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title: User talk:68.67.222.226


text:
John List (murderer)

John Emil List (September 17, 1925 – March 21, 2008) was an American mass murderer and long-time fugitive. On November 9, 1971, he killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared. He had planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone suspected that anything was amiss.

List assumed a new identity, remarried, and eluded justice for nearly 18 years. He was finally apprehended in Virginia on June 1, 1989, after the story of his murders was broadcast on the television program America's Most Wanted. After extradition to New Jersey, he was convicted on five counts of first degree murder and sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment, making him ineligible for parole for nearly 75 years.

List gave critical financial problems, as well as his perception that his family members were straying from their religious faith, as his motivations for the murders. He believed that killing them would assure their souls a place in Heaven, where he hoped to eventually join them. List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82.

Early life and education
Born in Bay City, Michigan, List was the only child of German American parents John Frederick List (1859–1944) and Alma Barbara Florence List (1887–1971). Like his father, List was a devout Lutheran and a Sunday school teacher. List graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1943. That same year, he enlisted in the United States Army and served as a laboratory technician during World War II. His father died in 1944. After List was discharged in 1946, he enrolled at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting, and was commissioned a second lieutenant through ROTC.

Military service and civilian career
In November 1950, as the Korean War escalated, List was recalled to active military service. At Fort Eustis in Virginia, he met Helen Morris Taylor, the widow of an infantry officer killed in action in Korea, who lived nearby with her daughter, Brenda. John and Helen married on December 1, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, and the family moved to northern California. The Army, recognizing List's accounting skills, reassigned him to the Finance Corps.

After completion of his second tour in 1952, List worked for an accounting firm in Detroit, and then as an audit supervisor at a paper company in Kalamazoo, where his three children were born. By 1959, List had risen to general supervisor of the company's accounting department; but Helen, an alcoholic, had become increasingly unstable due to syphilis she had contracted from her first husband, which she did not disclose to List before their marriage. In 1960, his stepdaughter Brenda married and left the household, and List moved with the remainder of his family to Rochester, New York, to take a job with Xerox. There, he eventually became director of accounting services. In 1965, List accepted a position as vice president and comptroller at a bank in Jersey City, New Jersey, and moved with his wife, children, and mother into Breeze Knoll, a 19-room Victorian mansion, located at 431 Hillside Avenue in Westfield, New Jersey.

Murders
On November 9, 1971, List murdered his entire immediate family, using his 9mm Steyr 1912 semi-automatic handgun and his father's Colt .22 caliber revolver. While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. As his daughter Patricia, 16, and younger son Frederick, 13, arrived home from school, List shot each of them in the back of the head. After making himself lunch, List drove to his bank to close his and his mother's bank accounts, then to Westfield High School to watch his elder son John Frederick, 15, play in a soccer game. After driving John Frederick home, List shot him repeatedly because, as misfire evidence showed, his son attempted to defend himself.

List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. He left his mother's body in her apartment in the attic. In a five-page letter to his pastor, found on the desk in his study, List claimed that he saw too much evil in the world, and he had killed his family to save their souls. He then cleaned the various crime scenes, removed his own picture from all family photographs in the house, tuned a radio to a religious station, and departed.

The murders were not discovered until December 7, nearly a month later, partly because of the family's reclusive tendencies and partly because of notes List sent to the children's schools and part-time jobs claiming that the children would be visiting their ailing maternal grandmother in North Carolina for a few weeks. Helen's mother was in fact ill, and had canceled a visit to Westfield because of it; had she made the trip, List later said, she would have been his sixth victim. List also stopped milk, mail, and newspaper deliveries. Neighbors noticed that all of the mansion's rooms were illuminated day and night, with no apparent activity within the house. After light bulbs began burning out one by one, they called the police. Officers entered through an unlocked window leading to the basement and discovered the family's bodies.

Westfield, which had few violent crimes recorded since 1963, received national attention as the site of one of the most notorious felonies in New Jersey since the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. A nationwide manhunt was launched. Police investigated hundreds of leads without success. All reliable photographs of List had been destroyed. The family car (a green 1963 Chevrolet Impala sedan) was found parked at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, but police found no evidence that List had boarded a flight. Alma's body was flown to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and interred at the Saint Lorenz Lutheran Cemetery. Helen and her three children were buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.

Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains unsolved with no suspects. Destroyed along with the home was the ballroom's stained glass skylight, rumored to be a signed Tiffany original, worth at least $100,000 at the time. A new house was built on the site in 1974.

Relocation, arrest, and trial
In 1971, as the FBI later discovered, List had traveled by train from New Jersey first to Michigan, then to Colorado. He settled in Denver in early 1972 and took an accounting job under the name Robert Peter "Bob" Clark, one of his college classmates (although the real Bob Clark later stated that he had never known List). From 1979 to 1986, he was the comptroller at a paper-box manufacturer outside Denver. He joined a Lutheran congregation and ran a car pool for church members without transport. At one religious gathering, he met an Army PX clerk named Delores Miller and they were married in 1985. In February 1988, the couple moved to a house in the Brandermill neighborhood of Midlothian, Virginia, where List, still using the name Bob Clark, resumed work as an accountant at a small accounting firm, Maddrea, Joyner, Kirkham & Woody.

In 1972, List was proposed as a suspect in the D. B. Cooper air piracy case because of the timing of his disappearance (two weeks prior to the airline hijacking), multiple matches to the hijacker's description, and the reasoning that "a fugitive accused of mass murder has nothing to lose." List was questioned by FBI investigators after his capture, but he denied any involvement in the Cooper case. While his name is still occasionally mentioned in Cooper articles and documentaries, no direct evidence implicates him, and the FBI no longer considers him a suspect.

In May 1989, the 17 years, 6 months, 23 days old crime was recounted on the Fox television program America's Most Wanted during its first year on the air. The segment featured an age-progressed clay bust, sculpted by forensic artist Frank Bender, which turned out to bear a close resemblance to List's actual appearance. On June 1, less than two weeks after the broadcast, List was arrested at a Richmond accounting firm after a Denver neighbor recognized the description and alerted authorities. List continued to stand by his alias for several months, even after his 1989 extradition to Union County, New Jersey; finally, faced with irrefutable evidence – including a fingerprint match with List's military records, as well as evidence found at the crime scene – he confessed his true identity on February 16, 1990.

At trial, List testified that his financial difficulties reached crisis level in 1971 when he was laid off with the closure of the Jersey City bank. To avoid sharing this humiliating development with his family, List engaged in the same routine and dress as when employed, leaving home each morning on schedule and spending the day at job interviews or at the Westfield train station, reading newspapers until it was time to come home. List diverted money from his mother's bank accounts to avoid default on his mortgage. As the year progressed, the family's financial problems became more strained; List encouraged his children to seek part-time work, ostensibly to teach them maturity and responsibility, but in actuality to help keep the family financially solvent.

He was also dealing with his wife's alcoholism and her untreated tertiary syphilis, contracted from her first husband and concealed for 18 years. According to trial testimony, Helen had pressured List into marriage by falsely claiming that she was pregnant, then insisted that they marry in Maryland, which did not require the premarital syphilis test mandated in most other states at the time. Though her health progressively deteriorated, she said nothing to List or her physicians until 1969, when a thorough examination revealed the condition. By then, progression of the disease combined with her excessive alcohol consumption had, according to testimony, "transformed her [into]… an unkempt and paranoid recluse" who frequently – and often publicly – humiliated List, comparing his sexual prowess unfavorably with that of her first husband.

A court-appointed psychiatrist testified that List suffered from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and that he saw only two solutions to his situation: accept welfare, or kill his family and send their souls to heaven. Welfare was an unacceptable option, he reasoned, because it would expose him and his family to ridicule and violate his authoritarian father's teachings regarding the care and protection of family members.

On April 12, 1990, List was convicted of five counts of first degree murder. At his sentencing hearing, he denied direct responsibility for his actions: "I feel that because of my mental state at the time, I was unaccountable for what happened. I ask all affected by this for their forgiveness, understanding and prayer." The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. "After 18 years, five months and 22 days, it is now time for the voices of Helen, Alma, Patricia, Frederick and John F. List to rise from the grave." He imposed a sentence of five terms of life imprisonment, to be served consecutively, the maximum permissible penalty at the time.

List filed an appeal of his convictions on grounds that his judgment had been impaired by post-traumatic stress disorder due to his military service. He also argued that the letter he left behind at the crime scene, essentially his confession, was a confidential communication to his pastor and therefore inadmissible as evidence. A federal appeals court rejected both arguments.

List eventually expressed a degree of remorse for his crimes. "I wish I had never done what I did," he told Connie Chung in 2002. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since." When asked why he had not taken his own life, he said he believed that suicide would have prevented him from going to heaven, where he hoped to be reunited with his family.

Death
List died of complications from pneumonia aged 82 on March 21, 2008, while imprisoned at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. In reporting his death, the New Jersey Star-Ledger referred to him as "The Boogeyman of Westfield."

Television, film, and pop culture
Over the years, List and his crimes have furnished inspiration for documentaries, television dramas and feature films. Examples include "Savior," season 6, episode 16 of the television series Law & Order; the 1987 film The Stepfather and its 2009 remake; the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story, in which List was portrayed by Robert Blake; and the character Keyser Söze in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.

In 2008, John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted, donated the age-progressed bust by Frank Bender that played a pivotal role in List's apprehension to a forensic science exhibition at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C., whose collection was later moved to Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

A 1996 episode of the series Forensic Files discussed the List murders. A 2003 episode of the A&E series American Justice also detailed the case and featured an interview with List. In 2015, the story was covered in the season 2, episode 2 of the Investigation Discovery TV series Your Worst Nightmare. The episode, "Murder House", premiered on November 18, 2015.

The movie A Killer Next Door, based on the events that led to the capture of John List, was released In July 2020.

In 2022, NJ Advance Media released Father Wants Us Dead, a podcast serial on the events.

Also in 2022, Netflix released a seven-part dramatic fictional miniseries called The Watcher. Although it is a work of fiction based on a real article, much of the character John Graff was borrowed from the story of the John List murders. The character of John Graff, played by Joe Mantello, was identical to John List in several ways, such as his being an accountant, attending a Lutheran church, and murdering his family members and live-in mother, along with leaving music playing in the house and planning an alibi that would cause the bodies to remain undiscovered for several weeks.

title: John List (murderer)


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Michigan Avenue (Chicago)

Michigan Avenue is a north-south street in Chicago that runs at 100 east on the Chicago grid. The northern end of the street is at DuSable Lake Shore Drive on the shore of Lake Michigan in the Gold Coast Historic District. The street's southern terminus is at Sibley Boulevard in the southern suburb of Dolton, but like many other Chicago streets, it exists in several disjointed segments.

As the home of the Chicago Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and the shopping on the Magnificent Mile, it is a street well-known to Chicago natives as well as tourists to the city. Michigan Avenue also is the main commercial street of Streeterville. It includes all of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District and most of the Michigan–Wacker Historic District, including the scenic urban space anchored by the DuSable (Michigan Avenue) Bridge.

19th century
The oldest section of Michigan Avenue is the portion that currently borders Grant Park in the Chicago Loop section of the city. The name came from Lake Michigan, which until 1871 was immediately east of Michigan Avenue. The street at that time ran north to the Chicago River and south to the city limits. Michigan Avenue initially was primarily residential. By the 1860s, however, large homes and expensive row houses dominated Michigan Avenue.

At no point is Michigan Avenue currently called Michigan Boulevard, but prior to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the street was officially known as Michigan Boulevard and often referred to as "Boul Mich". But in the 1900-1907 Ads for the Chicago Musical College, the address was referred to as "202 Michigan Boul." As recently as the 1920s, North Michigan Avenue (especially the Magnificent Mile) was referred to as "Upper Boul Mich". Paris's Boulevard Saint-Michel is the original Boul Mich.

North of the Chicago River today's Michigan Avenue was known as Pine Street. In 1866, a small portion of Pine Street was "vacated" and moved 80 ft further west of the original Pine street location to accommodate the installation of the new pumping station's standpipe. This standpipe, engineered to regulate water pressure, would be housed within architect William W. Boyington's castle structure (Water Tower) that still stands on that site today. In 1869 the Board of Public Works began paving Pine Street from Chicago Avenue to Whitney street (today, Walton street) the northern terminus, with Belgian wood blocks also known as Nicolson pavement.

Pine Street was renamed to Lincoln Park Boulevard as far south as Ohio Street when the street connected with Lake Shore Drive in the early 1890s, and then became part of Michigan Avenue, which already had the name Michigan Avenue and was called Michigan Boulevard before the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, south of the Chicago River. Both the North and South Michigan Avenues were joined physically with the opening of the Michigan Avenue bridge in 1920. In 1926, after years of clogged automobile traffic, the water tower and pumping station were separated by realigning Michigan Avenue to run between them.

In the Great Fire of 1871, all buildings on Michigan Avenue from Congress Street north to the river were destroyed. Immediately after the fire, the character of Michigan remained residential, but the street no longer was directly on the lake shore, as after the Fire, wreckage from the burnt district was used to fill in the inner harbor of Chicago, beginning the landfills that by the 1920s had moved the lake shore more than a quarter-mile east of its original shoreline, creating space for an expanded Grant Park. Beginning in the 1880s, the expansion of the central business district replaced houses on Michigan Avenue so that today, Michigan's character is primarily commercial north of 35th Street.

The first city showcase on Michigan Avenue was the Exposition Building, which was built on the current site of the Art Institute, the east side of Michigan at Adams, in 1874. By the 1890s, an imposing wall of buildings was constructed on the west side of Michigan Avenue downtown, including the Auditorium Building and the main branch of the Chicago Public Library (now the Chicago Cultural Center). As the east side of Michigan Avenue downtown was developed as a park, the wall of buildings lining the west side of Michigan Avenue across from the park became the nucleus of the city's skyline.

20th century
In 1924, the first traffic lights in Chicago were installed on Michigan Avenue after John D. Hertz fronted the city $34,000 for the purchase, installation, and maintenance.

Historically, Illinois Route 1 and U.S. Route 41 were routed on Michigan Avenue. Illinois Route 1 has been truncated to Chicago's south side and U.S. Route 41 is now routed on Lake Shore Drive.

North Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile
Michigan Avenue originally ended at the Chicago River, and what is now Michigan Avenue north of the river was originally named Pine Street, after scattered pine trees originally found in its vicinity. As early as 1891 plans were proposed to extend Michigan Avenue north across the river. An early plan called for a tunnel to link Michigan Avenue south of the river with Pine Street, and in 1903 an editorial in the Chicago Tribune newspaper proposed a new Bascule bridge across the river at Michigan Avenue.

This plan was further elaborated upon in Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago, and in 1911 a plan was selected that included the widening of Michigan Avenue from Randolph Street to the river, replacing the Rush Street bridge with a new bridge at Michigan Avenue and the construction of a double-decked boulevard along Pine Street as far as Ohio Street. When the Michigan Avenue Bridge was completed, Pine Street was renamed Michigan Avenue. At its north end it merges into Lake Shore Drive near the Drake Hotel.

Today, the area north of the Chicago River is referred to as the "Magnificent Mile", or sometimes simply the Mag Mile. It contains a mixture of upscale department stores, restaurants, high-end retailers, office buildings and hotels, and caters primarily to tourists and the affluent. The area also has a high concentration of the city's advertising agencies.

It is the home of Chicago's famous Water Tower landmark, Jane Byrne Park around the Water Tower with its historic clock, as well as the eight-level Water Tower Place shopping center which grew up next door to, and overshadowed, the comparatively diminutive landmark. North of the shopping center can be found the famous John Hancock Center, the art deco Palmolive Building (also known as the Playboy Building) and the lavish Drake Hotel. The entire mile is noted for its spectacular Christmas displays. At the northern edge of this district can be found the One Magnificent Mile building; Chicago Landmark East Lake Shore Drive District, an extremely expensive and exclusive one-block area of real estate running east from North Michigan Avenue and facing directly onto Lake Michigan; and the on-ramp to northbound Lake Shore Drive.

From the River southwards
For a few blocks on both sides of the Chicago River, the road is double-decked, including the bridge over the river. The lower level north of the river is where the famous Billy Goat Tavern is located, and south of the river it intersects with Lower Wacker Drive. On the upper lever, tall office buildings and hotels line both sides of the Avenue, until Millennium Park.

The portion of Michigan Avenue opposite Grant Park is the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District. Major cultural institutions, such as the Chicago Cultural Center, Symphony Center, and the Auditorium Theater are located here, as are many late 19th and early 20th century skyscrapers. In 2009, the Chicago Cultural Mile Association was created to bring "awareness of the unique strengths and diverse offerings available to visitors" in this portion of Michigan Avenue.

The Art Institute of Chicago is across the boulevard, in Grant Park along the Avenue. Several large historic hotels are located just south of Ida B. Wells Drive, including the Hilton Towers Chicago (formerly, the Stevens Hotel), the Congress Plaza Hotel and the Blackstone Hotel. Between them is the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

The Avenue extends south into Near South Side, Chicago and beyond – past what was once the notorious Levee District, the graceful homes of the Prairie Avenue District, the historic Second Presbyterian Church, the former home of the legendary Chess Records at 2120 South Michigan and the site where the Lexington Hotel, a hideout of Al Capone, once stood.

South of Cermak Road is the Motor Row District, a historic strip along Michigan Avenue that was home to many early 20th century automobile "palaces." A point of interest in this area is the former Illinois Automobile Club, which later was used as the home of the Chicago Defender, a prominent African-American Chicago newspaper at 2400 South Michigan. A little bit further south is Bronzeville, a historic black community in Chicago. Points of interest include the historic Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, the Illinois College of Optometry and the South Side Community Art Center.

The intersection of Michigan Avenue and 35th Street is home to two important local institutions. On the northwest corner is De La Salle Institute, a Catholic high school which was attended by future Chicago mayors Richard J. Daley, Richard M. Daley, and Michael Bilandic. On the southwest corner is the Chicago Police Department Headquarters. Michigan Avenue continues through the South Side and dead ends at 63rd Street, just north of a rail yard and parking lots.

The Avenue continues heading south at 66th Street to Marquette Road, where it moves a half-block to the east back into alignment with the run north of 63rd Street. It then continues south to 89th Street where it dead ends once again for a housing subdivision and a railroad line. It resumes at 91st Street heading south through the working class Roseland community, featuring a large commercial strip along Michigan between 111th and 115th streets. The street dead ends again at 127th Street just before the Cal-Sag Channel. It begins again in the south suburb of Riverdale before finally terminating at Sibley Boulevard or IL RT-83.

Transportation
The Chicago "L" Red Line's Chicago and Grand stations are useful for reaching the Magnificent Mile. Both the Monroe and Jackson stations are close to the Art Institute. Stations on the east side of the Loop (Adams/Wabash and Washington/Wabash stations) are also close to the Art Institute. Millennium and Van Buren Street stations are located east of Michigan Avenue serving the Metra Electric and South Shore Lines. The avenue is also traversed by a multitude of bus routes and taxi cabs primarily in the Downtown and Magnificent Mile areas.

South of downtown, plenty of bus routes (e.g. bus routes 1 and 4) continue to run south along Michigan Avenue before reaching the Bronzeville neighborhood. There are no bus routes along Michigan Avenue between 35th Street and 95th Street. South of 95th Street, more bus routes run along Michigan Avenue as multiple bus routes in the South Side end at the 95th/Dan Ryan station. At 121st Street, the State Street station on the Blue Island branch of the Metra Electric District serves Michigan Avenue.

title: Michigan Avenue (Chicago)


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Object pronoun

In linguistics, an object pronoun is a personal pronoun that is used typically as a grammatical object: the direct or indirect object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. Object pronouns contrast with subject pronouns. Object pronouns in English take the objective case, sometimes called the oblique case or object case. For example, the English object pronoun me is found in "They see me" (direct object), "He's giving me my book" (indirect object), and "Sit with me" (object of a preposition); this contrasts with the subject pronoun in "I see them," "I am getting my book," and "I am sitting here."

English
The English personal and interrogative pronouns have the following subject and object forms:

Archaic second person forms
Historically, Middle English and Early Modern English retained the T–V distinction; the second person pronoun had separate singular/familiar and plural/formal forms with subject and object forms of both. In standard modern forms of English, all second person forms have been reduced to simply "you". These forms are still retained (sometimes partially) in some dialects of Northern English, Scottish English, and in the Scots language, a Germanic language closely related to English which diverged from it during the Early Modern period.

Other languages
In some languages the direct object pronoun and the indirect object pronoun have separate forms. For example, in the Spanish object pronoun system, direct object: Lo mandaron a la escuela (They sent him to school) and indirect object: Le mandaron una carta (They sent him a letter). Other languages divide object pronouns into a larger variety of classes. On the other hand, many languages, for example Persian, do not have distinct object pronouns: Man Farsi balad-am (I can speak Persian). Man ra mishenasad. (He knows me).

History
Object pronouns, in languages where they are distinguished from subject pronouns, are typically a vestige of an older case system. English, for example, once had an extensive declension system that specified distinct accusative and dative case forms for both nouns and pronouns. And after a preposition, a noun or pronoun could be in either of these cases, or in the genitive or instrumental cases. With the exception of the genitive (the "apostrophe-s" form), in nouns this system disappeared entirely, while in personal pronouns it collapsed into a single case, covering the roles of both accusative and dative, as well as all instances after a preposition. That is, the new oblique (object) case came to be used for the object of either a verb or a preposition, contrasting with the genitive, which links two nouns.

For a discussion of the use of historically object pronouns in subject position in English (e.g. "Jay and me will arrive later"), see the article on English personal pronouns.

title: Object pronoun


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Khwarezmian language

Khwārezmian (Khwarezmian: زڨاک‌ای خوارزم, zβ'k 'y xw'rzm; also transliterated Khwarazmian, Chorasmian, Khorezmian) is an extinct Eastern Iranian language   closely related to Sogdian. The language was spoken in the area of Khwarezm (Chorasmia), centered in the lower Amu Darya south of the Aral Sea (the northern part of the modern Republic of Uzbekistan and the adjacent areas of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan).

Knowledge of Khwarezmian is limited to its Middle Iranian stage and, as with Sogdian, little is known of its ancient form. Based on the writings of Khwarezmian scholars Al-Biruni and Zamakhshari, the language was in use at least until the 13th century, when it was gradually replaced by Persian for the most part, as well as several dialects of Turkic.

Sources of Khwarezmian include astronomical terms used by al-Biruni, Zamakhshari's Arabic–Persian–Khwarezmian dictionary and several legal texts that use Khwarezmian terms and quotations to explain certain legal concepts, most notably the Qunyat al-Munya of Mukhtār al-Zāhidī al-Ghazmīnī (d. 1259/60).

The noted scholar W.B. Henning was preparing a dictionary of Khwarezmian when he died, leaving it unfinished. A fragment of this dictionary was published posthumously by D.N. MacKenzie in 1971.

Writing system
Before the advance of Islam in Transoxiana (early 8th century), Khwarezmian was written in a script close to that of Sogdian and Pahlavi with its roots in the Imperial Aramaic script. From the few surviving examples of this script on coins and artifacts, it has been observed that written Khwarezmian included Aramaic logograms or ideograms, that is Aramaic words written to represent native spoken ones e.g. 𐡔𐡍𐡕 (ŠNT) for سرذ, sarδ, "year", 𐡍𐡐𐡔𐡉 (NPŠY) for خداك, xudāk, "self" and 𐡌𐡋𐡊𐡀 (MLK') for اى شاه, ī šah, "the king".

After the advance of Islam, Khwarezmian was written using an adapted version of the Perso-Arabic alphabet with a few extra signs to reflect specific Khwarezmian sounds, such as the letter څ which represents /ts/ and /dz/, as in the traditional Pashto orthography.

Unicode
Khwarezmian script was added to the Unicode Standard in March, 2020 with the release of version 13.0.

The Unicode block for Khwarezmian, called Chorasmian, is U+10FB0–U+10FDF:

Literature

 * The Khwarezmian Glossary:

title: Khwarezmian language


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Subject pronoun

In linguistics, a subject pronoun is a personal pronoun that is used as the subject of a verb. Subject pronouns are usually in the nominative case for languages with a nominative–accusative alignment pattern. On the other hand, a language with an ergative-absolutive pattern usually has separate subject pronouns for transitive and intransitive verbs: an ergative case pronoun for transitive verbs and an absolutive case pronoun for intransitive verbs.

In English, the commonly used subject pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, one, we, they, who and what. With the exception of you, it, one and what, and in informal speech who, the object pronouns are different: i.e. me, him, her, us, them and whom (see English personal pronouns).

In some cases, the subject pronoun is not used for the logical subject. For example, exceptional case marking (ECM) constructions involve the subject of a non-finite clause which appears in the object form (e.g., I want him to go.) In colloquial speech, a coordinated first person subject will often appear in the object form even in subject position (e.g., Me and James went to the store.) This is corrected so often that it has led to cases of hypercorrection, where the subject pronoun is used even in object position under coordination (e.g., ''Marie gave Susana and I a piece of cake.)

title: Subject pronoun


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RAF Scampton

Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton (formerly ) is a former Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and 6 mi north-west of the city of Lincoln, England.

RAF Scampton stood on the site of a First World War Royal Flying Corps landing field, which had been called Brattleby. The station was closed and returned to agriculture following the First World War, and reactivated in the 1930s. It has provided an airfield for fighters in the First World War, bombers during the Second World War and V-force Avro Vulcans during the Cold War.

The station was temporarily closed in 1996, but subsequently re-opened to provide a home for the RAF Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows, and to private companies, temporarily, such as Hawker Hunter Aviation, for the maintenance and storage of aircraft.

In July 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced that Scampton would close and be sold, with all units relocated elsewhere. The station closed on 31 March 2023.

First World War
Home Defence Flight Station Brattleby (also known as Brattleby Cliff) was opened on the site of the current RAF Scampton in late 1916. The airfield was bounded to the east by Ermine Street, to the south by Pollyplatt Lane, to the west by Middle Street, and to the north by Aisthorpe House. The form of the airfield was very similar to that of Hackthorn Park to the north east, which is likely to have been created in the same way. In addition to field boundaries, a number of other features were demolished or used for the airfield, including Aisthorpe House and a farm complex to the east of the site.

The aerodrome covered 287 acre consisting of a landing ground and six single-span end-opening General Service Flight Sheds arranged in pairs with their doors at 90° to the landing ground. Technical buildings were set out behind these, followed by domestic accommodation close to Ermine Street. These were subdivided into smaller groups depending on rank. Accommodation for women was based around a Women's Hostel.

The first operational unit was A Flight, No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, which flew the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b, defending against the Zeppelin threat. The site then developed into a training aerodrome, supporting No. 60 Training Squadron, followed by No. 81 and No. 11 Training Squadrons, flying the Sopwith Camel, Pup and Dolphin. The station was renamed as Scampton in 1917 following which it was designated as 34 Training Depot Station and continued with its operational programme until it was closed in April 1919.

All of the buildings on the airfield were temporary, even the hedgerows and trees which existed around the field boundaries were retained, so that between the wars the area was returned to its previous form. By 1920 all the buildings, including the hangars, had been removed.

Inter-war period
By 1936, the Royal Air Force Expansion Scheme had overseen a period of rapid increases both in terms of new squadrons and the development of new stations. The former Brattleby site was one of many earmarked under the expansion programme, situated between three villages; Aisthorpe, Brattleby and Scampton, with its main entrance situated on the A15 road (Ermine Street) heading north from Lincoln. The site was to be constructed to the latest specifications and on completion would form a fully equipped bomber station. From its reopening in August 1936, the station was known as Royal Air Force Station Scampton.

The station consisted of four large C-Type hangars with permanent brick-built technical and domestic buildings. The remaining aerodrome buildings (for technical activities and accommodation) were built in a compact layout behind the hangars, in an arrangement replicated across all of the expansion period airfields: Technical Area, Station Offices, Officers' Mess, Sergeants' Mess, Airmen's' Quarters, Married Quarters, and Officers' Married Quarters. Roads were arranged either parallel or perpendicular to Ermine Street (A15) with the Guardroom at 90° to the main entrance and the Station Headquarters facing Ermine Street. This resulted in the base occupying an area of 360 acre.

As it developed, RAF Scampton made an increasingly dramatic imposition on the surrounding rural landscape, such as to the Lincolnshire Edge, a Jurassic limestone ridge, which forms the distinctive backbone of the county from Whitton on the Humber Estuary in the north, down to Grantham in the south. Along the top of the Edge, a series of airfields were developed, including RAF Waddington, RAF Cranwell and RAF Scampton.

Upon opening, No. 9 Squadron and No. 214 Squadron were the first residents of the station, arriving in October 1936, operating the Handley Page Heyford and Vickers Virginia. No. 9 Squadron stayed at Scampton until March 1938, No. 214 Squadron having departed for RAF Feltwell in April 1937. Another squadron which was stationed at the base was No. 148 Squadron formed from C Flt of No. 9 Squadron operating the Hawker Audax and later the Vickers Wellesley. The term of residence of No. 148 Squadron was brief being replaced by No. 49 Squadron and No. 83 Squadron in March 1938. At this time both No. 49 Squadron and No. 83 Squadron were operating the Hawker Hind, before re-equipping with the Handley Page Hampden.

1939–1942

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Scampton transferred to No. 5 Group within RAF Bomber Command, playing host to the Hampdens of No. 49 Squadron and No. 83 Squadron. On 3 September 1939, six hours after the declaration of war, RAF Scampton launched the first offensive by the RAF when six Hampdens of No. 83 Squadron, led by (the then) Flying Officer Guy Gibson and three No. 49 Squadron Hampdens, one piloted by Flying Officer Roderick Learoyd, were despatched to conduct a sweep off Wilhelmshaven in Germany. Further operations involving Scampton's squadrons concerned them with the hazardous task of low level minelaying (code named 'Gardening').

For a short time the station was home to the Avro Manchester, operated by No. 49 Squadron and No. 83 Squadron. This was a brief liaison, with the squadrons subsequently converting to the Avro Lancaster. Forming No. 83 Conversion Flight (CF) on 11 April 1942, which in turn was followed by No. 49 CF on 16 May, both squadrons were fully equipped with the Lancaster by the end of June. It was during this period that No. 83 Squadron took delivery of Lancaster Mk.I R5868 which would one day become the Station's gate guardian.

In turn both resident squadrons were then replaced at Scampton by No. 57 Squadron. The first departure was that of No. 83 Squadron which left in August 1942, transferring to RAF Wyton in order to become part of the fledgling Pathfinder Force. This departure resulted in No. 83 CF moving to RAF Wigsley, where it was disbanded into No. 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit. On 2 January 1943, No. 49 Squadron departed for RAF Fiskerton with No. 49 CU disbanding, subsequently becoming 'C' Flight of No. 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Waddington. By early January 1943 this left No. 57 Squadron as the sole occupier of the base.

1943–1945
Following the development of the Upkeep bouncing bomb, No. 617 Squadron, originally referred to as "Squadron X", was formed at Scampton in order to carry out the proposed raid, codenamed Operation Chastise. More commonly referred to as the "Dambusters Raid", the raid would go down as the most famous and widely remembered in the history of the RAF.

On the night of 16–17 May 1943, No. 617 Squadron despatched nineteen Lancasters from Scampton. Led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the main bulk of the squadron attacked the Sorpe, Eder and Möhne dams with an additional aircraft tasked to perform an attack on the Schwelm Dam. Both the Eder and Möhne dams were breached, however eight of the Lancasters despatched failed to return and fifty-three aircrew were lost. Following the raid Wing Commander Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross, becoming Scampton's third recipient of the award. On the day of the raid, Wing Commander Gibson's dog, Nigger, was run over and killed on the A15 outside the entrance to the base. He was buried later that night, his grave situated outside Gibson's office at No. 3 Hangar.

In July 1943, No. 617 Squadron was again involved in a precision operation, when twelve aircraft of the squadron took off from Scampton to attack targets in Northern Italy, following which the aircraft continued on to North Africa. The operation met little opposition but the targets were obscured by valley haze and they were not destroyed. The twelve crews returned to Scampton on 25 July from North Africa after bombing Leghorn docks on the return journey. Later in the month nine aircraft took off from Scampton to drop leaflets on Milan, Bologna, Genoa and Turin in Italy. All aircraft completed the mission and landed safely in Blida, Algeria.

At the end of August 1943, No. 57 Squadron and No. 617 Squadron moved to RAF East Kirkby and RAF Coningsby respectively, so that Scampton's runways could be upgraded. With the increased all up weight of the Lancaster it was apparent that the load bearing of hardened runways would be required. The airfield closed at the end of August 1943 for the work to take place re-opening in October 1944. Three concrete runways were laid out. The three runways available were: 05/23 at 2000 yds, 01/19 at 1500 yds and 11/29 at 1400 yds. A total of eleven loop hard-standings were laid down along the perimeter track to replace those lost or isolated by the construction. The work also saw new bomb stores constructed on land north of the north-west corner of the airfield. The personnel at Scampton at this time was given as 1,844 males and 268 females. On completion of the required work the area of land which the base occupied had now increased to 580 acre.

Following the work control of the station passed from No. 5 Group to No. 1 Group with a new arrival following the upgrade being No. 1690 Bomber Defence Training Flight (BDTF) which arrived on 13 July 1944. The BDTF operated the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and Miles Martinet, the flight undertaking fighter affiliation against bombers. This unit stayed at the station until September 1944, when it moved to RAF Metheringham. It was replaced by No. 1687 BDTF, which arrived in early December 1944, and departed for RAF Hemswell in April 1945. Two Lancaster squadrons, No. 153 Squadron, and later No. 625 Squadron, of No. 1 Group also arrived at Scampton.

The last bombing mission of the Second World War launched from RAF Scampton was on 25 April 1945, when aircraft from No. 153 Squadron and No. 625 Squadron were despatched as part of the Bombing of Obersalzberg. During the war RAF Scampton lost a total of 551 aircrew and 266 aircraft. Of these 155 were Hampdens and fifteen Manchesters.

Post-Second World War
Following the end of hostilities No. 153 Squadron disbanded on 28 September 1945, followed by No. 625 Squadron on 7 October. The station continued to operate the Lancaster when No. 100 Squadron arrived in December 1945. They were to be the last Lancaster squadron on the station, departing for RAF Lindholme in May 1946. Returning to their former home in December 1945, No. 57 Squadron introduced the Avro Lincoln to the station.

From July 1948, Scampton was home to the 28th Bombardment Group of the United States Air Force (USAF), operating the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses as part of a network of Emergency War Plan Airfields. With its main runway less than 6,000 ft in length and a chronic shortage of suitable hardstandings, Scampton was far from ideal as a base for the thirty USAF and RAF B-29 Superfortresses, the latter's known as "Washington B.1". In January 1949, as circumstances changed, the USAF squadrons were withdrawn and RAF Scampton was handed back to the RAF.

1950s
During this period RAF Scampton was supporting four English Electric Canberra squadrons; No. 10 Squadron, No. 18 Squadron, No. 21 Squadron and No. 27 Squadron. The Canberras moved out in 1955 when the station was earmarked as a V-bomber base, in the case of Scampton, the Avro Vulcan. This required extensive new ground facilities, including a high security area for the storage and maintenance of nuclear weapons and heavy-duty hardstandings for the aircraft.

The first nuclear weapons to be delivered to Scampton arrived during 1958 and comprised twenty kiloton (20kt) atomic bombs given the Rainbow Code, Blue Danube. They were replaced by the smaller Yellow Sun Stage 1 (Mk.1) which were the first of the UK's operational thermonuclear weapons. The development of the stand-off nuclear missile Blue Steel required the construction of new specialist buildings: the Missile Servicing and Storage Building (MSSB) which was erected between the main hangars and the airfield, and the highly volatile High Test Peroxide (HTP) and kerosene fuel storage buildings which were located at some distance from the MSSB.

Additional structures and parts of the layout were also altered. In particular the runway was rearranged to a NE/SW (current designation alignment 04/22) and extended to 9000 ft. This caused the runway to project beyond the north east corner of the base and required the re-routing of Ermine Street (A15), the most noticeable artificial landscape feature in the area and the historic boundary for such elements as parish boundaries and field systems. Trees along the former tree-lined avenue to Hackthorn Park were also removed between the old line of Ermine Street and the end of the runway. The eastward bulge in the A15 road can still be seen north of Lincoln.

During the Cold War, the airfield developed its current form, imposing on the landscape in a much more spectacular way. Its extent was no longer bounded by existing field boundaries, but by the shape required for the runway extension. This caused the south-west and north-west corners of the base to jut out from the earlier rectangular plan. Areas of hard standing with associated Operational Readiness Platforms (ORPs) were also provided as were technical buildings. The Unit Storage buildings to the far north of the site were constructed for storage and maintenance of nuclear bombs. Upon the introduction of the Blue Steel stand-off missile, new buildings were constructed just to the north-east of the hangars, to develop, maintain and fuel the missiles. A new control tower was constructed close to these buildings to provide a view of the newly expanded runway.

The work undertaken increased the land area of the station to 920 acre acres. On completion No. 617 Squadron returned to their former home, re-forming in May 1958.

1960s–1980s
In October 1960, No. 83 Squadron arrived at Scampton from RAF Waddington and equipped with the Vulcan B.2. Together with No. 27 Squadron and No. 617 Squadron, who by this time had also taken delivery of the Vulcan, the "Scampton Wing" was formed, the aircraft equipped with the Blue Steel stand-off missile.

On 30 June 1968, Blue Steel operations at Scampton were terminated, as the Royal Navy, with the submarine launched Polaris missile, assumed responsibility for the UK nuclear deterrent. Scampton squadrons were assigned to the tactical nuclear and conventional bombing roles. This led to the disbandment of No. 83 Squadron in August 1969, however in December 1969 No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit moved to RAF Scampton from RAF Finningley.

Part of the post-war development and upgrading of the station, in common with many other RAF stations at the time, saw the establishment of a primary school for the children of those personnel stationed on the base. Located to the south of the base entrance, and adjacent to the eastern perimeter fence, the current school was built in 1961 and replaced the makeshift schooling which had been provided in the Officer's Mess since 1951. The official opening of the school took place on 24 November 1961, and the first children attended the school in January 1962. The buildings are typical of small primary schools built in the 1960s, with a flat roof, large windows and uniformly one storey high. There are several prefabricated extensions which present an informal building layout.

Individual unit allocations were re-introduced in 1971, and throughout the decade Scampton continued to be home to No. 27 Squadron, No. 617 Squadron and No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit, with No. 35 Squadron joining them from RAF Akrotiri in 1975.

With disbandment of No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit and the cessation of No. 617 Squadron's Vulcan operations in 1981, followed by the cessation of Vulcan flying at Scampton by No. 27 Squadron and No. 35 Squadron in 1982, Scampton was transferred to RAF Support Command and became home to the Central Flying School (CFS) in 1983. This role for the station saw the CFS operating such aircraft as the BAC Jet Provost, Scottish Aviation Bulldog and the Short Tucano, sharing the air space with the Hawker Siddeley Hawks of the Red Arrows. A further addition to the complement of the station occurred in 1984 with the arrival of the Tornado Radar Repair Unit. The first Jet Provost retired during March 1988 due to the replacement of the type by the Short Tucano T.1.

1990s
In August 1990, RAF Scampton became home to the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group, a joint service organisation responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Control of Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, Treaty on Open Skies and the Vienna Document.

In the mid 1990s, Scampton was mothballed under the Front Line First programme, with the CFS moving to RAF Cranwell. The decision was initially taken to close the base completely along with RAF Finningley, this being confirmed by Nicholas Soames MP in a statement to the House of Commons on 25 March 1995. Opposition to the planned closure was strong and a group was formed called "Save our Scampton" (SOS), backed by the Lincolnshire Echo, the County Council and the MP for Gainsborough and Horncastle, Edward Leigh. One plan put forward for the base following its proposed redundancy involved turning the site into a prison, but this plan was not continued with.

The Red Arrows, though, continued to train in the airspace surrounding the airfield (Restricted Zone EG R313) and accommodation at Scampton continued to be used as overflow from RAF Waddington. During this intervening period 110 of the post-war non-commissioned officer married quarters were sold to Welbeck Estate Group who had previously acquired technical and domestic sites at RAF Hemswell, married quarters at RAF Faldingworth and RAF Strike Command Headquarters at RAF Bawtry.

RAF Scampton received the Freedom of Lincoln on 14 May 1993.

21st century
In early 2000 following a revaluation of the logistics of the Red Arrows' operation as well as the lack of available space at RAF Cranwell, it was decided to re-base the Red Arrows at Scampton.

In 2005 Scampton was again placed under the control of RAF Strike Command, becoming home to the UK Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS) Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) and Mobile Meteorological Unit (MMU). The No.1 Air Control Centre (No.1 ACC) deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 as part of Operation Herrick, the deployment lasting until 2009.

By 2008, the future once again looked uncertain for Scampton. A decision was taken by the then Labour Government that the base would be "downsized", the Red Arrows would move to RAF Waddington by July 2011 and ASACS would also be relocated from the base taking up residence at RAF Coningsby by 2014. However the Strategic Defence Spending Review and operations in Libya meant the plan was suspended with the decision put on hold pending a further review in 2011. The review concluded that keeping the Red Arrows at Scampton was the best way for them to operate, without affecting other operational flying bases.

In July 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced that Scampton would close and then be sold off with all remaining units relocated to other RAF bases by 2022. In May 2020, it was announced that the Red Arrows would move to RAF Waddington, and No. 1 ACC to RAF Boulmer in Northumberland.

In April 2022, the Aviation Medicine Flight, part of the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine relocated to Scampton from MOD Boscombe Down after retiring their BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft. The moves allowed the flight to continue its work using Hawks operated by the Red Arrows.

On 6 September 2022 a fly past of the Red Arrows and Avro Lancaster bomber aircraft took place in anticipation of the closure of the base in December 2022. During October 2022 the Red Arrows left the base for RAF Waddington. The station closed on 31 March 2023.

In December 2023 challenges against government plans to use the base to house asylum seekers were dismissed at the High Court. West Lindsey District Council had claimed the government's plans were unlawful. But judge Mrs Justice Thornton dismissed the claims for a judicial review saying that the government's use of emergency powers to change the legal purpose of the land to house asylum seekers was appropriate "given its argument that they could become destitute if more accommodation was not found beyond the use of hotels." Sir Edward Leigh, the MP for Gainsborough, said he was "disappointed by the result."

Role and operations
RAF Scampton was home to the Control and Reporting Centre Scampton, and the Mobile Meteorological Unit.

The Red Arrows were previously based here and fell under No. 22 Group, although RAF Scampton is actually administered by No. 1 Group. The reason for this being that No. 1 Air Control Centre is a No. 1 Group air defence radar unit, with its permanent operations room, Control and Reporting Centre Scampton, providing assistance to the coverage at RAF Boulmer. RAF Scampton's primary responsibility is training, but it can also provide defence coverage following any technical disruptions at RAF Boulmer. Another responsibility of the station is the provision of deployable command and control capability using containerised equipment that can be delivered worldwide, thereby delivering similar capability to that of the permanent Control and Reporting Centres. No. 1 ACC provides the main operational unit for fighter controllers and aerospace systems operators in the RAF. Operators usually train at the Control and Reporting Centres of Boulmer and Scampton before putting their training into practice at No. 1 ACC or on the Boeing E-3D Sentry.

Until the closing of RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Scampton had administrative control over the satellite site, fifteen miles to the north.

In 2015, part of the accommodation facilities at Scampton underwent significant refurbishment, particularly those of Gibson Barracks. The improvements consisted of replacement of windows, refurbishment and repair of external concrete areas and provision of new escape stairs. The barracks had lain unused for over twenty years, and as a consequence of the neglect had fallen into a state of disrepair. The building was converted into teaching space in the 1980s, but with the subsequent lack of investment on the station the block was allowed to fall into disuse. Following a re-examination of the viability of the base undertaken following the closure of RAF Kirton in Lindsey and the resulting transfer of personnel, as well as the realisation by English Heritage of the importance of the structure and its association with the Dams Raid, it was decided to convert the block back to residential use. Although the building is not listed, it is situated within a site of significant heritage value due to its links to Operation Chastise. The accommodation consists of 48 bedrooms with communal facilities.

Met Office meteorological data
The Mobile Meteorological Unit was staffed by full-time RAF reserve officers as part of the civilian Meteorological Office, aiding in providing weather and climate information for local forecasts. The unit maintains and repairs equipment for the support of out of area flying operations.

In a typical year at RAF Scampton, the warmest day reaches a high temperature of at least 21.62 C, whereas the coldest day should always reach a low of 1.02 C.

The record high at Scampton peaked at 39.9 C in the afternoon of 19 July 2022 during the 2022 United Kingdom heat wave, beating not only the previous local record of 35.1 C from a three-day heatwave on 26 July 2019, but also the former national record of 38.7 C, also from July 2019.

The absolute minimum temperature of -15.6 C was recorded on 7 December 2010, during the record-breaking winter of 2010–11 in Great Britain and Ireland. In a year, 48.98 nights register an air frost.

The length of the day varies extremely over the course of the year at Scampton. The shortest day may have 7 hours and 30 minutes of daylight, and the longest as much as 17 hours of daylight. The earliest sunrise is at around 4:30 am in June, and the latest sunrise is at 8:30 am in December. The earliest sunset is at 3:30 pm in December, and the latest is at 9:30 pm in June. Daylight saving time (DST) is observed at Scampton, starting in the spring, lasting about 7 months, and ending in the autumn.

Winters are generally cool with little temperature variation. Heavy snow is rare but snow usually falls at least once each winter. Spring and autumn can be pleasant.

RAF Scampton Victoria Cross recipients
During the station's history, three personnel based at RAF Scampton have been recipients of the Victoria Cross.

Roderick "Babe" Learoyd

On 12 August 1940, No. 83 Squadron's aircraft were part of a raid against the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Two aircraft had been lost due to anti-aircraft fire prior to Wing Commander Roderick 'Babe' Learoyd making his attack, which would involve an attack at low level. During his attack, Learoyd's aircraft was caught in the searchlights, taking two hits in one wing. Despite this Learoyd was still able to provide his bomb aimer with a steady platform in order to deliver his bombs. Learoyd then nursed the Hampden back to England, arriving in the vicinity of Scampton at 02:00. Although the aircraft was flyable, its hydraulic systems had been damaged and the wing flaps were inoperable. The undercarriage indicators had also failed and rather than risk a landing in the dark, Learoyd circled for three hours before making a landing at first light. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his courage, skill and determination.

John Hannah
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Flight Sergeant John Hannah was also a member of No. 83 Squadron. On 15 September 1940 his aircraft was involved in a raid on a target near Antwerp during which the Hampden received a hit in the bomb bay, leading to an explosion and serious fire. Both Hannah's position and that of the rear gunner were engulfed in fire, and although the rear gunner had bailed out, Hannah elected to remain at his post, fighting the fire with extinguishers, and when these expired his log book.

He successfully prevented the fire from reaching the aircraft's ruptured fuel tanks, despite ammunition exploding and the floor beneath him melting. Although severely burned, Hannah forced his way forward to the navigator's station, only to find the navigator had also baled out. He then passed the navigation logs and charts to the pilot and assisted him in navigating the Hampden back to Scampton.

Guy Gibson
On the night of 16–17 May 1943, Wing Commander Gibson led No. 617 Squadron on the raids against the Ruhr Dams, Operation Chastise. The task was fraught with danger and difficulty. Gibson personally made the initial attack on the Möhne Dam. Descending to within a few feet of the water and taking the full brunt of the anti-aircraft defences, he delivered his attack with great accuracy.

Afterwards he circled very low for 30 minutes, drawing the enemy fire on himself in order to leave as free a run as possible to the following aircraft which were attacking the dam in turn. Wing Commander Gibson then led the remainder of his force to the Eder Dam where, with complete disregard for his own safety, he repeated his tactics and once more drew on himself the enemy fire so that the attack could be successfully developed.

Former station commanders

 * Group Captain John C Russell (1936–38)
 * Wing Commander W A B Bowen-Buscarlet (1938)
 * Group Captain O C Bryson (1938–39)
 * Group Captain E C Emmett (1939–40)
 * Group Captain Hugh S Walmsley (1940–41)
 * Group Captain W J M Akerman (1941)
 * Group Captain R H S Spaight (1941–42)
 * Group Captain John N H Whitworth (1942–43)
 * Group Captain Adolphus D Davies (1943–44)
 * Group Captain John W F Merer (1944)
 * Group Captain C R D L Lloyd (1944–46)
 * Group Captain P J Harris (1946–48)
 * Group Captain Thomas A B Parselle (1948)
 * Group Captain H J Pringle (1948–51)
 * Group Captain G A G Johnson (1951–53)
 * Group Captain David J P Lee (1953–55)

 * Group Captain Hubert P Connolly (1955)
 * Squadron Leader R C Wood (1955–57)
 * Group Captain Stafford P Coulson (1957–60)
 * Group Captain Harry Burton (1960–62)
 * Group Captain Jack Garden (1962–63)
 * Group Captain K G Hubbard (1963–64)
 * Group Captain R G Wakeford (1964–65)
 * Group Captain Allen H Mawer (1965–68)
 * Group Captain D Jack Furner (1968–69)
 * Group Captain T M Fennell (1969–71)
 * Group Captain L E H Scotchmer (1971–73)
 * Group Captain F R Lockyer (1973–74)
 * Group Captain John B Fitzpatrick (1974–75)
 * Group Captain G H Burleigh (1975–78)
 * Group Captain C A Herbert (1978–79)
 * Group Captain V L Warrington (1979–82)

 * Group Captain A P Singleton (1982–83)
 * Group Captain I Thomson (1983–85)
 * Group Captain R G Curry (1985)
 * Group Captain Allan Blackley (1985–87)
 * Group Captain C C N Burwell (1994–95)
 * Wing Commander D Bolsover (2000–01)
 * Wing Commander W J Ramsey (2001–05)
 * Wing Commander David Middleton (2005–05)
 * Group Captain Tim L J Bishop (2005–06)
 * Wing Commander Archie McCallum
 * Wing Commander Alex Stylianides
 * Wing Commander Richard D Turner
 * Wing Commander Michael Harrop (2014–16)
 * Wing Commander Joanne Campbell (2016–2018)
 * Wing Commander James Parker (2018–2020)
 * Wing Commander Neill Atkins (2020 – present)

Scampton Airshow
On 19 February 2016, an announcement was made concerning plans for the creation of an airshow to take place at Scampton in 2017.

In the wake of the decision to discontinue with a display at RAF Waddington following the 2014 airshow, there was a high degree of dissatisfaction regarding the announcement. The airshow had become one of the leading attractions in the UK during the summer months, the 2014 airshow at Waddington witnessed numbers in the region of 135,000 attending the display weekend, raising approximately £260,000 for Service and local charities.

Following on from the announcement in February 2016 of the station staging an airshow in 2017, it was announced that the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, organisers of the Royal International Air Tattoo had agreed to organise a new event at Scampton. However, the requirements for the upgrading of the base's infrastructure so as to be able to stage such an event meant that no airshow was able to take place until 2017.

During the late spring of 2016, preparations continued for the organisation of the event and an official announcement was made at the Station Commander's Reception on 26 May. The dates for the airshow were confirmed on 10 November, been set for 9–10 September 2017.

2017
The first airshow to be held at RAF Scampton since 1991 saw participation of 104 aircraft, with 41 taking part in the flying displays and 63 forming the static line-up. Aircraft types ranged from a display by a vintage Avro Anson to a modern Typhoon, with visitor numbers in the region of 50,000. Guests of honour at the event were Battle of Britain veteran Terry Clark, and former Scampton resident Johnny Johnson.

2018
On 14 December 2017, the organisers of the Scampton Airshow issued a statement with regard to the 2018 event. The statement read that following the 2017 airshow the organisers required time to reflect on certain issues and to look at how the airshow could be improved. In view of this, the statement continued that there were still areas of the event which required improvement and consequently there would be no running of the Scampton Airshow in 2018. The statement did however conclude that the organisers, following the review, intend to run an improved Scampton Airshow in 2019.

Station badge and motto
RAF Scampton's badge, awarded in December 1958, features a gold coloured long-bow and arrow against the backdrop an azure coloured roundel. The roundel represents the RAF, whilst the bow and arrow form a topographical representation of the station. The arrow acts as the lengthened runway; the bow-string is the former route of Ermine Street located near the station; and the bow the re-aligned road required to accommodate the extended runway.

The station's motto (Armatus non lacessitur) is in Latin and translates as "An armed man is not attacked".

Archaeology
The remnants of a Roman Villa are situated to the south-west of RAF Scampton. Excavation of the site and its subsequent documentation were undertaken for Channel 4 television's Time Team programme.

Dambusters commemorations
1991

In May 1991, Scampton was the venue for a BBC broadcast of Friday Night is Music Night, set to coincide with the anniversary of the Dambusters Raid. The transmission was from No. 1 Hangar and of added interest was the arrival of a British Airways Boeing 747-400 (G-BNLT). The aircraft, a new addition to the British Airways fleet, had been named City of Lincoln in a ceremony held at RAF Coningsby after which it was flown to RAF Scampton. City of Lincoln is the same name as that bestowed on Lancaster PA474 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and both aircraft featured in the show, the BBMF's Lancaster in No. 1 Hangar forming the focal point of the concert. The Boeing 747 was parked on Echo Dispersal and was made available for members of the audience to visit.

1993

A special commemorative BBC television broadcast of Songs of Praise marking the 50th anniversary of Operation Chastise was staged at Scampton in 1993, in which Boeing 747-400 City of Lincoln returned to the base. Presented by Sally Magnusson, the event was attended by 2,500 invited guests, including several veterans of the raid as well as Richard Todd.

2013

Marking the 70th anniversary of the raid in 2013, the BBC again featured a programme from Scampton, hosted by Dan Snow. Attended by Les Munro and "Johnny" Johnson, the telecast featured the Lancaster of the BBMF as well as two Panavia Tornados of No. 617 Squadron.

In addition there was also a broadcast by BBC Radio 2 of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show in which Evans conducted interviews with various station personnel and current members of No. 617 Squadron. Following the show Evans boarded Lancaster PA474 of the BBMF and flew from Scampton to Biggin Hill which was the venue for a special edition of Friday Night is Music Night as part of the commemoration.

Gate guardians
In all there have been three gate guardians at RAF Scampton during the station's history.

Lancaster R5868 Q-Queenie/S-Sugar
The first was Avro Lancaster S-Sugar along with the large Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs which the type had carried. It was placed on display at the main gate of Scampton in No. 467 Squadron markings in 1960. With the arrival of 83 Squadron at Scampton in October 1960, it was noted that S-Sugar had strong links to the squadron. It transpired that the aircraft had originally served at Scampton with No. 83 Squadron and was given the squadron code OL-Q (Q-Queenie). When No. 83 Squadron converted to the Lancaster Mk.III in September 1943, Lancaster Q-Queenie was transferred to No. 467 Squadron who were then based at RAF Bottesford. The aircraft was subsequently re-coded PO-S (S-Sugar).

Lancaster R5868 was dismantled at Scampton in November 1970, by personnel from No. 71 Maintenance Unit. It was removed and is now on permanent exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon.

Lancaster NX611 Just Jane
The next gate guardian was another restored Lancaster, repatriated from a French island in the South Pacific. This later Lancaster, Just Jane NX611, is now at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at the former RAF East Kirkby.

Hawk XX306
The current gate guardian at Scampton is a former Red Arrows Hawk T.1 XX306. Positioned in front of the Station Headquarters, it was unveiled by the then Station Commander Wing Commander Michael Harrop during a ceremony on 12 October 2015.

The aircraft was constructed at BAe Dunsfold and handed over to the RAF on 23 May 1980. The jet spent two months at RAF Valley before flying to RAF Kemble (the Red Arrows' previous home) and joined the Squadron on 3 July 1980, being one of the first of its type operated by the Red Arrows following their conversion from the Folland Gnat at the end of the 1979 display season.

During its operational life XX306 amassed a total flying time of 7,378hrs 15 mins accumulating 13,007 landings. It was retired from the aerobatic team on 20 October 2012, having last been used in a display on 26 September of that year.

RAF Scampton Heritage Centre
RAF Scampton was home to a heritage centre, detailing the station's history and displaying several hundred artefacts including a Blue Steel Missile. More ambitious plans were put forward in 2013 to turn part of RAF Scampton into a major tourist attraction. This project was driven by Lincolnshire County Council. It had been estimated that the total investment required for the complete plan would be £80 million, of that total £40 million would be required to complete the first phase, which concerned two hangars and an exhibition hall. Such amounts would have required substantial monetary grants from the National Lottery in order for it to succeed. The plans would have converted two of the station's four hangars into exhibition halls and the Officer's Mess into a hotel. Council officials held talks with the RAF and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which managed the Ministry of Defence's estate, regarding the proposals which estimated the creation of 100 jobs locally and annual visitor numbers in the region of 200,000.

An independent study commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council in October 2013, concluded that the proposal was viable and had the potential to succeed.

Exhibitions would focus on the Red Arrows, aviation in the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War as well as Lincolnshire's aviation engineering heritage and the Dambusters Raid. It was hoped the project would secure the future of the station and complement the proposals to establish an air show at Scampton. It was hoped that the facility would have been opened by 2018 in order to mark the centenary of the creation of the RAF. In July 2020 campaigners were hoping to establish a charitable trust to raise funds for the scheme.

Current use
The site is home to a number of temporary accommodation units for asylum seekers using the same parking area as the Red Arrows aircraft were parked on.

title: RAF Scampton


text:
Than

Than is a grammatical particle analyzed as both a conjunction and a preposition in the English language. It introduces a comparison and is associated with comparatives and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it measures the force of an adjective or similar description between two predicates.

Case of pronouns following than
According to the view of many English-language prescriptivists, including influential 18th-century grammarian Robert Lowth, than is exclusively a conjunction and therefore takes either nominative (or subjective) or oblique (or objective) pronouns, depending on context, rather than exclusively oblique pronouns as prepositions do. This rule is broken as often as it is observed. For instance, William Shakespeare's 1600 play Julius Caesar has an instance of an oblique pronoun following than where the nominative is also possible:
 * A man no mightier than thyself or me...

Likewise, Samuel Johnson wrote:
 * No man had ever more discernment than him, in finding out the ridiculous.

In simple comparisons in contemporary English, than often takes an oblique pronoun, which lexicographers and usage commentators regard as prepositional use and as standard.

The case of a pronoun following than can be determined by context. For example:
 * You are a better swimmer than she.
 * The sentence is equivalent to "You are a better swimmer than she is."
 * They like you more than her.
 * The sentence is equivalent to "They like you more than they like her."
 * The sentence "They like you more than she" may instead mean "They like you more than she likes you."

Confusion between than and then
In writing, than and then are often erroneously interchanged. In standard English, then refers to time, while than is used in comparisons.

title: Than