Editing MOD Lyneham (section)

===RAF Lyneham===
[[File:RAF Lyneham 03.JPG|thumb|left|Aerial view in 2010]]
{{Main|RAF Lyneham}}
RAF Lyneham was built in 1939, initially as a grass landing area although the RAF always planned to lay hard runways. Hangars and other buildings were dispersed around the site to avoid creating one large target for an aerial enemy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/raflyneham/aboutus/historyorigins.cfm |title=History - Origins |year=2011 |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=29 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119071934/http://www.raf.mod.uk/raflyneham/aboutus/historyorigins.cfm |archive-date=19 November 2010 }}</ref>

The station was opened on 18 May 1940 as [[No. 33 Maintenance Unit RAF|No. 33 Maintenance Unit]] (33MU). During the war, the station's squadrons operated regular [[Military transport aircraft|transport]] schedules to Gibraltar.

In 1971 five [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|Hercules]] squadrons were based at Lyneham, as well as a VIP transport [[De Havilland Comet|Comet]] squadron, and in 1976, the station became the largest operational airfield in the RAF with the arrival from Cyprus of Hercules-equipped [[No. 70 Squadron RAF]] (LXX Sqn), bringing to seven the station's total of aircraft squadrons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/raflyneham/aboutus/history60sand70s.cfm |title=History - The 60's and 70's |year=2011 |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012232230/http://www.raf.mod.uk/raflyneham/aboutus/history60sand70s.cfm |archive-date=12 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Hercules C5.jpg|thumb|right|RAF Hercules in flight]]