RAF Digby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids RAF Digby
Near Scopwick, Lincolnshire in England
Replica Spitfire as gate guardian
Icarus renatus (Error: {{language with name/for}}: missing language tag or language name (help))
RAF Digby Shown within Lincolnshire
Coordinates	53°05′27″N 000°26′03″W / 53.09083°N 0.43417°W / 53.09083; -0.43417
Type	Joint signals intelligence station
Area	171 hectares
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force and Joint Forces Command
Site history
Built	1918 (1918)
In use	1918–present
Airfield information
Elevation	61 metres (200 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface NE/SW 1,800 metres (5,906 ft) Grass NW/SE 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) Grass W/E 880 metres (2,887 ft) Grass

Royal Air Force Digby, also known as RAF Digby, is a Royal Air Force station located near Scopwick in Lincolnshire, England. It is about 11.6 mi (18.7 km) south-east of Lincoln. Today, RAF Digby is a special base for the Royal Air Force, Army, and Royal Navy. It is home to the Joint Service Signals Organisation, which is part of the Joint Forces Command. This unit works with intelligence, especially signals intelligence.

RAF Digby used to be an important training and fighter airfield. It is one of the oldest Royal Air Force stations in the country. Only RAF Northolt is older, opening in 1915. Flying stopped at RAF Digby in 1953.

History of RAF Digby

Early Days: First World War

RAF Digby started as an airfield for flying training. Photos from 1917 show Royal Naval pilots learning to fly there. The site was officially taken over by the War Office in January 1918.

The first pilots arrived on March 28, 1918. They were led by Major John H D’Albiac. They brought Handley Page bombers with them. The airfield was called RAF Scopwick at first. The Royal Air Force itself officially began just four days later, on April 1, 1918.

An AVRO 504 plane, like those that flew from the station.

The base was used to train pilots for night bombers. During World War I, a German Zeppelin tried to bomb the station. Luckily, its bombs missed and landed in a nearby field.

Between the Wars: Changes and Famous Faces

In April 1920, the base became No. 3 Flying Training School RAF. Its first commander was A T Harris, who later became known as "Bomber" Harris. Five months later, the station's name changed from Scopwick to RAF Digby. This was because aircraft parts were often sent by mistake to another base called RAF Shotwick.

The station's role also changed. It started training fighter pilots instead of bomber pilots. In April 1922, the school closed for a short time. It reopened in June 1924 as No. 2 Flying Training School RAF. This school taught new pilots to fly fighter planes right away. Wing Commander Arthur Tedder commanded the station later. He became a very important leader in the Royal Air Force. Another famous commander was Group Captain T Leigh-Mallory. He played a big role in the Battle of Britain.

Between 1929 and 1936, the station changed a lot. Many old wooden buildings were replaced with strong brick ones. Most of these buildings are still used today. A special underground bunker for operations was also built in 1936.

In 1937, RAF Digby became an operational fighter station. Its job was to protect cities like Lincoln, Nottingham, and Leicester. Soon, it had squadrons flying Gloster Gladiators and Gloster Gauntlets. By 1938, these planes were replaced with faster Hawker Hurricanes.

Second World War: Defending the Skies

When World War II began, RAF Digby was ready. Its first squadron, No. 46 Squadron, was sent out on September 3, 1939. They were told a German raid was coming, but they found nothing.

In October 1939, more squadrons arrived. These included No. 611 Squadron RAF with Supermarine Spitfires and No. 229 Squadron RAF with Bristol Blenheims. No. 29 Squadron RAF also arrived with Blenheim fighters. A famous officer named Guy Gibson was with this squadron. He later became known as the leader of the Dambusters and won a Victoria Cross.

The Sector Operations Room Museum, showing how it looked in 1939.

In late 1939, King George VI visited RAF Digby. He presented awards to fighter pilots, including Guy Gibson.

In May and June 1940, No. 222 Squadron RAF rested at Digby after fighting in the Battle of Britain. One of their most famous pilots was Flight Lieutenant Douglas Bader, who was a fighter ace despite having lost both legs.

In February 1941, Canadian fighter squadrons arrived at Digby. They were renumbered as No. 401 Squadron RAF and No. 402 Squadron RAF. Both flew Hurricanes. The Canadian Digby wing was formed in April 1941 with more Canadian squadrons.

RAF Digby was bombed several times by German planes in 1941. Because of this, the main operations center was moved to a safer place at Blankney Hall. Many British squadrons also came to Digby to rest and regroup.

A young American pilot and poet named John Gillespie Magee was stationed at RAF Digby. He was flying for the Canadian air force. Sadly, he died in a mid-air collision on December 11, 1941, at the age of 19. He is buried in Scopwick churchyard with other airmen. His grave has lines from his famous poem "High Flight":

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth –

Put out my hand and touched the Face of God."

During the war, a brave bomb disposal expert from RAF Digby, Flight Sergeant Hanford, safely dealt with dangerous German "Butterfly bombs." These bombs were designed to explode if touched. Hanford's bravery helped experts learn how to disarm them. He was later given the British Empire Medal for his actions.

RCAF Digby: Canadian Control

On September 16, 1942, Canada took control of the base. It was renamed Royal Canadian Air Force Station Digby. In February 1943, the first de Havilland Mosquito planes arrived.

In early 1944, Digby was very busy. Many squadrons, including Czech and Belgian ones, trained for the D-Day invasion. After the invasion, most squadrons moved to airfields in France. Digby became very quiet, almost like a "ghost town."

In May 1945, control of the station went back to the British. It became RAF Digby again. By the end of the war, RAF Digby had been home to many squadrons from different countries. These included 30 British, 13 Canadian, 4 Polish, 2 Belgian, and 1 Czech squadron. They flew many types of aircraft, from Hurricanes to Spitfires.

After the War: A New Role

After World War II, RAF Digby's role changed. It became less about flying and more about training. In 1948, schools for secretarial training and equipment officers moved there. It also became a place for new officers to train.

A replica Spitfire Mk IX outside the Station HQ.

Flying officially stopped at Digby in January 1953. The station was then put on "care and maintenance" until 1954. This means it was kept ready but not actively used. In 1955, new signals units arrived. No. 399 Signals Unit and No. 591 Signals Unit began operations.

In September 1959, the Wireless Operators' School and the Aerial Erectors' School were set up at Digby. The station continued to grow its operations. In 1994, British Army units arrived, followed by the Royal Navy. American teams also joined later. On September 1, 1998, the Joint Service Signal Unit (Digby) was formed.

No. 54 Signals Unit was created in 2014. It handles electronic information gathered from the air for the UK.

What Happens at RAF Digby Today?

Aerials at RAF Digby.

RAF Digby is a very important base for intelligence and communications.

Joint Service Signals Organisation

The Joint Service Signals Organisation (JSSO) is a key part of Defence Intelligence. It helps with important decisions and military operations. It has staff from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The JSSO also studies new communication systems.

The Joint Service Signal Unit (Digby) is one of the JSSU units. It provides special communication systems for the British Armed Forces. It also works with the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the National Security Agency (NSA) from the United States.

No. 591 Signals Unit

No. 591 Signals Unit (591 SU) works with communications and electronic security. It provides services to the RAF. This unit often works on military operations around the world.

The Aerial Erector School

The RAF Aerial Erector School (AES) trains people to set up and maintain antennas and other communication equipment. It trains both military personnel and civilians.

Air Training Corps

Trent Wing Air Training Corps manages staff and young cadets. These cadets are part of 31 ATC squadrons across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire.

RAF Digby Museum

RAF Digby also has a museum called the Sector Operations Room Museum. It shows how the operations room looked in 1939. The museum is usually open on Sundays from May to October. It is funded by donations.