Former RAF Pocklington

 Second World War 1939-1945, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, closed / former military

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This airfield lies directly south-west of Pocklington town between the angle formed by the A1079 and 81246 roads where they meet at Barmby on the Moor. There had been an RFC landing ground in Barmby parish during the First World War but this was located a mile to the west of the Second World War bomber airfield. Pocklington was first proposed as an expansion scheme airfield but work did not start until August 1940 when plans were revised to meet the strictures of wartime construction.

The original design featured a grass surface with hangars, technical site and administrative building closely grouped and work on this was underway when it was decided to install concrete runways. These were 11-29 at 1,400 yards and O1-19 and 07-25 both at 1,300 yards. However, when in an advanced state of construction, it was realised that 1129 was aligned directly towards Pocklington town threatening a considerable hazard. This runway vas thereafter abandoned and a fourth runway, 14-32, constructed 1,600 yards long. A 50-yard bulge was added to the combined ends of 25 and 19 at a later stage. Hardstandings were 35 pans and two loops. Bomb stores and one aircraft dispersal point lay on the other side of the B 1246 road to Pocklington village. The technical site was situated on the south-west side of the airfield between runway heads O1 and 14. The camp, bordering the A1079, provided for a maximum 1,969 males and 428 females. Hangars were a single Type J and two T2s in close proximity on the technical site. Later two more T2s were erected in the south-west, reached by a taxiway across the A1079, as was a B1 more to the south. These served the base technical area. The main contractor involved was George Wimpey & Co. Ltd.

The first operational unit to occupy Pocklington was No. 405 Squadron with Wellingtons. This, the first Canadian squadron m Bomber Command, recently formed, had undertaken its first operation from Driffield before moving in to the new airfield. In carrying out 84 raids during the following eleven months, 20 of the squadron's Wellingtons failed to return to Pocklington. In April 1942 conversion to the Halifax commenced with which aircraft No. 405 flew another 20 raids until exchanging bases with No. 102 Squadron at Topcliffe when that station was earmarked for the all-Canadian No. 6 Group. No. 102 Squadron had been in action since the second night of the war and this was its seventh move of station; it was also its last during hostilities. It remained the sole occupant of Pocklington and last squadron to be based there before closure. A total of 206 bombers despatched from this station on operations were missing or lost in UK crashes; 27 Wellingtons and 179 Halifaxes.

As with other No. 4 Group squadrons, the day before the official end of the war in Europe it was transferred to Transport Command, soon to exchange its Halifaxes for Liberators before moving to Bassingbourn in September. A holding unit for RAF personnel took over but in September 1946 the airfield was closed, eventually reverting to agricultural use and the hangars becoming grain stores. At the end of the century, two T2 and the J hangar still stand and a large industrial estate, also utilising modernised hangars, has developed on and around the technical site near the A1079. However although much of the runway concrete has gone, a thriving gliding club operates from the airfield.