Former RAF Tholthorpe

 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, interesting place, draw only border, closed / former military, historical layer / disappeared object

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Twelve miles north-west of the centre of York and three from Easingwold, an area of Tholthorpe Moor north of Carle Beck was requisitioned soon after war was declared for a satellite landing ground for Linton-on-Ouse. As such, it first came into use as a dispersal for the Whitleys of the parent station in the late summer of 1940. However, it was reportedly unsuitable for winter use and was not used beyond early December after which a narrow hardcore perimeter track was put down.

The site was then developed further, although work did not commence until late 1941 on what was eventually to end up as a bomber airfield to Class A standard. The three intersecting concrete runways were main 10-28 at 2,000 yards, 06-24 at 1,430 yards and 16-34 at 1,400 yards. The old perimeter track was abandoned when the airfield area was expanded and the road from Derring's Farm to Tholthorpe village closed. At this stage, only 21 of the original hardstandings remained so 15-loop type were added.

The technical site was on the south side of the airfield between 06 and 34 near Moor Lane. A T2 hangar lay a little to the east and a second T2 near the closed road on the north-west side between 10 and 16. A third T2 stood on the north-east side between 24 and 28. Bomb stores were between runway heads 28 and 34 behind Carle House. The 12 campsites were mostly dispersed along the road between Tholthorpe village and Flawith with accommodation for 1,501 males and 233 females.

Allocated to No. 6 Group, in June 1943 No. 434 Squadron was formed at the station to fly Halifaxes and in July No. 431 Squadron arrived from Burn with its recently-acquired Halifaxes. No. 431 joined No. 434 on operations on the night of August 12113 against Italian targets. In early December both squadrons were switched to Croft. That same month Nos. 420 and 425 were posted in from Dalton and Dishforth respectively but, having recently returned from service with Wellingtons in North Africa, it took some weeks for the squadrons to work up on their newly-acquired Halifaxes, their first raids from Tholthorpe not being flown until February 15/16, 1944 for No. 420 and five days later by No. 425.

Both squadrons remained No. 420 flying its final raid on April 22 and No. 425 on April 25, 1945. A hasty conversion to Lancasters followed before both squadrons left for Canada in June. No. 420 Squadron undertook 160 raids from Tholthorpe losing 25 Halifaxes and No. 425 flew 162 for the loss of 28 aircraft. All told, 119 Halifaxes were either missing or crashed in the UK in ops flown from Tholthorpe.

During June 1945 Tholthorpe came under care and maintenance but little of either was seen and the RAF holding party had departed by the end of the year. For a few years the airfield remained in a fairly intact state with hangars in use for individual purposes. Private flying took place from the airfield during the `eighties but by the 'nineties farming activities had erased most of the buildings and all of the runways save for a few odd lengths left as farm roads. Light industry now occupies the old technical site area. Both the earlier Type 13079141 watch office and Type 343143 control tower still stand, the latter converted into a house in 1995.