RAF Donna Nook

RAF Donna Nook
Near North Somercotes, Lincolnshire in England
Station Crest
RAF Donna Nook Shown within Lincolnshire
Coordinates	53°28′29″N 000°09′07″E / 53.47472°N 0.15194°E / 53.47472; 0.15194Coordinates: 53°28′29″N 000°09′07″E / 53.47472°N 0.15194°E / 53.47472; 0.15194
Type	Bombing range
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1940 (1940)
In use	1940-Present

Royal Air Force Donna Nook or more simply RAF Donna Nook is a bombing range in East Lindsey in north-east Lincolnshire in England. It is maintained by the Royal Air Force and used by NATO aircraft.

History

Range warning sign

The area at Donna Nook just north of North Somercotes is also a nature reserve with a large seal habitat in the early winter maintained by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. It is the only national nature reserve in the UK on MOD land, and was opened on July 18 2002 by Air Commodore Nigel Williams.

Airfield

There was once a minor airfield there which closed, and was home to No. 206 Squadron RAF from August 1941 - July 1942. RAF North Coates, a former airfield still in physical existence, was three miles to the north-west along the coast.

Radar station

However, during the Second World War, RAF Donna Nook referred to a Chain Home Extremely Low (CHEL) radar station, sited a short distance away from the current establishment. This utilized a 10-cm radar set to track both low-flying intruders and German E-boats cruising offshore, and was operational in this role from 1943-1945. From evidence in his authorized biography (Odyssey: The Authorized Biography of Arthur C. Clarke; Neil McAleer, Gollancz, 1992) it appears that it was to RAF Donna Nook that the young Sir Arthur C. Clarke was posted in 1943, shortly after an interview with Wing Commander (later Sir) Edward Jefferson,RAF, who was subsequently Director of Telecommunications for the General Post Office.

Bombing range

RAF Donna Nook is now an offshore bombing range.

References

External links

Video clips

Weapons burst by an A-10 Thunderbolt II
Flyby on range by a BAE Hawk, Panavia Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon
Gunfire on the range by a SEPECAT Jaguar
Bomb practice by an A-10 Thunderbolt II

Royal Air Force

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Royal Air Force stations in Lincolnshire

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Stations	Alma Park Anwick Bardney Barkston Heath Belton Park Binbrook Blyton Bracebridge Heath Caistor Cammeringham (Ingham) Coleby Grange Coningsby Cranwell Donna Nook Digby (Scopwick) Dunholme Lodge East Kirkby Elsham Wolds Faldingworth Fiskerton Folkingham Fulbeck Goxhill Grimsby Harlaxton Hemswell Hibaldstow Holbeach Kelstern Kirmington Kirton in Lindsey Leadenham Ludford Magna Manby Metheringham Hospital Nocton Hall North Killingholme North Witham Buckminster Sandtoft Scampton Skellingthorpe Spilsby Spitalgate (Grantham) Stenigot Strubby Sturgate Sutton Bridge Swinderby Waddington Wainfleet Wellingore Wickenby Woodhall Spa

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