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RAF Lindholme - that's Something I Didn't Know
In this weeks Sunday Times Max Hastings in his review of the book "Air Force Blue: The RAF in World War Two" by Patrick Bishop mentions:
In January 1943, Arthur Harris, the notoriously explosive C-in-C of Bomber Command, was briefly distracted from his obsession with destroying Germany’s cities by the vexed matter of venereal disease among his aircrew. Many of the men, knowing they were likely to be dead within weeks, sought consolation in the pleasures of wine and song, and more controversially of women. The airfield at Lindholme, from which airmen ventured into nearby Doncaster, achieved the unenviable record of having the highest VD rate in Bomber Command, far higher among fliers than ground crew. Harris chose to interpret succumbing to such frailties as a deliberate attempt to escape attacking Germany. He decreed that any man who contracted VD during his “tour” of 30 operations should be obliged to start the whole cycle over again. This order stood until it reached the shocked ears of the Air Ministry and parliament, whereupon it was abruptly countermanded. Details here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/magazine/...view-5vpp8nkqk |
Did my NBS course there - didnt catch the pox, even though I lived out in Doncaster
Mrs TTN would have had something to say about it if I had :eek: |
Lindholme was 1 Groups HCU from October 42 onwards. So they were unlikely to be on Ops during the period mentioned in the article. One would imagine however that they had more time on their hands for the pleasures of Donny?
6 Group ( Canadian) had by all accounts, the highest VD rate in Bomber Command. |
I always thought 'Lindholme Willy' was a ghost, not a symptom.
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Bet they were all Flight Engineers.... 😉
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I did the "Vis Bombing" course there in early 65, and I was on the lead ship in a stream of Varsities from Lindholme on a night sortie to the Jurby target. I managed to knock out the light on the target pontoon with my second 25lb smoke and flash bomb which was a pure fluke. Anyway nobody else got to drop a bomb so we all had to trudge back to base and I had to buy lots of beer in the Salutation in Donny. It all got a bit indistinct after that because everybody bought me one back to celebrate the "early stack". We ended up in a club somewhere in Sprotborough so I must have narrowly missed catching something.
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I never realised "The Mecca" was going as early as 1942... :oh:
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RAF Hatfield Woodhouse officially opened in June 1940 under No.5 Group Bomber Command. 50 Sqn, operating Handley-Page Hampden bombers, arrived the following month.
On 18 August, two and a half months after its official opening, notification was received that the station name was to be changed to Lindholme. The reason was possible confusion with Hatfield airfield in Hertfordshire. 50 Sqn was the sole resident at Lindholme until June 1941. That month a new Canadian manned bomber squadron was raised there. It was 408 Sqn, which was also equipped with Hampdens and, once it was up and runnning, it was moved to RAF Syerston to begin operations in July. The following month, RAF Lindholme was one of a number of 5 Group stations handed over to 1 Group. As a result, 5 Group moved its 50 Squadron to RAF Swinderby. Lindholme |
One assumes that those who did not frequent the brothels of Donny made do with the Slow Hand Clap?
Here's a thought: how big does a hamlet, village, township, town or city have to be to make a brothel a going concern? I ask because I assume that it needs to be open 7/24, or at least all weekend, so will need about 5 or 6 tarts. One on madam/door/bar duty, one on the job, one on call to deal with a rush from a stag do or whatever, one on a day off, one on a course/leave, one on sick leave. |
Donny, Sheffield, Mexborough, Rotherham, and famously the Barnsley Witch!
Lindholme had a very small married patch in the 60s and everyone was VERY friendly even if you didn't need your car keys to get home. |
Originally Posted by langleybaston
(Post 9895665)
One assumes that those who did not frequent the brothels of Donny made do with the Slow Hand Clap?
Here's a thought: how big does a hamlet, village, township, town or city have to be to make a brothel a going concern? I ask because I assume that it needs to be open 7/24, or at least all weekend, so will need about 5 or 6 tarts. One on madam/door/bar duty, one on the job, one on call to deal with a rush from a stag do or whatever, one on a day off, one on a course/leave, one on sick leave. |
I stayed at Lindholme once; that was during the 60th RAF show. All I remember was that it had a coal fired fish and chip shop which produced the best I have ever tasted.
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From a discrete distance, more than 6 inches or so.
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Originally Posted by langleybaston
(Post 9895730)
From a discrete distance, more than 6 inches or so.
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Originally Posted by thunderbird7
(Post 9895339)
Bet they were all Flight Engineers.... 😉
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Apocryphal(?) story told to me ( nearly 50 years ago now ) about night flying at Lindholme .
"Darling ,when you get back from night flying and fly a few circuits , could you come over the quarter and flash the landing lights on the last one so that I can get supper ready?" . . Giving the visiting "friend" more than ample time to finish what he was up to, roll out of bed , get his clobber on and leg it...... |
No surprise that Doncaster was a pox-ridden dump in the 1940s - just as bad 30-40 years later.
Doncaster and navigators - somehow they deserved each other.... |
Anything to do with Lindholme Gear' which we dropped' a lot in the Kipper Fleet.
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Doncaster and Navigators?
Why Mr. Beags. How uncharitable of you. You had two of these unhappy people sat facing aft as you performed your faultless asymmetric rollers in your tin triangle. Have some humanity. |
From the article:-
Bomb squad: Guy Gibson, second from left, with some of his Dam Busters, 1943 |
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