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History :: Airfield defences and the anti-air war | ||||||
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In addition to generation bombing, reconnaissance and anti-shipping sorties, providing fighters for defensive counter-air missions and training new crews, the RAF in Lincolnshire contributed towards the air defences of the county and its airfields. Local airfield defences appeared to be without particular group-wide planning. For example, a survey by 20th Century Defences in Britain showed that RAF Digby was only moderately defended while its satellite airfield of RAF Wellingore is particularly heavily defended. Airfield defencesAirfields were protected against direct and indirect attack. This was ultimately the mission which led to the creation the Royal Air Force Regiment at Alma House in Dec 1941. For example, 2751 Squadron RAF Regiment provided airfield defence at RAF Spilsby. The disastrous evacuation of the British Army from Dunkirk in 1940 left a chronic shortage in all types of military equipment. The impact of rationing active anti-air defences left Lincolnshire's towns unprotected from the ground, except for Lincoln, the Humber and Grantham. The airfields were to receive limited AA assets. Many airfields co-ordinated their local defence from a battle headquarters. The battle HQ was mostly underground but has an integrated observation position, or OP. This OP consists of a chamber topped with a thick concrete cupola, affording a horizontal slit view approximately 15 cm high in all directions. One of the more interesting examples of airfield defence was the Pickett-Hamilton fort. This was a hydraulically controlled two-man concrete box that lay flush with the ground. It was ready to be jacked into place in the event of a glider or parachute assault on the airfield. Churchill's enthusiasm for the idea led to its installation on 14 Lincolnshire airfields with 3 forts apiece.
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