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Information.
RAF Grantham opened in November 1916. The site is often confused with RAF Grantham at St Vincents House which housed Headquarters 5 Group between 1937 and 1943. In 1944 The airfield was renamed RAF Spitalgate.
Flying continued between the wars and at the outbreak of the Second World War RAF Grantham was home to
No: 12 Flying Training School and continued as a trainingbase throughout the war. A tradition which continnued until 1975 when the airfield closed. Today the site is home to the Royal Logistics Corps Territorial Army Centre, Grantham
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Squadrons stationed at RAF Grantham / Spitalgate
- No: 12 Flying Training School. 1939 to April 1942
- No: 12 (Pilots) AFU 1 Apr 1942 to 8 Feb 1945
- HQ 5 Gp Comms Flt 1938 to 14 Nov 1943
- 1536 Beam Approach Trg Flt. Mar 1943 to May 1945
- 17 SFTS. Mar 1945
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In October 1944 I escaped from occupied Amsterdam to the southern part of Holland which towards the end of that same year was liberated by the allied forces. Having volunteered for the Dutch Air Force I was sent to Britain where I arrived in March 1945. The RAF stations I went through were the following:
- 1. Cardington (intake) 11.04.1945 - 14.05.1945
- 2. Aptitude tests at the Grand Hotel (!) in Torquay
14.05.1945 - 28.05.1945
- 3. Basic training, 50 Initial Training Wing at Bridgnorth
28.05.1945 - 26.09.1945
- 4. 28 Elementary Flying Training School Wolverhampton/
24 War Course 26.09.1945 - 19.01.1946
- 5. Leave to Holland 19.01.1946 - 23.01.1946
- 6. 17 Flying Training School Spitalgate/Grantham; 61
Course 23.01.1946 - 24.10.1946.
Having got my wings I spent 2 years in what is now called Indonesia flying Dakotas for the Dutch Naval Air Force and then went back to civilian life.
I enclose a copy of the Presentation of Wings programme.
F/Lt Howitt and F/Lt Dhenin, G.M. were British physicians but the rest were all Dutch. At the top of page 3 I wrote: "30.8.57 Went down and was killed flying a Twin-Pioneer in New Guinea at the age of 34." and my note at the bottom says: " midshipman pilot, killed 5.7.1949 in a crash landing on the 'Theseus' during allied fleet manoeuvres in the Mediterranean."
I also add a copy of a "Spitalgate at Home" programme. The photographs glued on the last page were taken by me and show a Lincoln, an Auster and a Meteor on show during the event.
Nick Proper
Read about Nick's life in occupied Holland
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Photographs
If you have any Photographs you would like to share please get in touch.
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List of those who served at RAF Grantham / Spitalgate during WW2
- Nick Proper Read his Story
- Willem Bastiaan Straver dutch 12 SFTS Sqd (d. 15/03/1942 )
If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please get in touch.
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or aircrew, please get in touch.
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I also add a copy of a "Spitalgate at Home" programme. The photographs glued on the last page were taken by me and show a Lincoln, an Auster and a Meteor on show during the event.
