Balderton
Note: I believe this map shows the location of the WW2 aerodrome. Could somebody be kind enough to confirm it?
BALDERTON: Military aerodrome
Military users: WW2: RAF Bomber Command 5 Group
227 Sqdn (Avro Lancasters)
408 (RCAF) Sqdn (Handley Page Hampdens, later Handley Page Halifaxs)
USAAF 9th Air Force 50th Troop Carrier Wing
437th, 439th & 440th Transport Command Group (Douglas C-47 Skytrains)
Location: W of A1, 2.5nm SSE of Newark on Trent
Period of operation: 1941 to 1954
Runways: 08/26 1828x46 hard 02/20 1280x46 hard
14/32 1280x46 hard
NOTES: Five hangars were built plus hardstandings for 50 heavy bombers! Not the normal 36.
The history of No. 408 ‘Goose’ Squadron manned by Royal Canadian Air Force crews is fairly typical of the way squadrons were moved around during WW2 and they operated three types of bombers between July 1941 and September 1945. When first arriving here 408 were flying Hampdens but on their second visit Halifaxs were being flown. Towards the end they converted to Canadian built Lancasters and indeed flew these from LINTON-ON-OUSE back to Canada when the war in Europe ended in order to prepare for operations against Japan. But that war ended before they became involved.
In the four years whilst based in England, the squadron being formed at LINDHOLME, they were then moved to SYERSTON, BALDERTON and NORTH LUFFENHAM before coming back to BALDERTON for a second visit. They then left for LEEMING ending up at LINTON-ON-OUSE. As mentioned elsewhere I simply cannot understand this mania the RAF staff had for constantly moving squadrons around. It was so obviously counter-productive to the war effort so why did they insist on following this policy?
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