Editing Grantham (section)

====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.