Former RAF Breighton

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

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Located six miles north-east of Selby between Breighton village and the B1228 from Howden to York, work on this bomber station started late in 1940 and took just over a year to complete. Hard runways were laid, the main 09-27 being 1,600 yards and the two subsidiaries, 04-22 and 17-35, both 1,100 yards.

Unique for a Bomber Command station was their common intersection, occasioned by the restricted area of the airfield due to the land falling away to the River Derwent on the west side and to a stream on the south. Twenty-four hardstandings were positioned round the perimeter track and were all of the large pan type. Two of these were lost when hangars were erected, one on the lead in to a T2 and B1 north of runway head 09 (the Bl northernmost) near Gunby village, and the other to a T2 on the south side of the airfield west of runway head 35.

The technical site was to the south-west between runway heads 04 and 09. Bomb stores were off the south-east side north of runway head 35. The camp was south-west around Breighton village and in fields to the east. Two communal, a sick quarters and nine domestic sites provided for a maximum 1,223 males and 191 females.

Opened in No. 1 Group as a satellite station for Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, the RAAF-designated No. 460 Squadron arrived in January 1942 with Wellingtons from Molesworth where it had formed a few weeks earlier. The squadron first operated on the night of March 12, 1942, when five aircraft were despatched to Emden.

In the course of the next six months, the squadron participated in 61 operations losing 29 Wellingtons, which was the highest percentage loss of all Bomber Command Wellington squadrons. Work was then underway to extend all three runways; the main to 1,950 yards and 1,400 yards for both of the others. In extending the perimeter track to the runway ends, several hardstandings were destroyed and although more pans were built the airfield total was only 34.

No. 460 Squadron was originally going to convert to Halifaxes but plans were changed to make No. 1 Group an all-Lancaster formation. The squadron returned to operations in November 1942 until mid-May the following year when it was moved to Binbrook as a result of a re-arrangement of group areas. Breighton then came under No. 4 Group with the veteran No. 78 Squadron moving its Halifaxes in from Linton-on-Ouse. No. 78 remained at the station until September 1945 having been given a transport role from the day before hostilities in Europe ended and converting to Dakotas two months later.

After the squadron left to fly out to the Middle East, Breighton was put on care and maintenance. The station was then taken over by a maintenance unit, which collected and stored bombs on the runways. During its use by Bomber Command 169 aircraft despatched on operations from Breighton failed to return or crashed in the UK. In addition to the 29 Wellingons, No. 460, Squadron lost 15 Lancasters while No. 78 Squadron lost 125 Halifaxes.

Former Thor Missile Base

The RAF withdrew from the station in 1947 and after some years of neglect the airfield was selected as a Thor missile site. Launch pads were constructed on the south side of the airfield operated by No. 240 Squadron from July 1959 until the beginning of 1963. In addition, in 1960-64 a Bloodhound ground-to-air missile site was also positioned on the airfield under No. 112 Squadron.

The RAF finally withdrew in 1965 and the airfield was later sold. The technical site was taken over for light industry as were two T2 hangars. Flying recommenced in the early 1980s, using a section of the perimeter track, and the Real Aeroplane Company now operates a flying club from new hangars and offices near the old technical site. Agricultural buildings have since been erected on parts of the runways.