Editing Sutton Bridge (section)

==Wartime Sutton Bridge==
The town and community of Sutton Bridge played a supportive role of national importance during the [[Second World War]]; it was home to a [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) airfield and [[prisoner-of-war camp]].<ref name="AFSB">Airfield Focus 65: Sutton Bridge, Alastair Goodrum, 1997, {{ISBN|978-1-904514-15-2}}</ref><ref name="BCH">{{cite book| author = Jonathan Falconer| title = Bomber Command Handbook 1939–1945| date = 1 October 2003| publisher = Sutton Pub Limited| isbn = 978-0-7509-3171-7 }}</ref><ref name="CRB">{{cite book| author = Alastair Goodrum| title = Combat Ready!| date = 1 November 1997| isbn = 978-1-870384-60-5 }}</ref><ref name="NA-SBPOW">[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] (The National Archives document reference No.: FO 939/180): '254 Working Camp, Sutton Bridge Camp, Lincolnshire'.</ref> Its most pivotal role was when Sutton Bridge became the RAF's Central Gunnery School (CGS), training both fighter pilots from [[RAF Fighter Command]] and air gunners from [[RAF Bomber Command]], and in the words of Group Captain [[Allan Wright]] "the Central Gunnery School itself was the first of its kind in the world".<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" />

===RAF Sutton Bridge===
{{Main article|RAF Sutton Bridge}}
On 1 September 1926 the [[Air Ministry]] established RAF Practice Camp Sutton Bridge<ref name="FLTPB2">The official naming used and found in official Air Ministry notices, the London Gazette and other publications is "R.A.F. Practice Camp Sutton Bridge". One example publication: FLIGHT, 24 May 1928, Air Ministry Announcements, Page 394: The Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Intelligence, Appointments, I.W.C. Mackenzie to "R.A.F. Practice Camp, Sutton Bridge", 14.4.28 [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1928/1928%20-%200430.html]</ref> on acquired farmland bordering Sutton Bridge village, adjacent the [[River Nene]], in close vicinity to [[Cross Keys Bridge]].<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /> As a gunnery training camp, it was to operate ground and towed targets for live practice machine gun fire and bomb dropping by aircraft, its principal gunnery range was located along the [[Lincolnshire coast]] marshland on [[The Wash]] around 8&nbsp;miles North-Northeast of [[Holbeach]].<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /><ref name="AGBRB">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/36994/holeach_air_gunnery_bombing_range.pdf|title=GOV.UK Publications, Ministry of Defence: Holbeach Air Gunnery and Bombing Range Bylaws 1939.}}</ref><ref name="DBPS">{{cite book| author = Peter C. Smith| title = Dive Bomber!: Aircraft, Technology, and Tactics in World War II| date = 10 April 2008| isbn = 978-0-8117-3454-7| pages = 50–52 }}</ref> Becoming well established and expanded, RAF Practice Camp Sutton Bridge was renamed to No. 3 Armament Training Camp Sutton Bridge<ref name="FLTPB1">Publication: FLIGHT, 8 January 1932, Air Ministry Announcements, Page 43: The Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force Intelligence, Reorganisation of the Armament and Gunnery School, from 1 January 1932, R.A.F. practice camps will be known as armament training camps and numbered as follows...: No. 3 Armament Training Camp, Sutton Bridge [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1932/1932%20-%200043.html]</ref> and later simply [[RAF Sutton Bridge]].<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /> In October 1939 [[No. 266 Squadron RAF]] was reformed at RAF Sutton Bridge as a fighter squadron operating the [[Fairey Battle]] light bomber aircraft before taking delivery of the [[Supermarine Spitfire]] in January 1940, becoming the RAF's second Spitfire fighter Squadron after [[Duxford Aerodrome|RAF Duxford]]’s [[No. 19 Squadron RAF]].<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" />

On inception, training combat pilots of [[biplanes]] such as the [[Gloster Gamecock]], [[Bristol F.2 Fighter]], [[Armstrong Whitworth Atlas]], [[Armstrong Whitworth Siskin]], [[Bristol Bulldog]] and [[Fairey Flycatcher]],<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /><ref name="DBPS" /> Sutton Bridge later became accustomed to the intense activity of aircraft such as the [[Boulton Paul Defiant]], [[Fairey Battle]], [[Bristol Blenheim]], [[Bristol Beaufort]], [[Supermarine Spitfire]], [[Hawker Hurricane]], [[Airspeed Oxford]], [[Miles Master|Miles M.19 Master II]], [[North American P-51 Mustang|P-51 Mustang]], [[Vultee A-31 Vengeance|A-35 Vengeance]], [[Lockheed Hudson]], [[Vickers Wellington]] and Avro [[Lancaster bomber]]s, to name a few, stationed at RAF Sutton Bridge over the course of its operational life.<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /><ref name="BCAR">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bcar.org.uk/index.php|title=Bomber County Aviation Resource - BCAR.org.uk|website=www.bcar.org.uk}}</ref> In 1937, the village of Sutton Bridge also attracted some 5000 people to its open day flying display on [[Commonwealth Day|Empire Day]],<ref name="CRB" /> which included amongst its highlights, bombing a moving car and attacks on towed targets.<ref name="FLTPB5">Publication: FLIGHT, 27 May 1937, Page 552: [[Empire Air Day]], Where and What to Watch Next Saturday, "Sutton Bridge.." [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%201386.html]</ref>

[[File:Memorial to R.A.F. Sutton Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 818997.jpg|thumb|120px|right|RAF Sutton Bridge memorial, at side of Cross Keys Bridge]]
RAF Sutton Bridge not only trained British combat pilots but also the RAF's commonwealth and foreign allied pilots, especially trainee Polish, Czech and French pilots.<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /> Many distinguished Second World War combat pilots passed through RAF Sutton Bridge training, such as Air Marshal Sir [[Richard Atcherley]], Group Captain [[Billy Drake]], Group Captain Sir [[Douglas Bader]] serving with [[No. 23 Squadron RAF]] and Dam Busters legend Wing Commander [[Guy Gibson]].<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="CRB" /> Along with RAF Sutton Bridge came also a stream of local crash landing incidents and mid-air collisions, many resulting in pilot fatalities.<ref name="AFSB" /><ref name="BCH" /><ref name="CRB" /><ref name="BCAR" /><ref>[http://www.sweffling.freeserve.co.uk/bennett.htm Example incident: 13 August 1943 mid-air collision over North-West Lakenheath in Suffolk, Stallode Fen farm, involving a Spitfire (P7530) and Wellington Bomber (P9228) on joint exercise both from RAF Sutton Bridge Central Gunnery School.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117215508/http://www.sweffling.freeserve.co.uk/bennett.htm |date=17 January 2012 }}</ref> At the end of the Second World War, RAF Sutton Bridge was also used for dismantling aircraft such as the Vickers Wellington bomber, Avro Lancaster bomber and other British combat aircraft scheduled to be sold as [[scrap]] metal.<ref name="AFSB" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://74th.co.uk/raf/service/smashing.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207075150/http://74th.co.uk/raf/service/smashing.html|url-status=dead|title=Whatever Happened to the Lancaster Bombers?: Fun in the RAF (The Spirit of the 74th).|archivedate=7 February 2013|website=74th.co.uk}}</ref>

Today, small remnants of RAF Sutton Bridge airfield exist, in 1958 RAF Sutton Bridge was closed, its land site transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture and continues to be used by the [[Potato Council|Potato Marketing Board]] as one of the UK's leading [[agricultural experiment station]]s.<ref name="AFSB" /><ref>[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] (The National Archives document reference No.: FY): Records of the Potato Marketing Boards, 1933–1997.</ref>

In 1947, a memorial in Saint Matthew's church was dedicated in memory of Commonwealth and Allied airmen who gave their lives whilst serving at RAF Sutton Bridge. The church also includes a Roll of Honour as well as a [[war grave]] cemetery. A memorial plinth-mounted propeller blade situated at the side of Cross Keys Bridge was also erected in 1993 in memory of all that served at RAF Sutton Bridge; the propeller blade came from a crashed Hawker Hurricane that was based at RAF Sutton Bridge. The marshland gunnery range itself, located along The Wash, survived as [[RAF Holbeach]] Bombing Range becoming parented to [[RAF Marham]], it continues active service as a practice bombing range for the RAF as well as [[NATO]]-allied air forces.<ref name="RAFHC">{{Cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmarham/aboutus/holbeach.cfm|title=Royal Air Force – RAF Holbeach}}</ref>

===Dam Busters Raid 1943===
During the early part of 1943 Sutton Bridge and Cross Keys Bridge was used by [[No. 617 Squadron RAF|617 Squadron]] from [[RAF Scampton]] to practise their low-level flying needed for [[Operation Chastise]] (the legendary Dam Busters raid). The mission was led by commanding officer Guy Gibson, who was familiar with the village of Sutton Bridge having participated in advanced training at RAF Sutton Bridge during the summer of 1937.<ref name="BBC2TW">[[BBC Two]] [[Timewatch]] series, Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the German Dams, documentary, 8 November 2011, directed by Aron Young and presented by James Holland, United Kingdom, aired 16 May 2013.</ref>

RAF Sergeant George (Johnny) Johnson [[Distinguished Flying Medal|DFM]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/262EB144_5056_A318_A8947809CAD08895.pdf |title=Royal Air Force Website: Sergeant George Leonard (Johnny) Johnson DFM |access-date=17 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829071537/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/262EB144_5056_A318_A8947809CAD08895.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Bomb-Aimer on board Lancaster bomber ED825/AJ-T commanded by [[Joe McCarthy (RCAF officer)|Joe McCarthy]] that attacked the [[Sorpe Dam]] from a height of just 30 feet, recounts that in the village of Sutton Bridge there were electric cables that cross the River Nene just before the bridge itself and to hone their low-level flying skills they would regularly practice flying the Lancasters under the electric cables and skim up over Cross Keys Bridge, missing the bridge itself by only a few feet each time.<ref name="BBC2TW" />

===Sutton Bridge Prisoner of War (POW) Camp===
Sutton Bridge POW Camp (designated POW Camp No. 254, Working Camp)<ref name="NA-SBPOW" /> was a relatively low-security [[prisoners of war|prisoner of war]] confinement camp to a number of captured ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' soldiers, airmen, sailors and submariners from respectively the [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]], [[Luftwaffe]] (airforce) and [[Kriegsmarine]] (navy) during and after the Second World War.<ref name="NA-SBPOW" /> The Camp was located on the West Bank, next to what once was Travis & Arnold timber yard and offices, just off the road (left side) leading towards the old dock. Whilst in captivity the Sutton Bridge POWs were used by the [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Agriculture]] and hired out to civilian contractors to perform local land labour work.<ref name="NA-SBPOW" /><ref name="BASS5">Lincolnshire County Council – Archive Collection Ref. BASS 5; Prisoners of War: Papers relating to the use of POW labour on farms in the Sutton Bridge area, 1943–1949.</ref> Many German POWs throughout the UK were used as a labour force in agriculture and although interpreted as within the confines of Articles 27–32 of the [[Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War (1929)|Geneva Convention (1929)]], it caused debate in the UK; words such as "slave labour" was increasingly used in the media and in the House of Commons (see [[Prisoner of war#Treatment of POWs by the Western Allies|Treatment of POWs by the Western Allies]]).

The Sutton Bridge POW camp was designed to hold up to 250 POWs, consisting of wooden barracks and [[Nissen hut]]s.<ref name="GMPWB">German Migrants in Post-war Britain: An enemy embrace. British Politics and Society. Author: Inge Weber-Newth and Johannes-Dieter Steinert, Publisher: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2006, Page 55-56, {{ISBN|0714656577}}.</ref><ref name="IRCR1">International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Geneva: CICR Rapports des Visites. Camps ou Missions, Report No. 1397 of 28 August 1948, C-PW, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire.</ref><ref name="IRCR2">International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Geneva: CICR Rapports des Visites. Camps ou Missions, Report No. 1408, C-PW, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire.</ref> Living conditions and facilities at the camp were sparse at best, with no electric lighting nor heating stoves until well after the War had ended.<ref name="GMPWB" /><ref name="IRCR1" /><ref name="IRCR2" /> On 28 August 1948, an official inspection visit by the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] reported prisoner conditions at Sutton Bridge POW Camp had improved significantly since their previous visit; 160 German ''Wehrmacht'' POWs were at that time interned in the camp quasi-hostel, electric lighting and coal heating stoves had found their way into the POW accommodation, each dormitory contained between 8 and 14 single beds, lockable lockers had just been delivered and doors had been fitted to toilet cubicles.<ref name="GMPWB" /><ref name="IRCR1" /><ref name="IRCR2" />

The interned POWs became a familiar part of Sutton Bridge community life while working the local farmland during their years of captivity and long after the war ended awaiting their [[repatriation]] (see [[Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War (1929)#Termination of captivity|Termination of captivity]], [[unconditional surrender]] without [[armistice]]).<ref name="NA-SBPOW" /><ref name="BASS5" /> On being formally discharged from captivity that finally occurred in late 1948 and early 1949,<ref name="BASS5" /> the few ex-POWs who remained in local employment sponsorship settled in the local community.<ref name="NA-SBPOW" /><ref name="BASS5" /> Sutton Bridge continued to function as a boarding camp well into the early 1950s for some billeted ex-POWs who were either still awaiting repatriation or had elected to remain settled in local employment, until vacating to suitable local dwellings in and around Sutton Bridge.<ref name="NA-SBPOW" /><ref name="BASS5" /> Remnants of Sutton Bridge POW camp site (location at: {{Coord|52|46|15.80|N|0|11|45.82|E|name=Former site of POW Camp No. 254 Working Camp, Sutton Bridge.}}) and its buildings remained visible until the late 1970s–80s.