Hello everyone!

Hope you don't mind a female joining this distinguished male company!

I am fascinated by the old RAF stations, with my primary interest being in RAF Fiskerton. My mother's first fiance, Ft Sgt Donald Carl Stephens, was a WOp/AG with 49 Sqn at Fiskerton. He, and the rest of the crew of Lanc JB701, EA-G (George), were shot down on 29 July 1944 on their way back from Stuttgart. They are all buried at St Martin-sur-Oreuse, Sens, France, which is a Commonwealth War Grave. Stephens was 20; the pilot was 22...such brave young men, whose courage took too long to be recognised...

I have also joined the International Bomber Command Centre and hope to contribute to their project.

KBO!

Sue

Hi Sue welcome to the forum . If you look down onto the Lincolnshire thread then look for Fiskerton you will see quit a lot of information regarding this airfield . Please PM me if you want any pictures or info .
Regards ,
Alan .
Bomber .

Thanks,Alan! I wanted to go to the memorial at Fiskerton last July to lay a wreath for the 70th anniversary of the loss of JB701, but work commitments in London prevented me. But this year, I shall be there! Fortunately, 49 Sqn Association is very good in remembering those who flew from, and did not return to, Fiskerton and lay wreaths every Remembrance-tide. They have a tribute at the Bomber Command Memorial in Hyde Park.

Hi Sue, Welcome to the forum, for the last ten years or so I have been corresponding with a chap who's brother was killed aboard a Lancaster that was coming back from a raid in Germany to Fiskerton during 1944. A large chunk of flak ripped through the fuselage and hit his head killing him instantly. I have sent plenty of photographs of the memorial etc to this chap, also some of the local pub that was used by the local aircrew. You will find photographs of the memorial under the Lincolnshire Memorial section.

Thanks to you, airfields man! The poems are particularly poignant...

I look forward to seeing those memorials this year and to experiencing that well-known atmosphere on old airfields. I am told that Fiskerton has certain and inexplicable presences around those stones. The control tower at Elvington is a tad odd, to say the least!

Welcome to AiX Sue, airfield history is certainly not male dominated by intention and we do have several other ladies on the membership list who have been bitten by the bug.

Not sure if it is just the operational history in which you are interested or the architecture too. Fiskerton was also a FIDO equipped airfield, all here in the forum menu.

Thank you, Peter! I am interested in all aspects of the old airfields, particularly the archaeology of such places. My degree is History of Art and I would like to join a supervised dig one day, probably in Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire as I live north of the Thames.

I am also fascinated by the strange occurrences that are said to happen on these abandoned places...

Hi sue there are a few of us on here who have had strange things occur whilst visiting old
Airfields .They hold many secrets & are fascinating to visit & explore .
Regards ,
Bomber .

Hi Sue, and welcome from another lady who shares your interest in old airfields. My father served at RAF Wing in Buckinghamshire for four years and my eldest cousin's first husband flew on Lancasters from Wickenby in Lincolnshire, he was the mid upper gunner and he was lost on a mission to Dusseldorf in 1943. You are quite right that these young men were all so brave, and it is good to know that so many people still remember them and honour their memory, I still cry when I remember our Andy as I can just remember him, he was so young and such fun to be with.

I believe that some people have had strange experiences at Wickenby as they have on many of these atmospheric airfields, it does make one wonder!

You will find everyone on here very helpful if you have any questions.

Pauline.

Hello and thanks to Bomber and Pauline!

I'm sure you've read the fascinating stories in Ghost Stations. When I visited the control room at Elvington on a hot August day in 1998, I had the distinct impression of being watched. I was the only person at that time in the room and the sense of being back in time was unnerving. I left the watch tower in tears after being overwhelmed by the feelings of waiting, watching and hoping for the bombers to return and the sad realisation that some of them would not be coming home. I was told that quite a few people experience the same emotions in that building which, I suppose, is not surprising as it was the hub of the station. The watch tower is meant to be haunted: teleprinters and 'phones ringing in the night when they have been disconnected for the past 70 years; footsteps outside and inside; doors slamming, etc, etc...but no-one around - at least not in our time-frame.

Chris Huff has made some interesting recordings on these old bases. He tells me that Fiskerton is very active, especially near the memorial. I hope to visit the old base this July and maybe I might tune into something...

And if anyone would like a novice helping-hand on an airfield dig when the weather gets better, please let me know. I promise not to drop any live ammo!

KBO!
Sue