RAF Wombleton

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use British English|date=July 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Wombleton | 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 = [[Wombleton]], [[North Yorkshire]] | country = England | image = [[File:Royal Canadian Air Force War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 220632.jpg|250px]] | caption = Memorial to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Inscription reads: "This memorial is dedicated to the Canadians of No.6 (RCAF) Group of RAF Bomber Command and to the men and women of the RAF and WAAF who served at Wombleton during the Second World War. The people of Ryedale express their sincere thanks to them for giving their youth and time and, in many instances, their lives. We will remember them. Dedicated 28th May, 2001." | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = RAF Sub-station | coordinates = {{coord|54|13|59|N|000|58|09|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | gridref = | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Wombleton | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]] * [[No. 6 Group RCAF|No. 6 (T) Group RCAF]] * [[No. 7 Group RAF|No. 7 (T) Group RAF]] | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area = | code = UN{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=216}} | built = {{Start date|1942}}/43 | used = October 1943 – {{End date|1949}} | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|36|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=216}} | r1-number = 00/00 | r1-length =  | r1-surface = Concrete | r2-number = 00/00 | r2-length =  | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 00/00 | r3-length =  | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Wombleton''' or '''RAF Wombleton''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] sub-station located {{Convert|3.8|mi}} east of [[Helmsley]], [[North Yorkshire]] and {{Convert|11.8|mi|0}} north-east of [[Easingwold]], North Yorkshire, [[England]].

==Station history== Wombleton opened in 1943 as a sub-station of [[RAF Topcliffe]]. It was part of [[RAF Bomber Command]]'s [[No. 6 Group RCAF]], and along with the main station at Topcliffe and the station at [[RAF Dishforth|Dishforth]], was designated part of No. 61 (Training) Base.<ref name="Delve06 p272">{{Harvnb|Delve|2006|p=272}}</ref><ref name="act4p195">{{Harvnb|Halpenny|1982|p=195}}</ref> In November 1944, No. 61 Base was transferred to [[No. 7 Group RAF|No 7 (Training) Group]] and it was renumbered No. 76 Training Base. [[No. 1666 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Heavy Conversion Unit RAF|No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU)]] was the first unit to move to Wombleton. Aircrew who were originally trained on twin-engined aircraft such as [[Vickers Wellington]]s or [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]]s received conversion training on heavy four-engined bombers such as the [[Handley Page Halifax]] or [[Avro Lancaster]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Halpenny|first1=Bruce Barrymore|title=Action stations.|date=1990|publisher=Stephens|location=Wellingborough|isbn=0-85059-532-0|pages=195–196|edition=2}}</ref> No. 1666 HCU remained at Wombleton until the end of the war. The [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] took over the station and stayed for several years with the [[RAF Regiment]] using the site as a battle school.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Otter|first1=Patrick|title=Yorkshire airfields in the Second World War|date=1999|publisher=Countryside Books|location=Newbury, Berkshire|isbn=1-85306-542-0|page=79|edition=1}}</ref>

==Units and aircraft== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version !! Notes |- | [[No. 1666 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Heavy Conversion Unit RAF|No. 1666 'Mohawk' HCU]] || 21 October 1943 || 3 August 1945 || [[Handley Page Halifax]] [[Avro Lancaster]] || Mks.II, III, V Mks.I, II, III, X || <ref name="Sturtivant and Hamlin2007p99">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant and Hamlin|2007|p=99.}}</ref> |- | [[No. 1679 Heavy Conversion Flight RAF|No. 1679 HCF]] || 13 December 1943 || 27 January 1944 || [[Avro Lancaster]] || Mk.II || Disbanded into 1666 HCU<ref name="Sturtivant and Hamlin2007p99"/> |- | [[List of Royal Air Force Maintenance units#No. 201 MU – No. 300 MU|No. 261 Maintenance Unit RAF]] || 15 November 1945 || 10 September 1946 || || || <ref name="Sturtivant and Hamlin2007p183">{{Harvnb|Sturtivant and Hamlin|2007|p=183.}}</ref> |} [[File:RAF Wombleton 07.jpg|thumb|left|The former Flying Control at RAF Wombleton (2007)]]

==Current use== Wombleton aerodrome is now used for aircraft maintenance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wombleton Conservation Area|url=https://www.ryedale.gov.uk/attachments/article/190/Wombleton_Conservation_Area_Appraisal.pdf|website=ryedale.gov.uk|accessdate=18 July 2017|page=6|date=21 July 2005}}</ref>

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

==References==

===Citations=== {{reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Delve|2006}}|reference=Delve, Ken. ''The Military Airfields of Britain: Northern England: Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire''. Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press, 2006. {{ISBN|1-86126-809-2}}}} * Delve, Ken. ''The Source Book of the RAF''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. {{ISBN|1-85310-451-5}}. *{{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|Halpenny|1982}}|reference=Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore. ''Action Stations: 4: Military airfields of Yorkshire''. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1982. {{ISBN|0-85059-532-0}}}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Sturtivant and Hamlin|2007}}|reference=Sturtivant, Ray, [[Imperial Service Order|ISO]] and John Hamlin. ''RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. {{ISBN|0-85130-365-X}}.}} {{refend}}

==External links== * [http://www.airfields-in-yorkshire.co.uk/wombleton/ Airfields in Yorkshire – Wombleton] * [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/W-Z/Wombleton.htm Control towers – RAF Wombleton airfield] * [https://www.roll-of-honour.com/Yorkshire/WombletonRCAF.html Wombleton RCAF Memorial] * [https://wikimapia.org/2249280/Former-RAF-Wombleton Former RAF Wombleton on Wikimapia] * [https://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-W.htm#Wombleton Wombleton on Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation] * [https://britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw001008 Image of RAF Wombleton in 1946]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wombleton}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire|Wombleton]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom|Womble]] [[Category:Military history of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1943]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1949]]