The Mapping Museum research project was created to look at the increase in the number of museums in the UK. As part of this project, Geoff Burton was interviewed about the RAF Ingham Heritage Centre.

Explore more about the Mapping Museum project here and read Burton's interview below:

Interview summary

Name of person being interviewed: Geoff Burton

Location of interview: subject’s home, Fillingham

Date of Recording: 06 February 2019

Recording Length: 00:47:40

Name of interviewer: Dr Toby Butler

Description: RAF Ingham Heritage Centre is based at a now disused airfield that was constructed in 1941 and consisted of three grass runways, a control tower and various ancillary buildings, messes and accommodation for ground crew and the squadrons based there, which included three Polish squadrons. A memorial has been constructed, the buildings are undergoing restoration and a small exhibition on the project and the site is open to the public on Sunday mornings.

Summary of main points in interview: Geoff Burton is founder and chair of RAF Ingham Heritage Centre. Burton moved to Fillingham in 2003 and spent seven years researching the site of an old airfield nearby. He discovered it had been a Second World War airfield and Polish Air Force base. In 2010 he organised an exhibition in the village hall and 200 people came. Several people put their names down to start a research group. He was drawn to the hidden nature of the ruined airfield and wanted to share the research he had done. He explored the airfield site walking his dog; the huts looked derelict.

With his wife and an architect he spent time drawing and designing rooms and site plans to work as a visitor centre. Burton describes the first exhibition which included objects, film, and display boards. He organised another weekend exhibition in 2012 to promote the heritage centre after they got a lease on the land; 600 people came. Many volunteers are still involved and Burton has managed to get funding for small projects. Around 20 people are involved regularly and they have 100 members who get a quarterly newsletter. The lease had to be agreed with the landowner; trainees from the Royal Engineers came for two weeks and built the foundations/hardcore for a road and car park. The landowners had an engineering firm that made machinery for the war effort and were happy to lease the land for 25 years for a peppercorn rent.

Burton says he has had a lot of support from Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage, attended quarterly meetings, and had a lot of advice from other museums in that network, who advised them on how to set up as a charity and establish policies that would align with accreditation. They also learned much from visits to other museums. They have plans to tell the story of the Polish bomber squadrons and include ground staff as well as air crew. Burton explains how the Polish dimension developed from a meeting with the Polish Airforce Association Charitable Trust, when he discovered that there was no museum or heritage centre to the Polish bomber squadrons. Plans include a research area where relatives can find out about those who served.

The Polish ambassador has also visited and the Polish government has contributed funding for a memorial day. People are starting to donate objects and some people from the local Polish community have got involved, including a Polish scout troop who helped with the memorial garden.