Former RAF Melbourne

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

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East Common in Melbourne parish, some six miles west of Market Weighton, offered a good site for a satellite landing ground when these were anxiously being sought during 1940 as very little preparation was required to convert the flat area of meadowland east of Foss Dike into an aerodrome. Possibly Melbourne was first considered as a satellite for the new bomber station at Pocklington, just 4.5 miles away, but construction of Pocklington was delayed and Melbourne first came into use for Whitleys from other No. 4 Group stations.

In the autumn of 1941 the airfield was scheduled for enlargement and the laying of hard runways. There was apparently some delay in commencing this work, which was not completed until the following spring. The main runway 06-24 was originally 1,600 yards, the O1-19 1,350 yards and 15-33 1,100 yards, but the 06-24 was increased to 1,900 yards and the 15-33 to 1,400 yards, possibly before the airfield was re-opened.

The technical site lay on the north side between runway heads 15 and 24, near Melbourne Lodges. There were two T2 hangars, one on the technical site and another between runway heads 33 and 24. Later, a B1 was erected near the latter, just north of runway head 33. Of the 35 pan hardstandings, one was later used to hold FIDO operating equipment when this facility was installed in late 1943. The dispersed camp sites to the north were able to accommodate 1,901 males and 382 females.

Many other bombers landed at Melbourne during periods of poor visibility, particularly during the winter of 1944-45 as the FIDO fog dispersal installation was operating from January 1944 along the main runway, Melbourne being the only bomber station in No. 4 Group to be so equipped. Total operational losses from Melbourne amounted to 128 Halifaxes, all from No. 10 Squadron.

On May 7, 1945, No. 10 Squadron was one of those transferred to Transport Command, shedding its Halifaxes during the next two months for Dakotas. In August 1945, No. 10 changed places with No. 575 Squadron at Broadwell but their Dakotas were only present for just over three months before moving south. By the spring of 1946, Melbourne was on care and maintenance and thereafter came under No. 91 Maintenance Unit for storage until the early 1950s.

Surplus to requirements, the airfield was then disposed of, its technical site being utilised for local farming activities with most of the buildings being dismantled over the next two decades. Among the surviving structures at the close of the century is the Bl hangar used for several years as a grain processing plant and store. Private flying takes place from a part of the airfield and the control tower is being restored possibly to become a museum. A memorial to No. 10 Squadron has been placed near the wartime entrance.