Lincolnshire has long been known as ‘Bomber County’, reflecting its use by the RAF as the home base of multiple Bomber Command units during the Second World War. However, that is only part of the story of the county’s airborne history.
Following months of dedicated research, South Kesteven’s role has been explored in depth, and a new chapter added to its proud military heritage – the story of the airborne forces of three nations, the men who served, and the communities they became part of, largely untold since 1944.
With thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, South Kesteven District Council has launched the Soldiers from the Sky website and heritage trails which reveal their remarkable back-stories.
Discover how and where airborne forces from Britain, United States and Poland trained for battle and embarked from local airfields for the major World War Two milestones of D-Day and Arnhem.
American Pathfinder troops at RAF North Witham before secret eve of D-Day mission
The trail, which can be accessed through the link below, traces and tells the stories of evocative airfields, pubs where Airborne troops supped English ale, cherished churches where they worshipped and soldiers’ wartime accommodation still welcoming visitors today.
Soldiers from the Sky Trail Map
Airborne forces have left lasting legacies within South Kesteven, captured in a moving video on the website – www.soldiersfromthesky.co.uk – narrated by former Head of the Parachute Regiment, Lt Gen Andrew Harrison.
Who were the Soldiers from the Sky?
Massed ranks of American Troop Carrier Command C47s at RAF Folkingham
Stamford rang to the voices of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade and American Army Airforce troops charmed local communities as South Kesteven was transformed into a combat training area with the British 1st Airborne Division centre stage.
The skies were regularly full of US C-47 Dakota aircraft manoeuvring for paratrooper practice drops.
Saltby Airfield with Polish Paras – Operation MARKET Sept 1944
Elite American Pathfinders spearheaded the D-Day airborne invasion, flying from a local airfields to set up drop zone location markers in enemy territory to guide in their countrymen.
Ferrying them into battle were the unsung heroes of America’s IX Troop Carrier Command, launching waves of C-47 transport aircraft from airfields around Grantham at Fulbeck, Folkingham, North Witham, Saltby and Barkston Heath.
The Soldiers from the Sky trails invite travel through beautiful countryside, revealed through War diaries to be the sites of grueling training marches and mock battles, once familiar to airborne troops preparing to join the fight for freedom.
Places of interest include sites with airborne heritage still welcoming visitors today, including Easton Walled Gardens, the Hare and Hounds in Fulbeck (the heart of British 1st Airborne Division activity) the Angel and Royal Hotel in Grantham and St Vincent’s Church in Caythorpe.
The trails also commemorate some four- legged soldiers much loved by the troops. These dogs of war include Major Jerry, the Dalmatian killed with decorated American veterans in a mid-air training collision near Grantham in December 1944, and sheepdog Smokey, rescued from a bomb site in London to become a much-loved mascot for Polish troops.
Polish paratroopers’ mascot dog Smokey
Both are commemorated with memorials at Sudbrook Moor Gold Course and in the grounds of Stamford School respectively.
The Soldiers from the Sky project
The Soldiers from the Sky project has brought together for the first time the full story of Airborne Forces in South Kesteven, revealing the extraordinary actions of ordinary men during the Second World War.
The 18-month project, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, has included commemorative events, development of a smartphone app, visitor-friendly information for Airborne-related sites, the planting of 2,400 maroon Airborne Tulip Memorial bulbs and new information boards.
The website also has an informative education pack for KS2 pupils as part of its Poppies on Pebbles creative initiative that encourages art, poetry and Remembrance.
Airborne Tulip Memorial at Grimsthorpe Castle
The Heritage of Flight publication records airfield sites, inspires imagination and encourages people to ponder the history on our doorstep – reflecting abiding memories from another era and the huge debt of gratitude owed to service personnel from across the globe who served here in South Kesteven.
Watch the video harking back to the eve of D-Day – and the mid-air training collision over Lincolnshire that killed seven combat decorated veterans and Major Jerry, the pilot’s Dalmatian dog and canine forces celebrity.
Paying tribute to Major Jerry
For all those interested in local and international military history, South Kesteven is a must visit – check out the new website and follow one of the trails around our historic district.
