Satellite Airfields to RAF Digby

[Neil T.]

402 Squadron was based at RAF Digby for a portion of the war. In reviewing the ORB for 402 Squadron, reference is made to satellite airfields L.2 and W.C.2. Can anyone tell me which airfields L.2 and W.C.2 refer to? Is it possibly RAF Wellingore and RAF Coleby Grange?

Neil T.

[Chris Goss]

I could be wrong but WC.1 appears to be Wellingore according to 29 Sqn ORB

[Nick Beale]

A friend sent me a Google Earth overlay 'Catalogue of UK Airfields' which gives Wellingore as X4WL and Coleby Grange as X4GC.

You can download the overlay here: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...mentid=3112461

[Jérémie Tarpon]

I do not have all the details, but in the years 1939-41, R/T callsigns were assigned only to Fighter Command sector operation rooms. When they have an R/T ground station, airfields were called by the letter of their parent sector and a number. Manston for example was "Charlie 3" during the Battle of Britain. "L 2" is thus a satellite airfield of sector "L", which is Digby. Since I can confirm that "L 1" is Wellingore, "L 2" is very possibly Coleby Grange.

I may be wrong, but sectors were re-organised from time to time, and "re-lettered". I thus suggest that "L 2" and WC 2" may be the same airfield at two different periods.
I would be very glad to have some feedback on this theory.

Regards,

Jérémie

[Neil T.]

Jeremie, Nick and Chris,
Thank you all for your comments - I appreciate the advice.
Neil