RAF Elsham Wold | Education Video by World of Military

<p>Station History</p><p>The wide expanse of grazing pasture on Elsham Wolds, lying some nine miles south of Hull on the Lincolnshire side of the Humber, was first utilised as an airfield in 1916 when No.33 Squadron, RFC, with its F.E.2b and F.E.2d biplanes was deployed between Hull and Lincoln to counter the Zeppelins coming in over the Lincolnshire coast during their night raids on the Midlands. While Gainsborough served as a headquarters, the limited endurance of the F.E.2s necessitated No.33 Squadrons complement being split into three flights and placed at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, RAF Scampton and Elsham Wolds roughly 12 miles apart in a line between the two cities. Elsham Wolds served C Flight which arrived in December 1916 and stayed until June 1918, flying many sorties to try to counter the Zeppelin raids but without success. Wooden huts and a small aircraft shed were erected but had been demolished by 1919 when the wold was returned to cattle and sheep after the war. </p><p><br></p><p> In the late 1930s, with the threat of another war, there was a requirement to find new airfield sites for RAF expansion. The 1914-1918 locations were some of the first reviewed but at Elsham Wo