70 years ago this summer the Air Ministry began the
construction of a new bomber base in north Nottinghamshire, called RAF
Worksop. A new website has been set up to commemorate the life and times
of this base and to remember the personnel and aircraft that served there.
The airfield opened in March 1943 as an outstation to RAF
Finningley to look after the 18 (Polish) Operational Training Unit until they left in
1945. After this the base was used by various small units before the base
was used by the 6th Royal Tank Regiment in 1948. The Korean
war and the need to train aircrews on fighters saved the airbase and 211
Advanced Flying School moved in during 1952 with Gloster Meteors. The
base was also home to 616 RAuxAF squadron until 1957. 211 AFS was absorbed
into 4 Flight Training School in 1956 gaining De Havilland Vampires.
David Cook who created the website said “There seems to have
been very little written about the airbase and people are constantly asking
questions on what happened there, I thought I’d try to compile its
history in memorial for all those that served in the RAF.” He also added
that “It’s a shame there’s no memorial to the airbase –
if you walk past it now you wouldn’t even realise one existed, a lot of
foreign aircrews trained at the base including those from Poland, New Zealand,
Canada, and South Africa”.
He also wants peoples written accounts of their time at Worksop “I'm trying to get hold of ex-pupils, trainers and staff who
were on the base in order to compile a complete history and to help people
share their reminisces”.
The base eventually closed in 1960 and saw several uses until it
reverted to arable land during the early 21st century.
If you have any information please e-mail them at rafworksop@ymail.com follow them on Twitter at
@RAFWorksop. The website is at http://www.rafworksop.btck.co.uk/
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