RAF Tholthorpe

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Tholthorpe | ensign = [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]] [[File:Air Force ensign of Canada (1941–1968).svg|90px]] | ensign_size = | native_name = | partof =  | location = [[Easingwold]], [[North Yorkshire]] | country = England | image = [[File:Old huts at Tholthorpe Airfield.jpg|250px]] | caption = Old huts at the site of RAF Tholthorpe | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force satellite station]] | coordinates = {{coord|54|06|15|N|001|15|30|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | gridref = | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Tholthorpe | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]] | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code =  | built = {{Start date|1940}} | used = 1940 - {{End date|1945}} | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation =  | r1-number = 06/24 | r1-length =  | r1-surface = [[Concrete]] | r2-number = 10/28 | r2-length =  | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 16/34 | r3-length =  | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Tholthorpe'''' or more simply '''RAF Tholthorpe''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|satellite station]] located near [[Easingwold]], [[North Yorkshire]], England. It was operational during the [[World War II|Second World War]]; having been opened during the 1930s as a grass airfield. It was controlled by [[RAF Bomber Command]], as a sub-station of [[RAF Linton-on-Ouse]].

==History==

From August 1940 to December 1940, Tholthorpe was a landing field for [[Armstrong Whitworth 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 designated 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. [[Royal Canadian Air Force|RCAF]] squadrons stationed here included [[434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron|No. 434 Squadron]] "Bluenose", [[Snowbirds (aerobatic team)|431 Squadron]] "Iroquois", [[No. 420 Squadron RCAF|420 Squadron]] "Snowy Owl", and [[425 Tactical Fighter Squadron|425 Squadron]] "Alouette".

No. 434 Squadron, flying Halifax bombers, was formed and headquartered at Tholthorpe airfield from June 1943 until the squadron was moved to [[RAF Croft|Croft]]. In July 1943, 431 Squadron moved to Tholthorpe airfield from [[RAF Burn|Burn]]. It was later moved to Croft airfield as well. Not only were the operational squadrons quartered here, also their service echelons, -respectively Nos. 9431 and 9434 Service Echelon<ref name="SturtivantHamlin2007p249">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=249.}}</ref>- 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 echelons, nos. 9420 and 9425 Service Echelon<ref name="SturtivantHamlin2007p249"/>) were moved to Tholthorpe airfield from [[RAF Dalton|Dalton]] and [[RAF Dishforth|Dishforth]] respectively. These squadrons had returned from service with [[Vickers Wellington]]s 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.<ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s95.html RAF Bomber Command, story of Tholthorpe airfield] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823061450/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s95.html |date=23 August 2007 }}</ref> In April and May 1945 Nos. 420 and 425 Squadron converted to [[Avro Lancaster]]s, which they took with them when they left for [[CFS Debert|RCAF Debert]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] in June 1945.<ref name="Jefford2001pp92-93">{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|pp=92–93.}}</ref>

The station closed in June 1945.

==Operational units and aircraft== {|class="wikitable" |+data from<ref name="Jefford2001pp92-93"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Halley|1988|pp=505, 508–509, 512–513.}}</ref> ! 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) |- | [[425 Tactical Fighter Squadron|No. 425 Squadron RCAF]] || 12 December 1943 || 13 June 1945 || Handley Page Halifax Avro Lancaster || Mk.III (1943–1945) Mk.X (1945) |- | [[Snowbirds (aerobatic team)|No. 431 Squadron RCAF]] || 15 July 1943 || 10 December 1943 || Handley Page Halifax || Mk.V |- | [[434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron|No. 434 Squadron RCAF]] || 13 June 1943 || 11 December 1943 || Handley Page Halifax || Mk.V |}

==Postwar== 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, honour the fallen airmen who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons and the citizens of the community who supported them.

==See also== *[[List of former Royal Air Force stations]]

==References==

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

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book|last=Halley|first= James J. |title=The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988|location= Tonbridge, Kent, UK|publisher= Air Britain (Historians) Ltd.|year= 1988|isbn=0-85130-164-9}} * {{cite book|last=Jefford|first= C. G. |title=RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912|location= Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK|publisher= Airlife Publishing|orig-year =1988 |edition=second |year= 2001 |isbn=1-85310-053-6}} * {{cite book|last=Moyes|first= Philip J. R. |title=Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft|location= London|publisher= Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd.|edition= 2nd |year= 1976 |isbn=0-354-01027-1}} * {{cite book|last1=Sturtivant|first1= Ray |first2= John |last2=Hamlin |title=RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912|location= Tonbridge, Kent, UK|publisher= Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.|year= 2007|isbn=978-0-85130-365-9}} {{refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category|RAF Tholthorpe}} * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060821205124/http://www.blackcountrysociety.co.uk/articles/crashlanding.htm Crash Landing 16 March 1944]}} Story of crash landing of plane from RCAF 425 Squadron, which was for a time based at Tholthorpe. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090823000530/http://rafweb.org/Sqn431-443.htm 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 * [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/T-V/Tholthorpe.htm Photos of Tholthorpe airfield Control towers] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071025022317/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/h6gp.html No. 6 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Group] Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary * [http://www.6grouprcaf.com/Villagegreentholthorpe.html Photo of Memorial Plaque] Memorial Plaque, Tholthorpe Village Green, Tholthorpe, dedicated to 420, 425, 431, and 434 Squadrons * [http://www.rcaf.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-434-Squadron-10 No. 434 (Bluenose) Squadron information from RCAF.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tholthorpe}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:History of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1945]] [[Category:Military history of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1940]]