LYNEHAM OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION

Over the next few months the strength of the unit built up rapidly, and by the end of the year there were 422 civilians, 18 officers (including the first 2 WAAFs), and 181 other ranks. Construction was still going on, and had been disrupted on September 19 when an enemy aircraft came in low from the south west, dropped one incendiary and 2 high explosive bombs, and made a strafing run. 5 civilian workmen were killed, and the east end of the hangar that they were building was destroyed.

The Maintenance Unit was now holding more operational aircraft, the list including Blenheims, Lysanders, Wellingtons and Spitfires. They were received for storage, modified and tested as necessary, and issued as required for front-line units.

The Station was a part of Number 41 group, Maintenance Command, but this affiliation was to change in August 1941 with the arrival from Cranfield of Number 14 Service Flying Training School with its Airspeed Oxfords. Their function was the advanced training on twin-engined aircraft of pilots who had been selected to fly multi-engined aeroplanes. Many of the students were Belgians and Poles, and concentrated flying training took place, with 4 ten-and-a-half week courses running simultaneously.

The Station was now in Number 23 Group, Flying Training Command. On 23 October 1941 King George VI spent 50 minutes visiting the SFTS, which now used Relief Landing Grounds at Wanborough and Long Newnton. The school had a high accident rate, with at least 12 aircraft, 6 instructors and 8 pupils being lost.

33 MU now had nearly 300 aircraft in storage, and was running out of space for them. Accordingly it was allocated Number 45 Satellite Landing ground at Townsend, near Calne, for storage purposes.

In February 1942 the SFTS completed a move from Lyneham to Ossington. The first Station Commander took post on 14 February, and the Station was transferred to Number 44 Group Ferry Command. This was in readiness for the arrival in March 1941 of Number 301 Ferry training Unit from Pershore. The purpose of this unit was to train crews for the delivery of aircraft from storage to flying units, many of them in North Africa and the Middle East. The aircraft included Wellingtons, Hudsons, Beauforts and Marylands. 301 FTU also trained test pilots for Number 42 Group, Maintenance Command. Over the next 3 months Numbers 1442, 1444 and 1445 Flights joined the FTU in ferrying aircraft out. So similar was the task of these four units that, in November 1942, they amalgamated to form Number 301 Ferry Training Unit.

Meanwhile Number 1425 Communications Flight had arrived from Honeybourne in April, flying in with its Consolidated Liberators. 1425 operated these conversions of the B-24 bomber on shuttle services to the Mediterranean area, carrying passengers and freight outbound, and returning ferry crews inbound. In August, one of their passengers was the Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, on his way to and from Cairo and Moscow. In October the Flight was redesignated Number 511 Squadron, and this Squadron was to become one of Lyneham's longer-term residents. During 1942 it added Armstrong-Whitworth Albemarles to its equipment.

In March 1943 British Overseas Airways Corporation took over a hangar at Lyneham for its Liberators. Normally based at Bristol Whitchurch airfield, there was insufficient hangarage for them there, and the runway was also rather short for their operations. They remained at Lyneham until 1945, flying scheduled and special routes to non-occupied areas of Europe and to the Mediterranean area.

By now Lyneham had been provided with hard-surfaced runways. Two were built during 1940 and 1941, the longest being 4,375 feet, the other 3,542 feet. During the following years these were both extended, and in 1943 the 6,000 feet long North-South runway was opened as well.

33 MU was now increasingly holding Spitfires and Seafires, with stocks of other types reducing. In a straight exchange with 15MU at Wroughton, Townsend SLG was relinquished in September 1942 and Number 31 Satellite Landing Ground at Everleigh was taken on in its place.

With the increase in pure transport operations in the RAF, as opposed to ferrying, Transport Command was formed in March 1943. Lyneham, in Number 46 Group, was its main base in the south, and as well as sending its own aircraft overseas, acted as the clearance airfield for planning, diplomatic clearance, customs and briefing purposes for transport aeroplanes from other Stations flying abroad. It also provided facilities for aircraft being ferried overseas.

In 1943 and 1944, 33 MU was responsible for the completion of General Aviation Hamilcar gliders. These were the only Allied glider capable of carrying a light tank and were used on 'D' Day and for the Rhine crossing. The sections were made separately, largely by furniture companies, and the parts were brought together at Maintenance Units for erection. Most of those built at Lyneham were towed out by Halifax tugs to North Luffenham. 33MU was also one of only two units to build the unsuccessful powered version of the Hamilcar, the Mk X.

301 FTU left Lyneham for Pershore in March 1944, its move being accelerated by Number 525 Squadron's arrival from Weston Zoyland the previous month. A transport squadron, they brought with them their Vickers Warwicks, an aircraft already being used here by BOAC. 525 flew them on routes via Gibraltar to Tunisia and other destinations in North Africa, but after two of them were lost in April they were restricted to freight only, and the unit started receiving the Douglas Dakota to replace them.

At the end of 1944 the 2 resident squadrons were briefly supplemented by Number 242 Squadron, which reformed here from the Liberator Flight of 511 Squadron. They flew long-range trips to India and the Far East, but stayed for only 8 weeks before moving out to Holmsley South. BOAC also departed in April 1945, leaving for their new operating base at Hurn.

Number 511 Squadron was gradually changing its Liberators and Albemarles for Avro Yorks and Douglas Dakotas. They were operating, amongst other destinations, to the Azores and the Far East.

The war ended with Lyneham home to the Maintenance Unit and 2 Transport squadrons. With British forces deployed around the World, the requirement for transport aircraft to move and resupply them seemed to assure the future of the Station for the foreseeable future.