Tag: Lympne
Lympne transferred to the Admiralty as HMS Buzzard
Saturday 1st July 1939 12:0026 Sqn and 16 Sqn transfer from Lympne
Saturday 8th June 1940 12:00After having flown tactical reconnaissance over Dunkirk and resupply to Calais 26 Sqn (Lysander) transfer to West Malling and 16 Sqn (Lysander) transfer to Redhill.
Formation of Care And Maintenance Party, Lympne
Sunday 9th June 1940 12:00OPERATIONS RECORD BOOK of (Unit or Formation) Care and Maintenance Party, Lympne
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lympne | 1940 June 9th |
Formation of CARE AND MAINTENANCE PARTY at R.A.F. STATION, Lympne. ESTABLISHMENT:- NINE OFFICERS. 234 AIRMEN. 14 CIVILIANS. (WAR/F.C/164 dated 7/6/40) Arrival of four airmen for essential duties prior to arrival of personnel. |
54 Sqn Scramble
Monday 12th August 1940 07:35Spitfires of 54 Sqn scramble from Manston.
15 Do 17 Bomb Lympne
08:0015 Do 17s from I/KG 2 escorted by JG 54 come in low over Romney Marsh and rise up over the escarpment and drop 50kg bombs which explode in straight lines, the landing ground is cratered and a hanger is damaged.
Crews report dropping 90 110-lb bombs on hangars and buildings, although they also state that the full effect of their attack could not be gauged due to mist.
54 Sqn Spitfires are scrambled from Manston but are intercepted by JG 54's Bf 109s out of the sun - possibly over Dover - before they can reach the bombers. Two Spitfires force land at Lympne and are forced to swerve to avoid the craters.
All the Do 17s return home 45 minutes later, without radar Fighter Command are unable to find them.
This raid is intended to keep Lympne based interceptors on the ground and not interfere with the attacks on the radar stations.
OPERATIONS RECORD BOOK of (Unit or Formation) R.A.F. STATION, LYMPNE.
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYMPNE. | AUGUST 12TH. |
Weather. Fair. 0800 HRS. STATION attacked by enemy aircraft. 141 Bombs dropped in a few seconds. Damage caused to hangers, offices and landing ground. NO CASUALTIES. |
KG 76 form up over the French coast
16:4515 Do 17s from II/KG 76 are observed forming up over the French coast and they cross the channel towards Dungeness at 5,000ft. Three miles out they split into two groups: one heads for Lympne, the other flies along the coast to Sandgate before heading inland to Hawkinge.
Inspector General Sir Edgar Ludlow Hewitt visits Lympne
17:35OPERATIONS RECORD BOOK of (Unit or Formation) R.A.F. STATION, LYMPNE.
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYMPNE. | AUGUST 12TH. |
1735 HRS. INSPECTOR GENERAL SIR EDGAR LUDLOW HEWITT arrived by air visiting Station. |
Lympne bombed for the second time today
17:40Lympne has 242 craters rendering it out of service. Six of the original hangers are destroyed, including 13 private aircraft that had been locked up inside number 2 hanger at the start of hostilites, as well as domestic accommodation. Repairs to the hangers are hampered by delayed action bombs.
Station personnel are moved out and are accommodated in the village and local area. Port Lympne becomes the temporary officers' mess, French House the sergeants' mess and Lympne Palace the airmen's mess.
Casualties
342519 LAC Bell, Sydney Herbert W/Op killed - multiple injuries enemy bomb during raid.
979309 Cpl J Anderson, Died of heart failure following shrapnel wounds in Ashford General Hospital on August 21st.
979269 AC.2 Clarkson Charles fracture base of skull.
OPERATIONS RECORD BOOK of (Unit or Formation) R.A.F. STATION, LYMPNE.
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYMPNE. | AUGUST 12TH. |
1740 HRS. Enemy aircraft attacked aerodrome. TWO SQUADRONS were engaged in this attack. At 1800 HRS (approx) 242 Bombs were dropped in two runs across the aerodrome. Bombs fell in a line almost two miles long. Many fell outside aerodrome boundaries. CASUALTIES. ONE AIRMAN KILLED TWO SERIOUSLY INJURED. by bomb which fell outside aerodrome. Aerodrome surface rendered unserviceable. |
OPERATIONS RECORD BOOK of (Unit or Formation) R.A.F. STATION, LYMPNE.
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYMPNE. | AUGUST 21ST. |
Weather. Cloudy. Squall & showers in evening. ONE AIRMAN DIED IN HOSPITAL DUE TO INJURIES RECEIVED IN BOMBING ATTACK 12/8/40. |
II./(St.)LG 1 Bomb Lympne
Thursday 15th August 1940 10:4050 Ju87B of II./(St.)LG 1 escorted by Bf 109s attack Lympne. Hangers are damaged and two wooden huts used as paint stores were destroyed and an arms store were all burnt out. Power and water was cut. There is a direct hit on the sick quarters which is evacuated to empty houses near the airfield in the evening. Another direct hit on an air raid shelter injured five pilots, one who later died from his wounds.
The airfield is only usable for emergencies until mid-September.
OPERATIONS RECORD BOOK of (Unit or Formation) R.A.F. STATION, LYMPNE.
| Place | Date | Time | Summary of Events | References to Appendices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYMPNE. | AUGUST 15TH. |
Weather. Cloudy - fair. 1040 HRS. AERODROME subjected to dive-bombing attack by enemy aircraft. Heavy bombs were dropped in repeated dive-bombing attacks. Hangars damaged. Two wooden buildings used as paint stores and an aramadillo were burnt out. All power and water services cut. A direct hit was made on Station Sick Quarters. The Orderly Room, Accounts Section and Sick Quarters were evacuated to empty houses near the aerodrome in the evening. Civilian Fire Fighting Forces were employed in putting out fires caused by the raid. |