RAF Tholthorpe
Encyclopedia
RAF Tholthorpe was a Royal Air Force
air station operated by RAF Bomber Command
during the Second World War. The station, which had been opened in the late 1930s as a grass airfield, was located near Easingwold
, North Yorkshire
, UK. Tholthorpe airfield operated as a sub-station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse
.
From August 1940 to December 1940, Tholthorpe was a landing field for Whitley
bombers of No. 58 Squadron RAF
and No. 51 Squadron RAF
based at Linton.
From January 1941 to June 1943, Tholthorpe underwent maintenance to upgrade to Class A standards, with three intersecting concrete runways were main 10-28 at 2,000 yards, 06-24 at 1,430 yards and 16-34 at 1,400 yards.
Tholthorpe was assigned to No. 6 Group RCAF
in June 1943. RCAF
squadrons stationed here included No. 434 Squadron
, 431 Squadron, 420 Squadron
, and 425 Squadron
.
No. 434 Squadron, flying Halifax bombers, was formed and headquartered at Tholthorpe airfield from June 1943 until the squadron was moved to Croft
. In July 1943, 431 Squadron moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Burn
. It was later moved to Croft airfield as well. Not only were the operational squadrons quartered here, also their service echolons, -respectively Nos. 9431 and 9434 Service Echolon- which were formed from the ground crew of nos. 431 and 434 Squadron on 3 November 1943 and who moved with their squadrons on to Croft in December 1943.
In December 1943 No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons (together with their service echolons, nos. 9420 and 9425 Service Echolon) were moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Dalton
and Dishforth
respectively. These squadrons had returned from service with Wellingtons
in North Africa, and it took them several weeks to work up on the newly-acquired Halifax bombers. They were therefore unable to fly their first raids from Tholthorpe until mid-February 1944.
No. 420 Squadron flew 160 operations from Tholthorpe airfield and lost 25 Halifaxes. No. 425 squadron flew 162 operations from Tholthorpe airfield and lost 28 Halifaxes. In all, 119 Halifax bombers were lost from Tholthorpe. In April and May 1945 nos. 420 and 425 Squadron converted to Avro Lancaster
s, which they took with them when they left for RCAF Debert
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
in June 1945.
The station closed in June 1945.
|+data from
! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| No. 420 Squadron RCAF
|| 12 December 1943 || 12 June 1945 || Handley Page Halifax
Avro Lancaster
|| Mk.III (1943-1945)
Mk.X (1945)
|-
| No. 425 Squadron RCAF
|| 12 December 1943 || 13 June 1945 || Handley Page Halifax
Avro Lancaster
|| Mk.III (1943-1945)
Mk.X (1945)
|-
| No. 431 Squadron RCAF || 15 July 1943 || 10 December 1943 || Handley Page Halifax
|| Mk.V
|-
| No. 434 Squadron RCAF
|| 13 June 1943 || 11 December 1943 || Handley Page Halifax
|| Mk.V
A monument of Canadian granite, and the avenue of oaks and maples between this village and the airfield, honor the fallen airmen who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force Squadrons and the citizens of the community who supported them.
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, which had been opened in the late 1930s as a grass airfield, was located near Easingwold
Easingwold
Easingwold is a small market town and a civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 4,233.It is located north of York, at the foot of the Howardian Hills....
, 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...
, UK. Tholthorpe airfield operated as a sub-station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a Royal Air Force station at Linton-on-Ouse near York in Yorkshire, England. It is currently a major flying training centre, one of the RAF's busiest airfields...
.
From August 1940 to December 1940, Tholthorpe was a landing field for Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
bombers of No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.- History :No. 58 Squadron was first formed at Cramlington, Northumberland, on 8 June 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps....
and No. 51 Squadron RAF
No. 51 Squadron RAF
No. 51 Squadron of the Royal Air Force most recently operated the Nimrod R1 from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire until June 2011. Crews from No. 51 Squadron are currently training alongside the US Air Force on the Boeing RC-135, which is planned to enter service with the RAF over the next seven years...
based at Linton.
From January 1941 to June 1943, Tholthorpe underwent maintenance to upgrade to Class A standards, with three intersecting concrete runways were main 10-28 at 2,000 yards, 06-24 at 1,430 yards and 16-34 at 1,400 yards.
Tholthorpe was assigned to No. 6 Group RCAF
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...
in June 1943. RCAF
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...
squadrons stationed here included No. 434 Squadron
No. 434 Squadron RCAF
No. 434 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadron that flew bombing operations over Europe during World War II and was later a post-war fighter and combat support unit. It was last disbanded in 2000.-Second World War:...
, 431 Squadron, 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...
, and 425 Squadron
No. 425 Squadron RCAF
425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, also "Alouette" Squadron, is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates CF-188 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada...
.
No. 434 Squadron, flying Halifax bombers, was formed and headquartered at Tholthorpe airfield from June 1943 until the squadron was moved to Croft
RAF Croft
RAF Croft, known locally as Croft Aerodrome or Neasham, opened in 1941 and served as a Second World War RAF Bomber Command station. In 1943, Croft became a sub-station of RAF Middleton St. George which was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force . After the RCAF left in 1945, Croft saw...
. In July 1943, 431 Squadron moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Burn
RAF Burn
RAF Burn was a Second World War air station located southwest of Selby and immediately east of Burn in North Yorkshire, England.The airfield was opened in 1942 and first hosted No. 431 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force as part of 4 Group RAF Bomber Command. No. 431 Squadron flew Wellington Mark X...
. It was later moved to Croft airfield as well. Not only were the operational squadrons quartered here, also their service echolons, -respectively Nos. 9431 and 9434 Service Echolon- which were formed from the ground crew of nos. 431 and 434 Squadron on 3 November 1943 and who moved with their squadrons on to Croft in December 1943.
In December 1943 No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons (together with their service echolons, nos. 9420 and 9425 Service Echolon) were moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Dalton
RAF Dalton
RAF Dalton was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. It was a satellite or sub-station of nearby RAF Topcliffe and actually nearer to the village of Topcliffe than the station so named.-History:...
and Dishforth
RAF Dishforth
Dishforth Airfield is a Royal Air Force/British Army station in North Yorkshire, England. It is currently an Army Air Corps helicopter base and a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Linton-on-Ouse. It is located next to the A1 at Junction 49 with the A168. Dishforth airfield is built over part of the...
respectively. These squadrons had returned from service with Wellingtons
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...
in North Africa, and it took them several weeks to work up on the newly-acquired Halifax bombers. They were therefore unable to fly their first raids from Tholthorpe until mid-February 1944.
No. 420 Squadron flew 160 operations from Tholthorpe airfield and lost 25 Halifaxes. No. 425 squadron flew 162 operations from Tholthorpe airfield and lost 28 Halifaxes. In all, 119 Halifax bombers were lost from Tholthorpe. In April and May 1945 nos. 420 and 425 Squadron converted to 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...
s, which they took with them when they left for RCAF Debert
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in June 1945.
The station closed in June 1945.
Operational units and aircraft
{|class="wikitable"|+data from
! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| 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...
|| 12 December 1943 || 12 June 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 (1943-1945)
Mk.X (1945)
|-
| No. 425 Squadron RCAF
No. 425 Squadron RCAF
425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, also "Alouette" Squadron, is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates CF-188 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada...
|| 12 December 1943 || 13 June 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 (1943-1945)
Mk.X (1945)
|-
| No. 431 Squadron RCAF || 15 July 1943 || 10 December 1943 || 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...
|| Mk.V
|-
| No. 434 Squadron RCAF
No. 434 Squadron RCAF
No. 434 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadron that flew bombing operations over Europe during World War II and was later a post-war fighter and combat support unit. It was last disbanded in 2000.-Second World War:...
|| 13 June 1943 || 11 December 1943 || 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...
|| Mk.V
Post-war Tholthorpe
In the 1980s the airfield was used for a short time for private flying. Within a decade, most of the buildings were abandoned and the runways became farm roads. The control tower has been turned into a family residence.A monument of Canadian granite, and the avenue of oaks and maples between this village and the airfield, honor the fallen airmen who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force Squadrons and the citizens of the community who supported them.
External links
- RAF Bomber Command, story of Tholthorpe airfield
- Crash Landing 16 March 1944 Story of crash landing of plane from RCAF 425 Squadron, which was for a time based at Tholthorpe.
- Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation 434 (Bluenose) Squadron was formed at Tholthorpe on 13 June 1943 as a bomber unit within No 6 (RCAF) Group
- Photos of Tholthorpe airfield Control towers
- No. 6 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Group Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary
- Photo of Memorial Plaque Memorial Plaque, Tholthorpe Village Green, Tholthorpe, dedicated to 420, 425, 431, and 434 Squadrons
- No. 434 (Bluenose) Squadron information from RCAF.com
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8479722Description of crash at Tholthorpe that earned Air Commodore Arthur Dwight RossArthur Dwight RossAir Commodore Arthur Dwight Ross, GC, CBE, CD was a Royal Canadian Air Force Base Commander of No. 62 Base, No. 6 Group RCAF in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War...
the George CrossGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
]