RAF Tholthorpe

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 Royal Canadian Air Force (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 headquartered at Tholthorpe airfield until the squadron was moved to Croft. In 1943, 431 Squadron moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Burn. It was later moved to Croft airfield as well. No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons 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.

The station closed in June 1945.

Operational units and aircraft

* No. 420 Squadron RCAF (1943-1945) - Handley Page Halifax III (1943-1945), Avro Lancaster X (1945)
* No. 425 Squadron RCAF (1943-1945) - Handley Page Halifax III (1943-1945), Avro Lancaster X (1945)
* No. 431 Squadron RCAF (1943-1945) - Handley Page Halifax III & V (1943-1944), Avro Lancaster X (1944-1945)
* No. 434 Squadron RCAF (1943) - Handley Page Halifax 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.

References and further information

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s95.html RAF Bomber Command, story of Tholthorpe airfield]
* [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.
* [http://www.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.geocities.com/milphotos/tholthorpecontrol.html Tholthorpe Control Tower photo]
* [http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/14wing/about_us/history13_e.asp 434 Combat Support Squadron Closes Down] Information on disbanding of 434 Squadron - announcement by Air Force Public Affairs / Department of National Defence, Government of Canada
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/T-V/Tholthorpe.htm Photos of Tholthorpe airfield Control towers]
* [http://www.geocities.com/milphotos/420p1.html Flight Log, 420 Sqd RCAF, Page One]
* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/h6gp.html No. 6 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Group] Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary
* [http://www.rcaf.com/6group/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/400series/434squadron.php No. 434 (Bluenose) Squadron information from RCAF.com]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8479722 Description of crash at Tholthorpe that earned Air Commodore Arthur Dwight Ross the George Cross]

ee also

* List of RAF stations