Aviation heritage guide highlights 'Bomber County' sites

Just Jane The guide features the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, where a Lancaster bomber featured in Doctor Who is being restored to make it airworthy

Related Stories

A guide to the aviation heritage of part of "Bomber County" is being launched to encourage more visitors.

The guide features more than 20 places to visit in the Lincolnshire district of East Lindsey.

Lincolnshire became known as Bomber County because it had more than 100 RAF airfields and bases in World War II.

The guide will be launched at the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, previously the officers mess of No. 617 "Dambusters" Squadron.

The release of the guide coincides with the 70-year anniversary of the squadron's attacks on dams in Germany, which inspired the The Dam Busters film.

'Important role'

Historian Howard Heeley, who wrote the guide, said: "Hopefully the new Aviation Heritage Guide will encourage people to visit these locations for themselves.

1. Flt Lt J Whiteley DFC (centre) and his 619 Squadron crew No. 619 Squadron moved to RAF Strubby in 1944

"By doing this I am sure they will also come to appreciate the important role that East Lindsey's airfield sites played in aviation locally, nationally and internationally."

The guide, called East Lindsey Aviation Heritage, will be available at tourist information centres across the district or to download online.

Places to visit include the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, an original World War II airfield now run by two men whose older brother was shot down and killed on a bombing raid over Nuremberg in 1944.

The brothers are currently restoring a Lancaster bomber, which featured in Doctor Who, as a tribute to their brother.

Mr Heeley said: "Whilst visiting the various sites to take photographs and check details I was really struck by the sense of history and emotion that still connects the sites, with the personnel that served there; and in some cases that still serve there."

More on This Story

Related Stories

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

BBC Lincolnshire

Weather

Lincolnshire

10 °C 5 °C

Features & Analysis

Elsewhere on BBC News

  • Donald TrumpWinning business

    Why trying to become a successful entrepreneur has never been more fashionable

Programmes

  • A Chinese woman drinking red wineTalking Movies Watch

    Tom Brook looks at Red Obsession, a film which charts China's thirst for red wine

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.