#Landmark
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a well-known airfield and is home to the RAF Officer Training College. It is situated to the west of the village with the same name.
During the Second World War, the airfield formed part of No. 21 (Training) Group and served as a flying training school. The school was equipped with Master, Oxford, Spitfire and Blenheim planes. There were also training schools for ground crews.
In October 1941, No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was based at Cranwell. In March 1943, they were involved in an accident which resulted in an aircraft crashing into a college building. The building was set on fire and three crew members were killed. The unit left the airfield in June 1943.
The airfield was also used for testing new types of aircraft. This included a short flight of a jet-powered Gloster aircraft by test pilot Lieutenant Gerry Sayer in 1941.
Today, the airfield is still used by the RAF and is home to the officers’ training college.