RAF Skipton-on-Swale
Encyclopedia
RAF Skipton-on-Swale was a Royal Air Force
air station operated by RAF Bomber Command
during the Second World War. The station was located at Skipton-on-Swale
four miles west of Thirsk
(near the present-day junction of the A61
and A167
), North Yorkshire
, England. The village of Sandhutton
is located just to the east. RAF Skipton-on-Swale was a sub-station of RAF Leeming
.
Skipton-on-Swale was originally a 4 Group
facility and first hosted 420 Squadron
, Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF), which moved to RAF Middleton St. George
in October 1942. Skipton was assigned to No. 6 Group
, Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) in January 1943. RCAF squadrons stationed here included 424 Squadron
, No. 432 Squadron
(which moved to RAF East Moor
in September 1943), and 433 Squadron
. Both squadrons flew the Halifax
bomber until replaced by the Lancaster
in January 1945. 424 Squadron lost 52 aircraft and 433 Squadron lost 38 aircraft.
Nos. 424 and 433 Squadrons were disbanded in October 1945 and in November 1946 No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
moved in and disbanded here on 2 January 1947. After this the airfield was closed. The station was not used again and has since reverted largely to farmland. The site is home to turkey and pig farms.
|+data from
! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
|| 25 November 1946 || 2 January 1947 || Avro Lancaster
|| Mks.I, III
|-
| No. 420 Squadron RCAF
|| 6 August 1942 || 15 October 1942 || Vickers Wellington
|| Mk.III
|-
| No. 424 Squadron RCAF
|| 6 November 1943 || 15 October 1945 || Vickers Wellington
Handley Page Halifax
Avro Lancaster
|| Mk.X
Mk.III
Mks.I & III
|-
| No. 432 Squadron RCAF
|| 1 May 1943 || 18 September 1943 || Vickers Wellington
|| Mk.X
|-
| No. 433 Squadron RCAF
|| 25 September 1943 || 15 October 1945 || Handley Page Halifax
Avro Lancaster
|| Mk.III
Mks.I & III
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...
air station operated by RAF 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...
during the Second World War. The station was located at Skipton-on-Swale
Skipton-on-Swale
Skipton-on-Swale is a small village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the A61 road, about 4 miles west of Thirsk....
four miles west of Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
(near the present-day junction of the A61
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
and A167
A167 road
The A167 is a road in North East England. Most of its route was formerly the A1 as most of it is the original route of the Great North Road until the A1 was re-routed with the opening of the A1 in the 1960s....
), North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England. The village of Sandhutton
Sandhutton
Sandhutton is a small pretty village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of Thirsk on the A167. It has been referred to as Hutton; Hutton ; and Sand Hutton....
is located just to the east. RAF Skipton-on-Swale was a sub-station of RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes....
.
History
The base opened in August 1942, becoming operational in May 1943.Skipton-on-Swale was originally a 4 Group
No. 4 Group RAF
No. 4 Group was a Royal Air Force group, originally formed in World War I, and reformed in the wake of the Second World War, mostly part of RAF Bomber Command, but ending its days in RAF Transport Command.-Formation in World War I:...
facility and first hosted 420 Squadron
No. 420 Squadron RCAF
No. 420 "City of London" Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force which existed from late December 1941 forwards. The Squadron's nickname was "Snowy Owl". Their motto was Pugnamus Finitum, Latin for We Fight To The Finish. No. 420 Squadron is no longer active.-History:No...
, Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal 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...
(RCAF), which moved to RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St. George was a Royal Air Force Bomber Command station during World War II. It was located in County Durham, five miles east of Darlington, England....
in October 1942. Skipton was assigned to No. 6 Group
No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active...
, Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal 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...
(RCAF) in January 1943. RCAF squadrons stationed here included 424 Squadron
No. 424 Squadron RCAF
424 "City of Hamilton" Transport and Rescue Squadron is a search and rescue/transport squadron of the Canadian Forces and based out of 9 Hangar with 8 Wing CFB Trenton.-History:...
, No. 432 Squadron
No. 432 Squadron RCAF
No. 432 Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force formed during the Second World War.-History:It was first formed at Skipton-on-Swale in May 1943, as part of No. 6 Group of RAF Bomber Command. The unit was equipped with Wellington X bombers.The squadron deployed to RAF East Moor...
(which moved to RAF East Moor
RAF East Moor
RAF East Moor was a Royal Air Force air station operated by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. The station was located near Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire, UK and was a sub-station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.-History:...
in September 1943), and 433 Squadron
No. 433 Squadron RCAF
433 Tactical Fighter Squadron was a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. It operated CF-188 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada....
. Both squadrons flew the 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...
bomber until replaced by the Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
in January 1945. 424 Squadron lost 52 aircraft and 433 Squadron lost 38 aircraft.
Nos. 424 and 433 Squadrons were disbanded in October 1945 and in November 1946 No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 300 "Land of Masovia" Bomber Squadron was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom.- History :...
moved in and disbanded here on 2 January 1947. After this the airfield was closed. The station was not used again and has since reverted largely to farmland. The site is home to turkey and pig farms.
Operational units and aircraft
{|class="wikitable"|+data from
! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 300 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 300 "Land of Masovia" Bomber Squadron was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom.- History :...
|| 25 November 1946 || 2 January 1947 || Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
|| Mks.I, III
|-
| No. 420 Squadron RCAF
No. 420 Squadron RCAF
No. 420 "City of London" Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force which existed from late December 1941 forwards. The Squadron's nickname was "Snowy Owl". Their motto was Pugnamus Finitum, Latin for We Fight To The Finish. No. 420 Squadron is no longer active.-History:No...
|| 6 August 1942 || 15 October 1942 || Vickers 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...
|| Mk.III
|-
| No. 424 Squadron RCAF
No. 424 Squadron RCAF
424 "City of Hamilton" Transport and Rescue Squadron is a search and rescue/transport squadron of the Canadian Forces and based out of 9 Hangar with 8 Wing CFB Trenton.-History:...
|| 6 November 1943 || 15 October 1945 || Vickers 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...
Handley Page 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...
Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
|| Mk.X
Mk.III
Mks.I & III
|-
| No. 432 Squadron RCAF
No. 432 Squadron RCAF
No. 432 Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force formed during the Second World War.-History:It was first formed at Skipton-on-Swale in May 1943, as part of No. 6 Group of RAF Bomber Command. The unit was equipped with Wellington X bombers.The squadron deployed to RAF East Moor...
|| 1 May 1943 || 18 September 1943 || Vickers 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...
|| Mk.X
|-
| No. 433 Squadron RCAF
No. 433 Squadron RCAF
433 Tactical Fighter Squadron was a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. It operated CF-188 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada....
|| 25 September 1943 || 15 October 1945 || Handley Page 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...
Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
|| Mk.III
Mks.I & III