RAF East Moor

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF East Moor | ensign = [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]] [[File:Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign (1941-1968).svg|90px]] | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | location = [[Sutton-on-the-Forest]], [[North Yorkshire]] | nearest_town =  | country = England | image = [[File:Former R.A.F. East Moor- aerial 2014 (geograph 4077051).jpg|250px]] | alt = | caption = Aerial view (2014) | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force satellite station]] 1942–43 * 62 Base substation 1943–{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=87}} | coordinates = {{Coord|54|04|08|N|001|05|06|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF East Moor | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]] * [[No. 4 Group RAF]] * [[No. 6 Group RCAF]]{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=87}} | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code = EM{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=87}} | built = {{Start date|1941}}/42 | used = June 1942 – June {{End date|1946}} | builder = | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|28|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=87}} | r1-number = 02/20 | r1-length = {{Convert|1310|m|0}} | r1-surface = Concrete | r2-number = 06/24 | r2-length = {{Convert|1345|m|0}} | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 16/34 | r3-length = {{Convert|1735|m|0}} | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force East Moor''' or '''RAF East Moor''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|satellite station]] located {{Convert|7.4|mi}} north of [[York]], [[North Yorkshire]] and {{Convert|5.5|mi}} south-east of [[Easingwold]], North Yorkshire, [[England]].

The airfield was initially controlled by the [[Royal Air Force]] until the site was transferred to the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] in 1942 before being handed back in November 1945.

==History==

East Moor was opened in 1942<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airfieldarchaeology.co.uk/raf-east-moor.html |title=RAF East Moor, Yorkshire |publisher=Airfield Archaeology|accessdate=19 June 2012}}</ref> and was originally a [[No. 4 Group RAF|4 Group]] facility and first hosted [[No. 158 Squadron RAF]] which moved from [[RAF Driffield]] on 6 June 1942. The squadron flew the [[Handley Page Halifax]] Mk. II with detachments at [[RAF Beaulieu]] and [[RAF Manston]] before moving to [[RAF Rufforth]] on 6 November 1942.<ref name="Jefford2001p63">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=63.}}</ref>

===Royal Canadian Air Force use===

The first squadron was [[429 Transport Squadron|No. 429 Squadron RCAF]] which formed at the airfield on 7 November 1942 initially only flying the [[Vickers Wellington]] Mk.III until January 1943 when the Wellington Mk. X was added. The squadron left on 13 August 1943 going to [[RAF Leeming]] where the unit re-equipped with Halifaxes. On 19 September 1943 the next squadron arrived being [[No. 432 Squadron RCAF|432 Squadron]] which initially used the [[Avro Lancaster]] Mk.II before being re-equipped with the Halifax Mk. III in February 1944 and the Mk. VII Halifax in July 1944. The squadron disbanded on 15 May 1945 at the airfield.<ref name="Jefford2001p91">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=91.}}</ref>

The last Canadian squadron to use the airfield was [[415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron|415 Squadron]] which flew the Halifax III from 26 July 1944. The unit inherited the additional Mk.VII versions during March 1945 but disbanded shortly after on 15 May 1945 at the airfield.<ref name="Jefford2001p90">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=90.}}</ref>

===Royal Air Force use===

Not long after the last Canadian squadron disbanded the airfield was handed back to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first RAF unit to use the airfield was [[No. 54 OTU|No. 54 Operational Training Unit]] (OTU) which had moved in during November 1945 flying the [[de Havilland Mosquito]].<ref name="RW54">{{cite web |url=http://www.rafweb.org/OTU_3.htm |title=No. 54 Operational Training Unit |publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation |accessdate=19 June 2012 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613220551/http://www.rafweb.org/OTU_3.htm |archivedate=13 June 2012 }}</ref> By May 1946 [[No. 288 Squadron RAF]] joined with their [[Supermarine Spitfire]] IX's and their [[Vultee A-31 Vengeance|Vultee Vengeance]] Mk. IV's with a detachment at [[RAF Acklington]]. The squadron disbanded on 15 June 1946.<ref name="Jefford2001p83">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=83.}}</ref> No. 54 OTU stayed until June 1946 when the unit moved to [[RAF Leeming]] but a detachment stayed until 15 November 1946.<ref name="RW54"/><ref name="Sturtivant2007p203">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|2007|p=203.}}</ref>

==Units and aircraft== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version !! Notes |- | [[No. 158 Squadron RAF]] || 6 June 1942 || 6 November 1942 || [[Handley Page Halifax]] || Mk.II||Moved to [[RAF Rufforth]].<ref name="Jefford2001p63"/> |- | [[No. 288 Squadron RAF]] || 24 May 1946 || 15 June 1946 || [[Vultee A-31 Vengeance|Vultee Vengeance]] [[Supermarine Spitfire]] || Mk.IV Mks.VB and IX||Disbanded at the airfield.<ref name="Jefford2001p83"/> |- | [[415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Squadron|No. 415 Squadron RCAF]] || 26 July 1944 || 15 May 1945 || Handley Page Halifax || Mks.III, VII||Disbanded at airfield.<ref name="Jefford2001p90"/> |- | [[429 Transport Squadron|No. 429 Squadron RCAF]] || 7 November 1942 || 13 August 1943 || [[Vickers Wellington]] || Mks.III, X || Formed at airfield.<ref name="Jefford2001p91"/> |- | [[No. 432 Squadron RCAF]] || 19 September 1943 || 15 May 1945 || Vickers Wellington [[Avro Lancaster]] Handley Page Halifax || Mk.X Mk.II Mks.III, VII|| Disbanded at the airfield.<ref name="Jefford2001p91"/> |- | [[No. 54 OTU]] || 1 November 1945 || 30 June 1946 (det. till 15 November 1946) || [[de Havilland Mosquito]] || ||<ref name="Sturtivant2007p203"/><ref name="Sturtivant2007p43">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|2007|p=43.}}</ref><ref name="Sturtivant2007p96">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|2007|p=96.}}</ref><ref name="Sturtivant2007p99">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|2007|p=99.}}</ref><ref name="Sturtivant2007p249">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|2007|p=249.}}</ref> |- | No. 158 Conversion Flight RAF || 7 June 1942 || 25 September 1942 || Handley Page Halifax || Mk.II||<ref name="RAFWEB">{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-E.htm |title=RAF East Moor |publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation|accessdate=1 July 2010}}</ref> |- | [[No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF]] || 18 May 1943 || 13 December 1943 || [[Avro Lancaster]] || Mk.II||<ref name="RAFWEB"/> |- | No. 12 Air Crew Holding Unit || 15 June 1945 || 8 October 1945 || N/A || N/A ||<ref name="RAFWEB"/> |}

==Current use== The airfield closed to flying in November 1946. Most of the buildings were taken down and the land has reverted largely to agricultural use.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s90.html |title=History of RAF East Moor |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=1 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123221407/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s90.html |archive-date=23 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== ===Citations=== {{reflist|2}}

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=J.|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Jefford|2001}}|reference=Jefford, C. G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Sturtivant|2007}}|reference=Sturtivant, R. ''RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912''. Air Britain, 2007. {{ISBN|0-85130-365-X}}.}} {{refend}}

==External links== * [http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1293-East-Moor Airfield Information Exchange] * [http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/atlantikwall/ey_east_moor.php Atlantik Wall – RAF East Moor – Map]

{{DEFAULTSORT:East Moor}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:History of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1942]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1946]]