{{Short description|Former Royal Air Force training camp in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use British English|date=April 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Hunmanby Moor | ensign = | ensign_size = | native_name = | location = [[Hunmanby]], [[Filey]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]]{{#tag:ref|During the Second World War, Hunmanby, and a large part of the town of Filey, were in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The boundary changes to the Yorkshire counties in 1974, moved the site into North Yorkshire.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chrystal|first1=Paul|title=The Place Names of Yorkshire; Cities, Towns, Villages, Rivers and Dales, some Pubs too, in Praise of Yorkshire Ales|date=2017|publisher=Stenlake|location=Catrine| isbn=9781840337532|page=100|edition=1}}</ref>|name=Location|group=note}} | country = England | image = Billy Butlin at Filey.jpg | alt = | caption = Billy Butlin at Filey (RAF Hunmanby Moor) in 1945 | type = | coordinates = {{Coord|54.183|-0.279|display=inline, title}} | gridref = | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_image = | pushpin_label = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_mark = | pushpin_marksize = | ownership = <!-- government department such as the MoD or the United States DoD --> | operator = <!-- where different from ownership such as the RAF or the USAF --> | controlledby = <!-- such as RAF Bomber Command or the Eighth Air Force --> | open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc --> | site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox --> | site_other = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types etc --> | site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc --> | code = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US --> | built = {{Start date|1939}} | used = {{End date|1945}} | builder = | materials = | height = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level --> | length = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs --> | fate = <!--changed from demolished parameter--> | condition = | battles = | events = | current_commander = <!-- current commander --> | past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) --> | garrison = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group --> | occupants = <!-- squadrons only --> | designations = | website = | footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code --> }} '''RAF Hunmanby Moor''', (also known as '''RAF Filey'''), was a Royal Air Force training camp during the [[Second World War]] in [[Hunmanby]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], England. The site was commandeered at the outbreak of war and returned to civilian use as a holiday camp in 1945. From 1942, many [[RAF Regiment]] training courses were run at the site.
==History== The [[Butlin's]] holiday camp at Filey was requisitioned at the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] to act as a training camp for recruits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Penfold |first1=Phil |title=How stunning seaside town of Filey reinvented itself after Butlin's closure |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/how-stunning-seaside-town-filey-reinvented-itself-after-butlins-closure-2868753 |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=30 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Filfield |first1=Nicola |title=RAF Regiment marks its anniversary this weekend |url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/4087943.raf-regiment-marks-its-anniversary-this-weekend/ |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=York Press |date=30 January 2009}}</ref> Although located near the village of Hunmanby, it was intended to be known as, and post-war was called, [[Butlin's Filey]]. On initial commencement of military activity, the site was called RAF Filey.<ref>{{cite web |title=Butlins Camp, also known as RAF Filey and RAF Hunmanby Moor, Filey |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MNY24251&resourceID=1009 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> In 1942, it became an RAF Regiment training depot, and during the next three years, until 1945, several RAF Regiment squadrons and training schools were allocated here. The RAF depot at Filey was the first of its type in the RAF, and so instructors from the Brigade of Guards and the Royal Marines were drafted in to help with training. The depot moved soon afterwards to [[RAF Belton Park]] in [[Lincolnshire]], although Regiment training continued at Hunmanby Moor.{{sfn|Oliver|1997|pp=50–52}}
In 1944, ''[[The Times]]'' reported on the 2,000 men from the [[West Indies]] who had arrived at Hunmanby Moor for their 12-week basic training.<ref>{{cite web |title=RAF Hunmanby Moor |url=https://www.africansinyorkshireproject.com/raf-hunmanby-moor.html |website=African Stories in Hull & East Yorkshire |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> A fictionalised account of West Indian recruits at RAF Hunmanby Moor features in [[Andrea Levy]]'s book ''[[Small Island (novel)|Small Island]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=James |first1=Cynthia |title="You'll Soon Get Used to Our Language": Language, Parody and West Indian Identity in Andrea Levy's Small Island |journal=[[Anthurium: A Caribbean Studies Journal]] |date=1 January 2007 |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=3 |doi=10.33596/anth.89|doi-access=free }}</ref> A plaque to commemorate the Caribbean air crew who trained at the base, was unveiled in [[Filey]], in April 2023. The BBC reporting that 4,000 men completed military exercises at the camp.
One of the last units to leave Hunmanby Moor was the RAF Regiment's LAA Gunnery School, which was posted to [[Nethertown]] in August 1945.{{sfn|Oliver|1997|p=176}} Thereafter, the whole of the site was returned to the Butlin's company and civilian use.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Dinosaur Coast |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWGLNB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=RAF%20Hunmanby%20Moor&docref=news/156C8B62C1F8C2C0 |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=infoweb.newsbank.com |date=25 July 2015|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Based units== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Unit !Dates !Notes !Ref |- |No. 1 RAF Regiment School |February 1942 – February 1944 |Moved from RAF Melksham as No. 6 Recruit Training Wing |<ref name="RAFW">{{cite web |title=Stations-F |url=https://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-F.htm#Filey%20Camp |website=www.rafweb.org |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Oliver|1997|p=51}} |- |No. 2 Wing Aircrew Officers School |8 February – 9 May 1944 | |<ref>{{cite web |title=Stations-H |url=https://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-H.htm#Hunmanby |website=www.rafweb.org |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> |- |No. 3 RAF Regiment School |February 1943 – 1945 | |<ref name="RAFW"/> |- |No. 5 Anti-Aircraft Practice Camp | | |<ref name="RAFW"/> |- |No. 21 Air Crew Holding Unit |January – February 1944 | |<ref name="RAFW"/> |- |[[List of RAF Regiment units#2700-2799|No. 2707 RAF Regiment Squadron]] |1 January 1945 – 6 February 1945 |Arrived from Merston, moved to North Weald |<ref>{{cite web |title=723 Defence Squadron, formed Oakington 11 August 1941; became 2723 Defence Squadron, RAF... |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7159231 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> |- |[[List of RAF Regiment units#2700-2799|No. 2723 RAF Regiment Squadron]] |21 November 1944 – 30 December 1944 |Arrived from West Malling, moved to Lympne |<ref>{{cite web |title=2707 Squadron, RAF Regiment. Formed at Ballykelly (UK) 1 February 1942; moved to... |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7159215 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> |- |[[List of RAF Regiment units#2700-2799|No. 2749 RAF Regiment Squadron]] |15 February 1942 – 6 April 1942 |Formed at Hunmanby Moor, posted to Wick |<ref>{{cite web |title=2749 Squadron RAF Regiment, formed at Filey (UK) 15 February 1942. Moved to Wick 6 April... |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7159257 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> |}
==Notable personnel== *[[Michael Beetham]], spent February 1943 at the base awaiting aircrew training<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jacobs |first1=Peter |title=Stay the distance : the life and times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham |date=2011 |publisher=Frontline Books |location=London |isbn=978-1-84832-552-4 |page=20}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist|group="note"}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
===Sources=== *{{cite book |last1=Oliver |first1=Kingsley |title=Through Adversity |date=1997 |publisher=Forces & Corporate |location=Rushden |isbn=0-9529597-0-4}}
{{RAF stations in Yorkshire}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunmanby Moor, RAF}} [[Category:Military history of the East Riding of Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Hunmanby]] [[Category:Military installations established in 1939]] [[Category:Military installations closed in 1945]] [[Category:1939 establishments in England]] [[Category:1945 disestablishments in England]]