More information : Donna Nook airfield TF 430 980, opened in 1940 and closed in 1945. It was situated on the Humber Estuary. The airfield was part of 16 Group Coastal Command and functioned as a satellite airfield for North Coates. In 1944 it was listed as operational and had a personnel strength of 1485 men and 104 women. The airfield was equipped with grass landing surfaces, one type T2 aircraft hangar and two Blister aircraft hangars. (1)
RAF Donna Hook A relief landing field and dummy site, populated with dummy Blenheims. (2)
Prior to 2002 the area was used as an RAF firing range. In 2002 it was incorporated into a National Nature Reserve. (3)
Listed. (4)
A twentieth century bombing decoy ('Q/K' decoy airfield for RAF North Coates) is visible on air photographs. It comprises hangars, blast walls, dummy aircraft and trackways centred at TF433 980. (5)
A Second World War bombing decoy located at Donna Nook (TA 403 002), constructed to deflect enemy bombing from RAF North Coates. In operation as a 'K-type' day decoy from 19-JUN-1940 to 15-FEB-1941. Also operated briefly as a 'Q-type' night decoy on 19-JUN-1940. (6)
No features of the bombing decoy survive, the site being given over to agricultural use by 1970. After Donna Nook's conversion to a satelite airfield, it had its own bombing decoy located at Marsh Chapel. (7)
In January 1941 the decoy at Donna Nook became converted into a genuine satelite airfield. NGR concords with that given in source 6. (8)
Aerial photograph referenced in source 7 showing agricultural use in 1970. (9)
A Second World War prisoner of war camp at Royal Air Force Donna Nook airfield (TF 424 979), known as Camp 292 and Camp 292b. This was a German working camp. (10)
Donna Nook was used as a bombing range and relief landing ground for squadrons at Armament Practice Camp at North Coates from 1927. The bombing range included 7 1/2 miles of sand and mud foreshore S of Donna Nook Beacon and out to sea to a range of 8000yds. There were 5 quadrant towers along the shoreline to record fall of shot and bombing scores for relay back to North Coates Fitties for the returning aircraft. Used as a decoy airfield for RAF North Coates with dummy Blenheims (NS47) for a short time, overcrowding at RAF North Coates led to transfer to 16 Group Coastal Command to provide a Relief Landing Ground. The WW2 military airfield (1940¿45) was equipped with grass landing surfaces, one type T2 aircraft hangar and two Blister aircraft hangars (NS51). RAF Donna Nook and became home to 206 Squadron for a year. It also served as a POW camp. A few buildings and a section of perimeter track/runway are all that survive, but the name lives on in the `new¿ RAF Donna Nook which uses the adjacent sandflats as a NATO air weapons range. It was incorporated into a National Nature Reserve in 2002. (11)
WW2 'Q/K' decoy airfield for RAF North Coates visible on APs (see NS46). It comprised hangars, blast walls, dummy aircraft and trackways centred at TF 433 980. (Fomerly recorded as HOB UID 1451906.) (12) |