RAF East Moor

Royal Air Force East Moor or RAF East Moor is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 7.4 miles (11.9 km) north of York, North Yorkshire and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-east of Easingwold, North Yorkshire, England.

RAF East Moor
Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire in England
Aerial view (2014)
RAF East Moor is located in North Yorkshire
RAF East Moor
RAF East Moor
Shown within North Yorkshire
Coordinates54°04′08″N 001°05′06″W
TypeSatellite Station 1942–43
* 62 Base substation 1943–[1]
CodeEM[1]
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Controlled byRAF Bomber Command
* No. 4 Group RAF
* No. 6 Group RCAF[1]
Site history
Built1941 (1941)/42
In useJune 1942 – June 1946 (1946)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation28 metres (92 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
02/20 1,310 metres (4,298 ft) Concrete
06/24 1,345 metres (4,413 ft) Concrete
16/34 1,735 metres (5,692 ft) Concrete

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[2] and was originally a 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.[3]

Royal Canadian Air Force use

The first squadron was 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 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.[4]

The last Canadian squadron to use the airfield was 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.[5]

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 Operational Training Unit (OTU) which had moved in during November 1945 flying the de Havilland Mosquito.[6] By May 1946 No. 288 Squadron RAF joined with their Supermarine Spitfire IX's and their Vultee Vengeance Mk. IV's with a detachment at RAF Acklington. The squadron disbanded on 15 June 1946.[7] No. 54 OTU stayed until June 1946 when the unit moved to RAF Leeming but a detachment stayed until 15 November 1946.[6][8]

Units and aircraft
UnitFromToAircraftVersionNotes
No. 158 Squadron RAF6 June 19426 November 1942Handley Page HalifaxMk.IIMoved to RAF Rufforth.[3]
No. 288 Squadron RAF24 May 194615 June 1946Vultee Vengeance
Supermarine Spitfire		Mk.IV
Mks.VB and IX		Disbanded at the airfield.[7]
No. 415 Squadron RCAF26 July 194415 May 1945Handley Page HalifaxMks.III, VIIDisbanded at airfield.[5]
No. 429 Squadron RCAF7 November 194213 August 1943Vickers WellingtonMks.III, XFormed at airfield.[4]
No. 432 Squadron RCAF19 September 194315 May 1945Vickers Wellington
Avro Lancaster
Handley Page Halifax		Mk.X
Mk.II
Mks.III, VII		Disbanded at the airfield.[4]
No. 54 OTU1 November 194530 June 1946 (det. till 15 November 1946)de Havilland Mosquito[8][9][10][11][12]
No. 158 Conversion Flight RAF7 June 194225 September 1942Handley Page HalifaxMk.II[13]
No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF18 May 194313 December 1943Avro LancasterMk.II[13]
No. 12 Air Crew Holding Unit15 June 19458 October 1945N/AN/A[13]

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.[14]

References

Citations
  1. Falconer 2012, p. 87.
  2. "RAF East Moor, Yorkshire". Airfield Archaeology. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  3. Jefford 2001, p. 63.
  4. Jefford 2001, p. 91.
  5. Jefford 2001, p. 90.
  6. "No. 54 Operational Training Unit". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 13 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  7. Jefford 2001, p. 83.
  8. Sturtivant 2007, p. 203.
  9. Sturtivant 2007, p. 43.
  10. Sturtivant 2007, p. 96.
  11. Sturtivant 2007, p. 99.
  12. Sturtivant 2007, p. 249.
  13. "RAF East Moor". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  14. "History of RAF East Moor". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.

Bibliography
  • Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
  • 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.
  • Sturtivant, R. RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air Britain, 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
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