St Vincents Hall

St Vincents Hall is a 19th-century Gothic Revival country house. The building was sold to the Air Ministry in the early 20th century. The mansion remained in the possession of the Air Ministry until the 1960s.

St Vincents Hall was the command centre for several Allied air formations during the Second World War:

1) From October 1937 to November 1943: Headquarters 5 Group Bomber Command. The complex was the nerve centre of Operation Chastise.

2) From December 1943: Headquarters of USAAF's Ninth Air Force's IX Troop Carrier Command. This formation was involved in Operation Neptune, Operation Market and Operation Varsity.

King George VI was one of the many visitors to this mansion.

The classic The Dam Busters was shot here. The mansion has two memorial plaques commemorating 5 Group Bomber Command and 617 Squadron. St Vincents Hall also has a collection of Bomber Command artefacts. Private tours are sometimes available.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: Ericfrances