RAF Woodhall Spa became operational in February 1942 and was a heavy bomber airfield within 5 Group, Bomber Command. Constructed with a three standard runway pattern and dispersed accommodation sites, the airfield was a Satellite to RAF Coningsby and from January 1944, a Substation of No 54 Base (Coningsby, Metheringham and Woodhall Spa).
No 97 Squadron transfered from Coningsby on 1 March 1942, becoming operational with Avro Lancasters on 20 March, when six aircraft laid sea-mines. As the second unit to become equipped with the Lancaster, the unit was heavily involved in early operations with the type, including contributing six aircraft to the force of twelve which carried out the low level mission to bomb the MAN diesel engine factory at Augsburg on 17 April 1942. No 97 moved to Bourne, Cambridgeshire, on 17 April 1943 leaving behind three crews as a nucleus for No 619 Squadron, which formed at Woodhall Spa on 18 April 1943. The Squadron became operational with Avro Lancasters which it used from the airfield until moving to RAF Coningsby on 1 January 1944 to be replaced at Woodhall Spa by No 617 Squadron. The "Dambusters" brought 34 Lancasters and two Mosquitoes to the airfield, the latter being used for low level target marking.
This technique, developed by the Squadron, was so successful that No 627 Squadron, a Mosquito unit in No 8 (PFF) Group, was "loaned" to 5 Group to operate in this role, the Squadron arriving on 14 April 1944.
No 617 Squadron operated from the airfield until the end of hostilities, pioneering the use of ultra-heavy bombs; the 12,000lb "Tallboy" and the 22,000lb "Grand Slam", both of which were used on special targets in operations from the airfield.
With the end of the War in Europe the airfield was used as an assembly and kitting-out point for ground personnel for Tiger Force, the planned heavy bomber force for the Far East and between six and seven thousand men began to arrive, housed in over 300 bell tents erected on and around the airfield.
With the end of the war in the Far East, Tiger Force was dispersed and with 627 Squadron disbanded on 30 September and 617 Squadron moved to RAF Waddington, the airfield was closed for flying in December 1945. In the years that followed, the site was used by 92 MSU for the storage of bombs.
In the late 50s, Woodhall Spa was selected as a base for Bloodhound SAM missiles and was operational until 1965. With the rest of the airfield sold off for agriculture or mineral extraction, the former missile site has remained under the control of RAF Coningsby and is now used as a servicing facility for Tornado engines from that station and elsewhere.
At the end of the war, when the RAF vacated the site, it became the target of "squatters" which resulted in the site being taken over by the Horncastle Rural District Council and converted into temporary housing until such time as sufficient Council houses could be built. It was not until the early 60s that the last families moved out, leaving the site redundant. At that time some of the buildings were demolished. Those that remained were used as farm stores and, for a short time in the 70s, as a clothing factory.
By 1987 the site was completely derelict and overgrown. Part of it came within the area acquired by the Woodland Trust when they purchased the adjacent Carr Woods. It was their plan to demolish the site that resulted in the formation of the Thorpe Camp Preservation Group. This project aimed to create a Visitor Centre depicting the story of RAF Woodhall Spa, its Squadrons and Civilian Life in Lincolnshire during World War II for the benfit of the general public. The Centre has been created by the volunteer members of the TCPG, ably assisted by various local and some not so local organisations.
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