Editing Grantham (section)

===Military history===
[[File:Army Housing - geograph.org.uk - 155382.jpg|thumb|right|Army barracks, next to the [[A52 road|A52]], east of the town]]
The town has a long military history since the completion of the [[The Old Barracks, Grantham|Old Barracks]] in 1858.<ref name=drill>{{cite web |url=http://www.drillhalls.org/Counties/Lincolnshire/TownGrantham.htm |title=Grantham |publisher=The Drill Hall Project |access-date=9 December 2017}}</ref>

====Dambusters====
During the [[Operation Chastise|Dambuster Raids]] [[Royal Air Force]] missions in May 1943, the [[RAF Bomber Command]]'s [[No. 5 Group RAF|No. 5 Group]] and operation HQ were in [[St Vincents Hall|St Vincents]],<ref>[https://archive.today/20120918213324/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2004/09/25/pbomb25.xml Telegraph.co.uk], St Vincents</ref> a building later owned by Aveling-Barford and housing a district council planning department. It was built by [[Richard Hornsby]] in 1865 and lived in by his son. It is now a private house. In 1944 (including [[D-Day]]), it was the headquarters for the [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]]'s [[Ninth Air Force]]'s [[IX Troop Carrier Command]], known as Grantham Lodge.<ref>{{cite web |author=Raymond Harwood |url=http://www.publicenquiry.co.uk/commands/tc9th.html |title=9th Troop Carrier Command |publisher=Publicenquiry.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201183319/http://www.publicenquiry.co.uk/commands/tc9th.html |archive-date=1 December 2008 }}</ref>

====RAF Spitalgate====
[[RAF Spitalgate]] trained pilots during both world wars, initially as a [[Royal Flying Corps]] establishment. It was the first military airfield in Lincolnshire. It has never been an operational fighter or bomber base; although it did see operational service during the 1943 invasion of Europe as a base for American and Polish gliders and parachutists. It officially closed in 1974. The [[Women's Royal Air Force]] had been there from 1960 until closure.<ref name=RIS>{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Philip Ralph |title=RAF Spitalgate (formerly RAF Grantham) |url=http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/spitalgate/spitalgate.htm |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> (as [[RAF Wilmslow]] was closing due to the imminent ending of [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|National Service]]), and moved to [[RAF Hereford]] (now the home of [[Special Air Service|SAS]]).{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

After closure, RAF Spitalgate became the Royal Corps of Transport, later [[Royal Logistic Corps]] barracks: [[Prince William of Gloucester Barracks]], named after [[Prince William of Gloucester]].<ref name=RIS/><ref>{{cite web |title=Spitalgate (Grantham) Airfield History |url=http://www.bcar.org.uk/spitalgate-history |work=Bomber County |year=2010 |publisher=Bomber County Aviation Resource |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> Grantham College used the site's two football pitches for their South Lincolnshire Football Development Centre (from September 2004).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grantham.ac.uk/Courses.aspx?AcademiesCourses |title=Courses – Grantham College |first=First |last=Media}}</ref> After closure in 1975 a vehicle test centre was built on the outfield; this closed in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chapter 6: Vehicle Inspectorate |url=http://archive.treasury.gov.uk/pub/html/docs/nar/c6.pdf |work=National asset register |publisher=National records office |access-date=7 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117022216/http://archive.treasury.gov.uk/pub/html/docs/nar/c6.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grantham (33) |url=http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/crt/doitonline/bl/vosateststationlocations/grantham%2833%29.htm |publisher=VOSA |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> The large mast on the base was part of the [[British Telecom microwave network|BT microwave network]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Backbone_radio_link_and_radio_standby_to_line_links_for_safeguarding_vital_communications |title=Backbone radio link and radio standby to line links for safeguarding vital communications |work=British GPO paper |date=July 1956 |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)]] CAB 134/1207}}{{dead link|date=March 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

The [[Queen's Royal Lancers]] (part of the [[Royal Armoured Corps]]) have their RHQ on the base.

====RAF Regiment====
The [[RAF Regiment]] was formed north-east of the town in parts of [[Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without]] during December 1941 with its headquarters at [[RAF Belton Park]], which is recognised as its birthplace.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/history/ |title=RAF – History |first=RAF Details |last=here |access-date=17 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406170752/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/history/ |archive-date=6 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Belton Park estate had been a training centre for the [[Machine Gun Corps]] from November 1915.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/history.html |title=Membership |publisher=Machineguncorps.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711143831/http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/history.html |archive-date=11 July 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The RAF Regiment reached in excess of 66,000 personnel and during training was housed at [[RAF Belton Park]], the Regiment's first depot, [[RAF Folkingham]] and [[RAF North Witham]].