RAF Ossington Airfield unveils memorial 80 years after first flights

An airfield now has an official marker of its existence ­— 80 years after aeroplanes first flew from there.

Following several years of research and planning, which was interrupted by the covid pandemic, residents came out in force to witness the unveiling of the memorial stone at RAF Ossington.

The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust commissioned and erected the special granite marker stone, inscribed with the dates of the airfield’s inception and closure.

The stone is placed close to what was the centre of the airfield, near the intersection of two of the runways — one of which is now the public road connecting Ossington to Kneesall.

Many joined together afterwards at the village hall for light refreshments, and a chance to reminisce and examine memorabilia.

The commissioning of RAF Ossington changed the small village forever as the village school and two farms had to be demolished, and the road to Kneesall closed for the duration of the airfield’s existence.

During the second world war thousands of airforce personnel, including many Canadians, were based at Ossington while in training to fly bomber aircraft.

Directly after the war the airfield was used as a training base for BOAC pilots.

Kenneth Bannerman, chief executive officer of ABCT, unveiled the memorial with help from residents who had been involved in the project, after an introduction by Georgina Denison, the owner of the land.

Later a tractor and trailer ride for those interested toured the site of the old airfield and other parts of the parish that still have traces of RAF occupation.