RAF Pocklington
Encyclopedia
RAF Pocklington was an operational flying station
of the Royal Air Force
during World War II, forming part of Bomber command, and operating primarily Wellington
and Halifax
bombers. The station, adjacent to the village of Pocklington
at , opened in 1941, and was closed in 1946. After a return to agricultural use, the station now forms an industrial estate and a restricted use airfield for a gliding club.
Three hangars were originally constructed, and these were supplemented by two additional hangars constructed on the other side of the main A1079 road.
The station at RAF Elvington
was originally built as a sub station of Pocklington, and along with RAF Melbourne
became known as 42 base, within the 4 groups of Bomber Command
. Despite being the smaller station, RAF Elvington was operational long after the closure of Pocklington.
unit of 405 squadron
, operating Wellington
bombers for 84 raids in eleven months, during which 20 aircraft failed to return.
In April 1942, the squadron changed to Halifax
bombers, flying a further 20 raids before exchanging bases with the Royal Air Force
102 squadron
from RAF Topcliffe
, and were the last unit to occupy the station until its closure (although a personnel holding unit was briefly based at the base in 1946).
The station transferred to Transport Command
the day before the end of the war, operating B-24 Liberator
aircraft before their transfer to RAF Bassingbourn
.
The original number 1 runway is still in use by the Wolds gliding club, who secured the lease to the airfield in 1971, and purchased it outright from the land owner in 1983. Former members of 102 squadron still hold reunion events at the gliding club.
RAF station
A Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II, forming part of Bomber command, and operating primarily Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
and Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
bombers. The station, adjacent to the village of Pocklington
Pocklington
Pocklington is a small market town and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York....
at , opened in 1941, and was closed in 1946. After a return to agricultural use, the station now forms an industrial estate and a restricted use airfield for a gliding club.
History
Work started on RAF Pocklington in August 1940, with the design for grass runways, along with hangars, technical buildings and administration blocks. This was changed during construction to include three concrete runways. Late in to the building of the three runways, it was realised that the runway 3 (07-25 at 1,300 yards) posed a threat to the village of Pocklington, and so was abandoned in favour of a fourth runway (14-32 at 1,600 yards).Three hangars were originally constructed, and these were supplemented by two additional hangars constructed on the other side of the main A1079 road.
The station at RAF Elvington
RAF Elvington
RAF Elvington, located at Elvington, south east of York in Yorkshire was a Royal Air Force bomber base which operated from the beginning of World War II until 1992.-History:...
was originally built as a sub station of Pocklington, and along with RAF Melbourne
RAF Melbourne
RAF Melbourne was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located 5 miles to the South-west of Pocklington, Yorkshire, England. The nearest village is Seaton Ross.-History:...
became known as 42 base, within the 4 groups of Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. Despite being the smaller station, RAF Elvington was operational long after the closure of Pocklington.
Occupying Squadrons
The first occupants of the site in 1941 were the Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
unit of 405 squadron
No. 405 Squadron RCAF
405 Maritime Patrol Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force within the Canadian Forces, initially formed as No. 405 Squadron RCAF during the Second World War.-World War II:...
, operating Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bombers for 84 raids in eleven months, during which 20 aircraft failed to return.
In April 1942, the squadron changed to Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
bombers, flying a further 20 raids before exchanging bases with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
102 squadron
No. 102 Squadron RAF
No. 102 Squadron was a Royal Air Force night bomber squadron in World War I and a heavy bomber squadron in World War II. After the war it flew briefly as a transport squadron before being reformed a light bomber unit with the Second Tactical Air Force within RAF Germany. Its last existence was as a...
from RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
, and were the last unit to occupy the station until its closure (although a personnel holding unit was briefly based at the base in 1946).
The station transferred to Transport Command
RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.-History:...
the day before the end of the war, operating B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
aircraft before their transfer to RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Bassingbourn is a former military airbase located in Cambridgeshire approximately north of Royston, Hertfordshire and south west of Cambridge. During World War II it served first as an RAF station and then as a bomber base of the U.S. Eighth Air Force...
.
Subsequent use
Following the closure of the station, it was mostly returned to agricultural use, with the hangars used as grain stores,, but subsequently the technical area became an industrial estate, and a large number of buildings still stand.The original number 1 runway is still in use by the Wolds gliding club, who secured the lease to the airfield in 1971, and purchased it outright from the land owner in 1983. Former members of 102 squadron still hold reunion events at the gliding club.