American Second World War veteran, who served at RAF North Witham, dies aged 102
A World War Two veteran who served in the area has died.
Lieutenant Colonel David Hamilton, who served at RAF North Witham, has died aged 102.
David, who was from America, returned to the airfield where he served in 2019 for the 75th commemoration of D-Day as the last surviving pilot from a pre-invasion Normandy mission.
South Kesteven District Council lead member for the Armed Forces, Richard Dixon-Warren (Con), said: “Mr Hamilton embodied the spirit and sacrifice of the allies who joined Britain in the fight to liberate Europe.
“It was an honour to organise the visit. D-Day was underway as soon as those aircraft took off on a mission that helped to change the course of war.
“We cannot overstate the importance of what they achieved.”
At 21-years-old, David piloted one of the 20 C-47s of America’s 9th Troop Carrier Command which took off on June 5, 1944, from what is now Twyford Wood, near Colsterworth.
On board were elite US 82nd Airborne Pathfinder paratroopers who dropped behind German lines to set up navigational aids guiding in the main airborne invasion force.
Having flown the outward mission at 50ft above the English Channel to avoid enemy radar, David returned to RAF North Witham with more than 200 holes in his aircraft from anti-aircraft and small arms fire.
He was awarded five air medals and a Flying Cross for his service. He retired in 1963 as a Lt Colonel serving in intelligence.
When he visited South Kesteven, he was met at Grantham railway station by air cadets and taken to North Witham for a tour of the airfield, where he unveiled an information board on the 1944 Pathfinder mission.
He then went to South Witham to unveil a commemorative bench and have lunch with schoolchildren.