Items in the Lympne Tag

Formation of Care And Maintenance Party, Lympne

OPERATIONS 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

Spitfires of 54 Sqn scramble from Manston.

Aircraft Type and No. Crew. Duty. Time Up. Time Down. Details of Sortie or Flight. References
R 7021 P.O. Hopkin 0730 0835 Patrol as Ordered 12.8.40
R 6893 P.O. Gray 0730 0845   ,, ,,
R 6708 F/Sgt. Tew 0730 0800   ,, ,,
R 6899 Sgt. Robbins 0730 0855   ,, ,,
R 6815 P.O. Kemp 0730 Patrol as Ordered, Force Landed at Lympe
R 6914 P.O. Turley George 0730   ,, ,, ,, ,,
R 6981 F/Lt. Deere 0735 0950 Patrol, Landed at Hornchurch
X 4019 P.O. Coleman 0735 0950 Patrol, Landed at Manston
R 7017 P.O. Campbell 0735 0905 Patrol, Landed at Hornchurch
R 7019 P.O. Matthews 0735 0900   ,, ,, ,,
R 6814 P.O. Howes 0735 0855 Patrol, Landed at Manston

Most later returned to Hornchurch.

Aircraft Type and No. Crew. Duty. Time Up. Time Down. Details of Sortie or Flight. References
X 4019 P.O. Coleman 0920 0940 To Hornchurch 12.8.40
R 6814 P.O. Howes 0920 0945 ,, ,,
R 6708 F/Sgt. Tew 0930 0950 ,, ,,
R 6898 Sgt. Norwell 0930 0950 ,, ,,
R 7021 P.O. Hopkin 0930 0950 ,, ,,
R 6899 Sgt. Robbins 0930 0950 ,, ,,
R 6893 P.O. Gray 0930 0950 ,, ,,

P.O. Gray is credited with 2 Bf 109s and P.O. Matthews is credited with one certain and one probable.

P.O. Kemp and P.O. Turley George are both injured. (It is notable that they force land at Lympne which, by the end of the day, has been bombed out of action.)

15 Do 17 Bomb Lympne

15 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.

PlaceDateTimeSummary of EventsReferences 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.

Lympne bombed for the second time today

Lympne 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.

PlaceDateTimeSummary of EventsReferences 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.

PlaceDateTimeSummary of EventsReferences 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

50 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.

PlaceDateTimeSummary of EventsReferences 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.