RAF Lympne
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| Lympne, Kent in England | |||||||||
,_1943-1944._CL1364.jpg) Flying Officer of No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron, c. 1944 | |||||||||
  RAF Lympne Shown within Kent  RAF Lympne RAF Lympne (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°05′N 001°01′E / 51.083°N 1.017°E | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force satellite station | ||||||||
| Code | PY[1] | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry Admiralty | ||||||||
| Operator |
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| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command * No. 11 Group RAF 1940- RAF Second Tactical Air Force Fleet Air Arm | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1916 & 1939 | ||||||||
| In use | 1939 - 1946
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| Battles/wars | First World War European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 104 metres (341 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force Lympne or more simply RAF Lympne /ˈlɪm/ is a former Royal Air Force satellite station in Kent used during the First and Second World Wars. It was opened in 1916 by the Royal Flying Corps as an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returned from, France. It was later designated as a "First Class Landing Ground". In 1919, the airfield was turned over to civil use as Lympne Airport, serving until 1939 when it was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm as HMS Buzzard, later being renamed HMS Daedalus II.
In 1940, it was taken over by the Royal Air Force, becoming RAF Lympne once again. Lympne was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain, putting the base out of action for a number of weeks. It was to have been the landing point for a German aircraft in a plot to kidnap Adolf Hitler involving the defection of pilot Hans Baur. Preparations were made by the Royal Air Force for his arrival. Later in the war, Lympne was used as an Emergency Landing Ground for bombers returning from raids in Europe. In 1946, RAF Lympne closed, returning to use as a civil airport which continued until 1984.
- ^ a b Falconer 2012, p. 134.