SYERSTON
Syerston was an expansion scheme airfield located ten miles north-east of Nottingham between the A46 Nottingham-Newark road and the River Trent. Work commenced in 1938 but the station was not completed until late in 1940. It was to the standard specification with the camp of permanent building grouped close to the A46. Two Type J hangars provided aircraft repair and maintenance cover. At a later date three T2 and a B1 hangar were erected on the site.
Allocated to No. 1 Group, the station was first occupied in December 1940 by Nos. 304 and 305 Squadrons, manned largely by Poles, which had transferred from Bramcote where both units had been formed in August. Working up on Wellingtons, both squadrons made their first operation from Syerston on the night of April 25/26, 1941, attacking oil storage at Rotterdam. In July, Syerston was transferred to No. 5 Group and Lindholme to No. 1 Group, the Polish squadrons departing for the latter and No. 408 Squadron, an RCAF unit, arriving from the former. Like the Poles when they first arrived at Syerston, the Canadian squadron had yet to become operational. Its first raid came on August 11/12 when, also like the Poles, Rotterdam docks were again the target. In December that year, No. 408 and its Hampdens moved to Balderton so hard runways could be laid at Syerston, which despite extensive under draining, always tended to have a high water table after prolonged rain.
The three intersecting runways laid down were the main 07-25 at 1,950 yards long and 12-30 and 16-34, both at 1,400 yards. The surrounding perimeter track provided access to 36 pan type hardstandings. At the same time, additional domestic sites were built on land to the north-east, chiefly in Flintham Park, providing accommodation for 1,782 males and 411 females. The station was ready for re-occupation by flying units in April 1942. At sometime during the following eighteen months, three more T2 hangars were erected for glider storage.
No. 61 Squadron with Manchesters and Lancasters arrived in May from Woolfox Lodge, joined in September by No. 106 Squadron from Coningsby, both units remaining until November 1943. During their participation in Bomber Command main force operations, Syerston aircrew were awarded many decorations for their conduct. This included a VC to Flight Lieutenant William Reid who, despite wounds from two night fighter attacks, pressed on to attack the target at Dusseldorf and brought his aircraft safely home. This occurred on the night of November 3/4, 1943 shortly before No. 61 Squadron, moved to Skellingthorpe and No. 106 to Metheringham. The move gave both squadrons an airfield to themselves and allowed expansion to three full flights.
Syerston was then turned over to operational training with No. 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit providing Lancaster experience for new crews. A redesignation in January 1944 made this organisation No. 5 Group Lancaster Finishing School, which existed until the end of March 1945. During this period, other specialist training flights took place. Then on April 22, No.49 Squadron's Lancasters left austere Fulbeck for permanent lodgings at Syerston, flying their only and last raid of the war from the station-the attack on Hitlers retreat at Obersalzberg on April 25. Altogether, 147 aircraft failed to return or crashed in the UK from Syerston: five Hampdens, four Manchesters, 14 Wellingtons and 124 Lancasters.
Post war No.49 Squadron's residence at Syerston was terminated in October 1945 when it was moved south to Mepal. Syerston was then turned over to Transport Command which was installed a succession of training units. However, in May 1946, No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron, Auxilliary Air Force, re-formed at Syerston to fly Mosquitos and was present for eleven months. The station then passed to Flying Training Command in November 1947, which held sway until 1971 with basic instructional units. From 1971 Syerston was on care and maintenance with its accommodation and flying field used by service units, notably in connection with gliding activities. Most of the buildings were demolished in 1997 save for the control tower, two hangars and one H-Block used today by the Central Gliding School for the Air Training Corps.
