RAF Wombleton
Wombleton, North Yorkshire in England
Memorial to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Inscription reads: "This memorial is dedicated to the Canadians of No.6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command and to the men and women of the RAF and WAAF who served at Wombleton during the Second World War. The people of Ryedale express their sincere thanks to them for giving their youth and time and, in many instances, their lives. We will remember them. Dedicated 28th May, 2001."
RAF Wombleton is located in North Yorkshire
RAF Wombleton
RAF Wombleton
Shown within North Yorkshire
RAF Wombleton is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Wombleton
RAF Wombleton
RAF Wombleton (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates54°13′59″N 000°58′09″W / 54.23306°N 0.96917°W / 54.23306; -0.96917
TypeRAF Sub-station
CodeUN[1]
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Controlled byRAF Bomber Command
* No. 6 (T) Group RCAF
* No. 7 (T) Group RAF
Site history
Built1942 (1942)/43
In useOctober 1943 – 1949 (1949)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation36 metres (118 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00  Concrete
00/00  Concrete
00/00  Concrete

Royal Air Force Wombleton or RAF Wombleton is a former Royal Air Force sub-station located 3.8 miles (6.1 km) east of Helmsley, North Yorkshire and 11.8 miles (19 km) north-east of Easingwold, North Yorkshire, England.

Station history

Wombleton opened in 1943 as a sub-station of RAF Topcliffe. It was part of RAF Bomber Command's No. 6 Group RCAF, and along with the main station at Topcliffe and the station at Dishforth, was designated part of No. 61 (Training) Base.[2][3] In November 1944, No. 61 Base was transferred to No 7 (Training) Group and it was renumbered No. 76 Training Base. No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) was the first unit to move to Wombleton. Aircrew who were originally trained on twin-engined aircraft such as Vickers Wellingtons or Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys received conversion training on heavy four-engined bombers such as the Handley Page Halifax or Avro Lancaster.[4] No. 1666 HCU remained at Wombleton until the end of the war. The RAF took over the station and stayed for several years with the RAF Regiment using the site as a battle school.[5]

Units and aircraft

UnitFromToAircraftVersionNotes
No. 1666 'Mohawk' HCU21 October 19433 August 1945Handley Page Halifax
Avro Lancaster		Mks.II, III, V
Mks.I, II, III, X		[6]
No. 1679 HCF13 December 194327 January 1944Avro LancasterMk.IIDisbanded into 1666 HCU[6]
No. 261 Maintenance Unit RAF15 November 194510 September 1946[7]
The former Flying Control at RAF Wombleton (2007)

Current use

Wombleton airport is now used for recreational flying.[8]

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Falconer 2012, p. 216.
  2. ↑ Delve 2006, p. 272
  3. ↑ Halpenny 1982, p. 195
  4. ↑ Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1990). Action stations (2 ed.). Wellingborough: Stephens. pp. 195–196. ISBN 0-85059-532-0.
  5. ↑ Otter, Patrick (1999). Yorkshire airfields in the Second World War (1 ed.). Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. p. 79. ISBN 1-85306-542-0.
  6. 1 2 Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 99.
  7. ↑ Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 183.
  8. ↑ "Wombleton Conservation Area" (PDF). ryedale.gov.uk. 21 July 2005. p. 6. Retrieved 18 July 2017.

Bibliography

  • Delve, Ken. The Military Airfields of Britain: Northern England: Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire. Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press, 2006. ISBN 1-86126-809-2
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
  • Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore. Action Stations: 4: Military airfields of Yorkshire. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1982. ISBN 0-85059-532-0
  • Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
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