RAF Thornaby
Encyclopedia
RAF Thornaby was a former RAF Station
located at the Teesside
town of Thornaby-on-Tees
, North Yorkshire
. The station was created in the mid 1920s and came under the control of No. 18 Group
, RAF Coastal Command
in 1939. Being used mostly for reconnaissance work, anti shipping strikes, and attacks on enemy airfields etc. Lockheed Hudson
aircraft of No. 220 Squadron
from this base located the German prison ship
Altmark
in Norwegian waters on 16 February 1940—an action which led to the subsequent liberation of 299 prisoners by HMS Cossack
of the Royal Navy
.
The station was engaged in air-sea rescue
work from 1943 using Vickers Warwick
aircraft with Nos. 279
, 280
and 281
Squadrons. These aircrew had developed a means of dropping emergency supplies to their ditched colleagues, using a receptacle which was later to be widely known as the "Thornaby Bag".
Although the airfield was expanded in 1942 in order to facilitate heavy bombers, it never actually operated such aircraft (although number 1 OTU used Halifaxes and 6 OTU used Wellingtons) and remained as a Training
and Coastal Command base. Thornaby's last action of the war came on 3 May 1945 when Beaufighter
s of No. 455 Squadron
Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) attacked Kiel leaving two mine-sweepers destroyed. From 1945, Supermarine Spitfire
s and de Havilland Mosquito
s along with Harvard and Oxford aircraft flew from Thornaby (although Spitfies had been based here in 1943). In the late 1940's and 1950s, these gave way to Vampires
, Meteor's, Meteor T7's and Hunters
which also operated from the nearby RAF Middleton St. George
(aka Goosepool).
Also in the 1950s No. 275
Search and Rescue Squadron based at Linton-on-Ouse
equipped with Sycamore HR13
and HR14 Helicopters relocated to Thornaby on the 18th November 1954 and played a major part in the development of air sea rescue as we know it today. The squadron remained until 9 October 1957 when it moved to RAF Leconfield
. Thus history repeated with again the station being involved in Air Sea Rescue work as during the late part of the war.
s of 92 squadron
left for Middleton St George and the station was put on a care and maintenance basis until being sold to Thornaby-on-Tees Borough Council for redevelopment in 1963. Most of it now lies beneath houses and light industrial units as the town of Thornaby expanded southwards in the 1960s and 70s. Traces can be picked out via Google Maps however and a ground visit will reveal a number of surviving structures within the contemporary buildings.
In 1997 a RAF memorial was erected at Thornaby, and to this day the people of Thornaby take great pride in their history and celebrate the lives of those who served there.
In 2007 a full-size replica Spitfire aircraft was erected on the roundabout at the junction of Thornaby Road, Bader Avenue and Trenchard Avenue.
RAF station
A Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
located at the Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
town of Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. The station was created in the mid 1920s and came under the control of No. 18 Group
No. 18 Group RAF
No. 18 Group of the Royal Air Force was a group active from 1918 to 1919, and from 1938 to 1996.- 1918 - 1919 :The Group was initially formed on 1 April 1918 in No 4 Area. It was transferred to North-Eastern Area, 8 May 1918...
, RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
in 1939. Being used mostly for reconnaissance work, anti shipping strikes, and attacks on enemy airfields etc. Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
aircraft of No. 220 Squadron
No. 220 Squadron RAF
No. 220 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was originally founded in 1918 and disbanded in 1963 after four separate periods of service. The squadron saw service in both the First and Second World Wars, as a naval patrol unit, and finally as part of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent.-First World...
from this base located the German prison ship
Prison ship
A prison ship, historically sometimes called a prison hulk, is a vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies. This practice was popular with the British government in the 18th and 19th centuries....
Altmark
Altmark
The Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
in Norwegian waters on 16 February 1940—an action which led to the subsequent liberation of 299 prisoners by HMS Cossack
HMS Cossack (F03)
HMS Cossack was a Tribal-class destroyer which became famous for the boarding of the German supply ship Altmark in Norwegian waters, and the associated rescue of sailors originally captured by the Admiral Graf Spee....
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
The station was engaged in air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
work from 1943 using Vickers Warwick
Vickers Warwick
The Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
aircraft with Nos. 279
No. 279 Squadron RAF
No 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946.-History:...
, 280
No. 280 Squadron RAF
No. 280 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron during the second world war.-History:No. 280 Squadron was formed at RAF Thorney Island, England on the 10 December 1941 as an air-sea rescue squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Avro Anson and was responsible for air-sea rescue...
and 281
No. 281 Squadron RAF
No. 281 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron during the second world war.-History:No. 281 Squadron was formed at RAF Ouston, England on the 29 March 1942 as an air-sea rescue squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Supermarine Walrus and the Avro Anson...
Squadrons. These aircrew had developed a means of dropping emergency supplies to their ditched colleagues, using a receptacle which was later to be widely known as the "Thornaby Bag".
Although the airfield was expanded in 1942 in order to facilitate heavy bombers, it never actually operated such aircraft (although number 1 OTU used Halifaxes and 6 OTU used Wellingtons) and remained as a Training
RAF Training Command
Training Command was the RAF's command responsible for flying and ground training from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1968 to 1977.-History:Training Command was formed from Inland Area on 1 May 1936 and absorbed into RAF Support Command on 13 June 1977...
and Coastal Command base. Thornaby's last action of the war came on 3 May 1945 when Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s of No. 455 Squadron
No. 455 Squadron RAAF
No. 455 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force torpedo bomber squadron during World War II and became famous as part of the so-called ANZAC Strike Wing.-History:No. 455 Squadron was formed at Williamtown, New South Wales on 23 May 1941...
Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) attacked Kiel leaving two mine-sweepers destroyed. From 1945, Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s and de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
s along with Harvard and Oxford aircraft flew from Thornaby (although Spitfies had been based here in 1943). In the late 1940's and 1950s, these gave way to Vampires
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
, Meteor's, Meteor T7's and Hunters
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
which also operated from the nearby RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St. George was a Royal Air Force Bomber Command station during World War II. It was located in County Durham, five miles east of Darlington, England....
(aka Goosepool).
Also in the 1950s No. 275
No. 275 Squadron RAF
No. 275 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron that served between 1941 and 1959.-History:No. 275 Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Valley on 15 October 1941 for air-sea rescue duties in the Irish sea, the first aircraft being Lysanders Mk.IIIa's...
Search and Rescue Squadron based at Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a Royal Air Force station at Linton-on-Ouse near York in Yorkshire, England. It is currently a major flying training centre, one of the RAF's busiest airfields...
equipped with Sycamore HR13
Bristol Sycamore
-See also:-External links:* on the Bristol Sycamore* on the Bristol Sycamore*...
and HR14 Helicopters relocated to Thornaby on the 18th November 1954 and played a major part in the development of air sea rescue as we know it today. The squadron remained until 9 October 1957 when it moved to RAF Leconfield
RAF Leconfield
The former RAF Leconfield, or 'Leconfield Camp' was a Royal Air Force airbase in Leconfield , East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site is now used by the MoD Defence School of Transport Leconfield .-History:...
. Thus history repeated with again the station being involved in Air Sea Rescue work as during the late part of the war.
Today
The base closed to flying in October of 1958 when the Hawker HunterHawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
s of 92 squadron
No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it...
left for Middleton St George and the station was put on a care and maintenance basis until being sold to Thornaby-on-Tees Borough Council for redevelopment in 1963. Most of it now lies beneath houses and light industrial units as the town of Thornaby expanded southwards in the 1960s and 70s. Traces can be picked out via Google Maps however and a ground visit will reveal a number of surviving structures within the contemporary buildings.
In 1997 a RAF memorial was erected at Thornaby, and to this day the people of Thornaby take great pride in their history and celebrate the lives of those who served there.
In 2007 a full-size replica Spitfire aircraft was erected on the roundabout at the junction of Thornaby Road, Bader Avenue and Trenchard Avenue.