It initially opened as a satellite station for RAF Swinderby in 1940, being used by 300 and 301 Polish squadrons and later, 1661 HCU of No.

[4] RAF Winthorpe was opened as a Bomber Command station in September 1940 as a part of the expansion period of the late 1930s.

Winthorpe was briefly used in late 1941 by 455 squadron with their now-obsolete Handley Page Hampdens, but they had left by February 1942.

[2][3] In early 1942, Winthorpe underwent major reconstruction with the building of 3 hard runways in the standard A-shaped bomber configuration.

[2] The Lancasters of 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit (5 Group) carried out sorties over the period of the war,[3] pausing in 1943 as the perimeter track was rebuilt to prevent aircraft from sinking into the ground.

[2] In late autumn 1943, 16 Handley Page Halifaxes arrived at Winthorpe to replace the Manchesters.

[2][5][6][3] In March 1944, 3 Miles Martinets of 1690 Bomber Defence Training Flight arrived at Winthorpe as Target tugs before returning to RAF Scampton in July of the same year.

[11] In 1978, Newark Air Museum opened on a portion of the former station's site and began flying in aircraft for static display.