RAF Kelstern

RAF Kelstern
Kelstern, Lincolnshire in England
RAF Kelstern Shown within Lincolnshire Show map of Lincolnshire RAF Kelstern RAF Kelstern (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°24′36″N 000°06′54″W / 53.41000°N 0.11500°W / 53.41000; -0.11500
Type	Royal Air Force satellite station 12 Base substation
Code	KS[1]
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Bomber Command * No. 1 Group RAF
Site history
Built	1917 (1917) & 1942/3
In use	1917 - 19 September 1943 - May 1945 (1945)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	126 metres (413 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete/Asphalt 00/00  Concrete/Asphalt 00/00  Concrete/Asphalt
[2]

Royal Air Force Kelstern or RAF Kelstern^[2] is a former Royal Air Force satellite station 3.6 miles (5.8 km) south east of Binbrook, Lincolnshire and 4.9 miles (7.9 km) north west of Louth, Lincolnshire, England.

The airfield first opened in 1917 as a night landing ground before closing in 1919.^[3]

RAF Kelstern re-opened in 1943 and the following squadrons used the airfield:

• No. 33 Squadron RAF.^[4]
• No. 170 Squadron RAF reformed at the airfield on 15 October 1944 with the Avro Lancaster I and III before moving to RAF Dunholme Lodge on 22 October 1944.^[5]
• No. 625 Squadron RAF reformed at Kelstern on 1 October 1943 with the Lancaster I and III before moving to RAF Scampton on 5 April 1945, where the squadron disbanded on 14 October 1945.^[6]

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

• Falconer, Jonathan (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.