Heritage Group
News Items
Today our team Ken, Jim and Jason had the pleasure of meeting Phil Bonner from Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln. AHL plays a vital role in promoting and protecting Lincolnshire’s aviation heritage through a strong community based partnership approach, ensuring our county’s story continues to be recognised nationally and internationally.
Phil generously shared his expert knowledge across several key areas, giving us plenty to explore as we continue developing our own plans and future aspirations. A productive and inspiring day for the RAF Blyton Aviation Heritage Group.
We’re pleased to share that great progress is being made with our merchandise supplier as we continue developing a range of new items for our supporters. From branded clothing to high quality printed mugs, our collection is growing steadily and looking fantastic.
Alongside this, we’re also producing a new A4 three‑fold information flyer for use at all our events. This will allow visitors to take key details away with them, including a QR code linking directly to our website home page for anyone wanting to explore our history, projects, and upcoming activities in more depth.
Exciting steps forward as we continue building our presence and sharing the story of RAF Blyton with the wider community.
We’re pleased to share a first look at the style of gazebo we plan to purchase shortly using our grant funding. This will become a fantastic showpiece for the group, allowing us to attend local events with a dedicated space to display our historical items and engage with the public face to face.
A smart, professional setup like this will help us present our heritage story with the level of quality it deserves. Thanks to Sheila for looking at the process and images provided by our resident photographer Jason!
Today marked an important milestone for our group as we attended a community project at Blyton Village Hall, our first public engagement since forming last year. Ken, James, Mark, Karen and Jason spent the day discussing our aims and sharing a range of RAF heritage items with visitors. The latest metal‑detecting finds drew particular attention, prompting fascinating conversations and plenty of curiosity from local residents. We’re grateful for the warm welcome and look forward to building on this momentum.
We’re pleased to confirm that the RAF Blyton Aviation Heritage Team will be present at the upcoming Neighbourhood Planning & Community information event at the Village Hall, together with the Church Open Day.
It’s a great opportunity to connect with the community, discuss local history, and showcase the work we’re doing to preserve the story of RAF Blyton. All are welcome to drop in and say hello!
Last week our photographer, Jason, had the absolute pleasure of meeting the legend himself, Mr Bruce Crompton a superb ambassador for the Armed Forces, veterans, and all things military. Bruce made a specially arranged visit to the We'll Meet Again Museum, spending time with the owner and staff over coffee and lunch. His enthusiasm, knowledge, and passion for preserving our military heritage were inspiring, and it was fantastic to hear about the exciting future projects he has in the pipeline for Lincolnshire aviation. A memorable day with a true champion of our history. Thank you again to Paul and Linda for the invite to do the photography top work by all involved. We are looking forward to discussing our Blyton Project with Bruce in the future
A busy and exciting week for the RAF Blyton Aviation Heritage Group at Sturgate Airfield
It’s been all hands on deck this week as we’ve been working closely with our friends at the Sturgate Flying Club, a WW2 airfield with deep roots in the history of RAF Blyton to as a standby runway. Strengthening these local aviation connections is a big part of what we do, and this week has shown just how much potential there is when heritage and today’s flying community come together.
Ken has been spending time with the team at Sturgate, collaborating on ideas, future projects, and shared social events. He also joined Adam Driffill, pilot and flying instructor, who owns shares in an original WW2 era Piper Cub. Ken was treated to a fantastic flight over the local area a brilliant reminder of how living aviation heritage still thrives in our skies.
Meanwhile, Jason met with Guy Dooley to support airfield photography and drone work, capturing detailed images of the runway and tower roof to help identify any maintenance needs. It’s great to see modern technology helping preserve and support an airfield with such a rich past.
We’ve got plenty more planned moving forward, and we’re excited to continue building this partnership between Sturgate and RAF Blyton’s heritage community.
More updates soon watch this space.
We’re pleased to share that our brand‑new RAF Blyton Aviation Heritage Group logo stickers have now arrived. Thanks to Franky Prescott for kindly ordering and donating the stickers. These will be handed out at the events we attend throughout the year, helping us spark interest in our work and raise awareness of our heritage and charitable aims.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events come and grab one and say hello. The group will be attending Gainsborough Armed Forces Day!
Today Ken and Jason had the pleasure of meeting Sam again, owner of the fantastic local embroidery and gift company Fun Printz. Sam has supplied all our recent merchandise, and today was a great opportunity to discuss future collaboration including new clothing for our Heritage team and supporters, plus exciting items like printed mugs and even wallets. A huge thank you to Sam and Chris for the fascinating workshop tour and for hosting us both. We’re excited for what’s ahead. Find them online at their Website myfunprintz.co.uk
We’re delighted to share that the RAF Blyton Aviation Heritage Group has been invited to attend this year’s Gainsborough Armed Forces Day on Saturday 20 June 2026 at The Levellings, Love Lane.
Invited by the fantastic Gainsborough Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club (AFVBC), the event brings together veterans, serving personnel, families, and the wider community for a day of remembrance, camaraderie, and celebration.
With live music, military displays, reenactors, vintage vehicles, great food, and a BBMF flypast (TBC), it promises to be a brilliant day out. Gates open at 10:00 AM.
We’re proud to be part of this local event honouring service and history, and we look forward to meeting many of you there.
Building partnerships to celebrate RAF Blyton’s story
We are excited to share that plans are underway to collaborate with local businesses as part of our ongoing mission to celebrate and preserve the heritage of RAF Blyton. These partnerships will help us create unique, community‑driven ways to support our work and bring the station’s history to life.
We are currently exploring a joint project with the much‑loved Blyton Ice Cream Parlour and Café to develop a special RAF Blyton‑themed ice cream a fun and flavourful way to connect past and present. Alongside this, we are in early discussions with a Lincolnshire brewery to create a bespoke RAF Blyton Pale Ale, inspired by the airfield’s wartime legacy.
These collaborations reflect our commitment to working with local businesses, strengthening community ties, and developing new ideas that support our long‑term vision. We look forward to sharing more as these plans progress.
Today the team were finally able to complete our delayed visit to St Martin’s Church, Blyton, to continue our search for Second World War era graffiti.
A huge thank you to Mark, the Vicar, for meeting us on site and guiding us up through the tight spaces and narrow spiral stairs. The climb was absolutely worth it. We’ve shared a selection of images showing what we discovered, including several local names that some of you may recognise.
For those members who aren’t local, St Martin’s is a remarkable building with deep connections to RAF Blyton during and after the war. The church itself is Grade I listed and dates back to the 11th century. The lower tower is Norman, the aisle includes Early English features, and the chancel rebuilt in 1877 still retains a 13th century window.
Inside, you’ll find a perpendicular style font, a large 15th century south aisle window, and an embattled external parapet with clerestory. Both the north and south arcades have three bays from the 13th century, supported by octagonal pillars, while the tower arch is distinctly Romanesque. There is also a 15th century font with an octagonal bowl decorated with battlements.
A fascinating site, a rewarding climb, and another step in uncovering the stories left behind by those who served at RAF Blyton and other services. I hope our local Village followers enjoy this different perspective of the church that most people would never get to see and the view from the top outside the tower, which Mark informs us is just as impressive although today was misty! We will return in the summer!
Recognising Dedication: RAF Cadet Sgt Olivia Loates
We are incredibly proud to share the well deserved recognition awarded to RAF Air Training Corps Cadet Sgt Olivia Loates, a founder member of our group and a driving force behind the creation of our Facebook presence.
At the Rotary Club of Gainsborough’s “Youth in the Community Awards”, held at the Hickman Hotel on Wednesday 25th March 2026, Olivia was nominated for a formal citation from Club Secretary Julian Needham, followed by the presentation of her award from Club President Sandie Webster.
Olivia’s commitment to the RAF Blyton Memorial Group has been nothing short of exceptional. Her passion for preserving local aviation heritage, her behind the scenes work, and her unwavering support for others have made a lasting impact on our community and our mission.
Very well done, Olivia and thank you. Your dedication ensures that the stories of RAF Blyton continue to be shared, remembered, and honoured.
New Display Item:
Cossor 339A Oscillograph
We’re excited to add a Cossor 339A double‑beam oscillograph to our heritage display. Used extensively by Allied forces during WWII, this heavy‑duty, valve‑driven instrument played a vital role in radar calibration and troubleshooting, helping keep Britain’s radar network accurate and operational.
With its distinctive double‑beam CRT, the 339A could display two signals at once cutting‑edge capability for the 1940s. Built around robust vacuum‑tube technology and a powerful transformer, it became a trusted laboratory and field instrument long after the war.
You’ll be able to see this impressive piece of wartime engineering at our upcoming open days and events. keep following for updates soon
Heritage Merchandise Now Available Through a Local Business
We are pleased to announce that our heritage merchandise is now being proudly produced and supplied by a local business. This partnership allows us to offer high‑quality items that showcase our RAF Blyton identity and support the continued growth of our group.
We can now provide a full range of branded clothing, including polo shirts, T‑shirts, and fleece jackets, along with a selection of accessories such as mugs, stickers, and other memorabilia — all featuring our official logo.
By working with a local supplier, we are able to ensure excellent quality, reliable service, and the opportunity to reinvest directly into our community. Every purchase helps support our ongoing work to preserve and share the history of RAF Blyton.
More details on how to order will be available soon.
A fascinating new addition to our collection has arrived!
We’ve been kindly gifted by Dennis Dannatt, this scope, an original WWII era British gun sight what we believe is a Cooke, Troughton & Simms (CTS) Telescope Elevation No. 8 Mk1a, dated 1943. This type of sight was used on British anti aircraft guns during the Second World War and formed one half of a paired system (elevation and deflection) that helped gunners track and engage enemy aircraft.
Our example features the classic black painted finish and brass/steel construction typical of the period. Although some markings have worn with age, the manufacturer’s “CTS” stamp remains visible, along with the word “Bearing” and what appears to be the number “?839.” These small details offer a tangible link to its wartime service.
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This is a wonderful piece of wartime engineering and a valuable addition to our heritage collection. We’re delighted to preserve it and share its story with you.
A huge thank you to one of our strongest supporters, Mr Adrian Bones, owner of Gainsborough Antiques on Lord Street, for his incredibly kind donation to the group.
Adrian has generously acquired a superb large framed Lancaster print and gifted it to us so it can be appreciated by everyone in the future. The piece will be safely stored while we continue organising our wider heritage displays for the local pubs and community spaces that have pledged to showcase items on our behalf. Gestures like this help us preserve and share our history with the community, and we are truly grateful.
Thank you once again, Adrian, for your continued support and for helping us keep our heritage alive.
Welcome to the RAF Blyton Heritage Display.
This collage brings together photographs and memories that tell the story of Blyton’s role during the Second World War and beyond. RAF Blyton was more than an airfield it was a community of service, resilience, and sacrifice. Thousands of personnel passed through its gates, leaving behind a legacy that shaped both our village and the wider effort of Bomber Command.
This collage is the first step in a continuing journey to preserve and share Blyton’s heritage. It celebrates not only the airfield’s history but also the pride and dedication of our community in keeping these memories alive. Together, we honour the past and inspire future generations.
RAF Blyton’s Keys Return Home!
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We’re thrilled to announce that Newark Air Museum has kindly donated RAF Blyton’s original site keys preserved in a box since the base’s closure in the 1950s. Thankfully, someone at the time recognised their historical value and saved them from the scrap heap.
Though they’ve been on display at Newark, the keys aren’t part of their direct history, and the museum generously gifted them to our group for future display. The next step is to clean, preserve, and record the tagged items, cataloguing them to their respective base areas.
I’ll keep the group updated as this important piece of Blyton’s story is brought back to life. in the mean time enjoy this preview, and I'm very pleased we have control towers keys and bomb stores
Community Support Spotlight, 12th March Karen & Jason collected our newly designed images!
We’re incredibly grateful for the fantastic support we continue to receive from local businesses. Today, we want to give a huge shout out to Ultimate Graphics in Gainsborough for stepping in to help with one of our latest tasks: producing large scale posters and advertising banners for our upcoming events.
As a family run business specialising in high quality printing for a wide range of customers, they couldn’t have been more helpful. Lydia, Nick and Jack guided us through what they could offer as a start up partner and delivered everything with impressive speed and professionalism.
Thanks to their hard work, we now have some exceptional graphic adverts ready to promote our future activities including Armed Forces Day, where we hope to secure a small pitch if a Heritage gazebo becomes available in time.
More updates coming soon as plans develop. Thank you again to Ultimate Graphics for their brilliant support!
Another fascinating addition to our heritage display
Today we’re showcasing a remarkable Paragon First Aid Kit purpose built for ARP Wardens’ Posts and issued by Smith & Nephew Ltd, London under the Paragon brand.
Providing immediate medical assistance was a core responsibility of the Civil Defence Service during the Second World War. First Aid Parties carried essential supplies in haversacks, treating casualties at the scene before they were moved by Stretcher Parties to First Aid Posts, Mobile Units, and eventually local hospitals via the Ambulance Service.
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Our example kit is fully stocked with original contents, including:
• Tannic Acid Jelly for burn treatment
• Roller and triangular bandages in various sizes
• Absorbent cotton wool
• Triangular bandages for slings and securing dressings
• Bleach ointment for mustard gas splash treatment
• Tourniquet and windlass for tightening in emergencies
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A small box with a big story capturing the vital, often unseen work of those who kept communities alive during the Blitz.
Our group is proud to unveil the latest addition to our travelling heritage display: an authentic R1155A communications receiver, a piece of equipment that once sat at the heart of RAF operations during the Second World War.
From the darkened fuselage of a Lancaster bomber to the rolling decks of Air Sea Rescue launches, the R1155A helped crews navigate, communicate, and survive. Built by several British manufacturers notably Ekco, whose engineers significantly enhanced the original Marconi design the receiver became a trusted companion on countless wartime missions.
This set now forms part of our public exhibition, allowing visitors to get up close to the technology that helped shape the RAF’s wartime story. We can’t wait to share it with you at upcoming events.