar 1942 to Sep 1942 Sqn. Ldr. Allan Richard Wright * Oct 1942 to Feb 1943 Sqn. Ldr. Peter William Lefevre * Feb 1943 to Jun 1943 Sqn. Ldr. Thomas Balmforth * Jun 1943 to Sep 1943 Sqn, Ldr.
Robert Dafforn Robert Dafforn, (2 March 1916 – 9 September 1943) was a British flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with having shot down at least eight aircraft. Born in Horton, Berkshire, Dafforn ...
(K) * Sep 1943 to (Feb 1944) Sqn. Ldr. Archibald Winskill The Central Gunnery School transferred to
RAF Catfoss Royal Air Force Catfoss, or more simply RAF Catfoss, is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station during the World War II, Second World War. It was located west of Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and ...
in March 1944.


Closure and later use

In 1958, RAF Sutton Bridge was closed, and its land site sold to the
Ministry of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
. The former RAF station site continues to be utilised by the Potato Marketing Board as a leading UK
agricultural experiment station An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with ...
(Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research). The National Archives (United Kingdom), The National Archives (The National Archives document reference No.: FY): Records of the Potato Marketing Boards, 1933-1997. Small remnants of RAF Sutton Bridge airfield still exist, including the recladded Hinaidi-type aircraft
hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
, a repurposed
Bellman Bellman may refer to: * Town crier, an officer of the court who makes public pronouncements * Bellhop, a hotel porter * Bellman (surname) * Bellman (diving), a standby diver and diver's attendant * Bellman hangar, a prefabricated, portable aircraft ...
-type aircraft hangar (located at ), an RAF station radio mast, and two airfield perimeter pillboxes. The Hinaidi-type hangar (located at ), was built during the airfield's expansion and maintenance works carried out throughout the 1930s by the 'En-Tout-Cas Co. (Syston) Ltd., (Aviation Dept.)' of
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
, who were the Air Ministry contractors of Landing Grounds, Aerodrome Buildings and Gun Ranges.Publication: FLIGHT, 25 November 1937, Advertisement Notice, between Pages 510-511: "EN-TOUT-CAS have carried out contracts at the following:- AIR MINISTRY AERODROMES... Sutton Bridge Aerodrome, Lincs.

/ref> The Hinaidi-type aircraft hangar replaced two of the airfield's original four
Bessonneau hangar The Bessonneau hangar was a portable timber and canvas aircraft hangar used by the France, French History of the Armée de l'Air (1909-1942), ''Aéronautique Militaire'' and subsequently adopted by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Royal ...
s during the 1930s. It is believed to be one of very few, if not the only one of this type, still existing in the UK. Additionally, the RAF station radio mast (located at ) and two perimeter pillboxes (see Pillbox #1: , Pillbox #2: ) still remain. The main gate entrance to the former RAF station site was on the west airfield side embankment (located at ).


See also

* Wartime Sutton Bridge
UK Airfields : Sutton Bridge


References


External links



* [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/36994/holeach_air_gunnery_bombing_range.pdf GOV.UK Publications, Ministry of Defence: Holbeach Air Gunnery and Bombing Range Bylaws 1939]
Lincolnshire Bomber County Aviation Resource website: RAF Sutton Bridge Memorial

Modern illustration of a gunnery training session based on Air Ministry's 1943 "Bag The Hun" manual
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton Bridge Royal Air Force stations in Lincolnshire Military installations established in 1926 Military installations closed in 1957