At the beginning of the war the Air Ministry searched out sites for brand new aerodromes, this large area of
meadow called Tholthorpe
Moor that is located Northwest of the city of
York. The
aerodrome in late 1940 with
a grass field was a satellite
airfield for the operational
airfield at Linton-on-Ouse.
The winter operations in 1940/41
proved the grass field to be
unsuitable for ‘Whitley’ aircraft,
and in late 1941 work
commenced to construct concrete runways. Runway 10/28 was 6,000 feet
in length, runway 05/24 and runway 16/34 were both 4,200 feet long.
After completion of the works to bring the airfield up to RAF Class ‘A’ standard, in the
summer of 1942.
RAF
Tholthorpe remained as a satellite/dispersal airfield for
aircraft from the main station at Linton-on-Ouse.
In June of 1943, the airfield was allocated to the new No. 6 (RCAF) Group that had
been formed in October 1942. No. 434 Squadron RCAF was then formed at Tholthorpe
in June, 1943, flying ‘Halifax’ B.Mk.V aircraft, and in May, 1944 B.Mk.III ‘Halifax’.
In July, 1943 No. 431 ‘Iroquois’ Squadron RCAF transferred in to Tholthorpe with
‘Halifax’ B.Mk.III aircraft.
In August of 1943, both No. 431 and No. 434 Squadrons began a series of operations to
bomb targets in northern Italy, and four months later - in December, 1943 - those two
Squadrons were transferred to Air RAF Croft.
In December 1943, RCAF Squadrons No. 420 and No. 425 - both returned from five
months service in Tunisia with No. 331 RCAF Wing and arrived at Tholthorpe to
convert from ‘Wellington’ to ‘Halifax’ B.Mk.III aircraft. The two Squadrons flew their first
missions from Tholthorpe in February, 1944, and remained on the station on
operations until their last missions in April, 1945.
No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons RCAF converted to ‘Lancaster’ B.Mk.X aircraft in May
of 1945, but never flew the aircraft on operations. They did fly the Lancasters back to
Canada in June, 1945.
The RAF did not activate Tholthorpe at the end of the war, and for
a few years the airfield was used for private flying, with the runways and hangars in fair
condition. But by the 1980’s the hangars and most buildings had been removed, and the
runways began to disintegrate.
Farming activities have now taken over the airfield, and light industry has taken over the
technical site. The 1943 control tower is now a private home.
RCAF Squadrons based at Tholthorpe between 1943 to 1945
No. 434 ‘Bluenose’ - No. 6 RCAF Group - June 13th, 1943 to December 10th, 1943
No. 431 ‘Iroquois’ - No. 6 RCAF Group - July 15th, 1943 to December 9th, 1943
No. 425 ‘Alouette’ - No. 6 RCAF Group - December 10th
, 1943 to June 12th, 1945
No. 420 ‘Snowy Owl’ - No. 6 RCAF Group - December 12th, 1943 to June 11th, 1945
Units that were here: - 77Sqn Whitley V, 434Sqn RCAF Halifax V, 431Sqn RCAF Wellington X & Halifax V,
420Sqn RCAF Halifax X & Lancaster X , 425Sqn RCAF Halifax III & Lancaster X.
2 x Control Tower/watch offices.
1 x T2 hangar.
1 x T2 hangar site of.
1 x B1 hangar.
1 x Blister hangar free turret trainer.
1 x pill box defence of the early bomb store.
Pundit Code TH.
Station Commanders RAF Tholthorpe
18 June 1943 Wg Cdr C E Harris
21 July 1943 Gp Capt H M Carscallan RCAF (Acting, whilst also commanding RCAF East Moor)
30 July 1943 Gp Capt B Gordon RCAF
Main units: -
Satellite airfield - RAF Dishforth (1940 - 26 Jan 1942)
Satellite airfield - RAF Linton-on-Ouse (25 Jan 1942 - 18 June 1943)
434 Sqn (13 June - 11 Dec 1943)
Sub Station, Linton-on-Ouse Base (18 June 1943 - 16 Sept 1943)
431 Sqn (15 July - 10 Dec 1943)
Sub Station, No 62 (RCAF) Base (16 Sept 1943 - 14 July 1945)
No 9431 Servicing Echelon (3 Nov - 10 Dec 1943)
No 9434 Servicing Echelon (3 Nov - 11 Dec 1943)
No 9425 Servicing Echelon (10 Dec 1943 - 12 Aug 1944)
420 Sqn (12 Dec 1943 - 12 June 1945)
425 Sqn (12 Dec 1943 - 13 June 1945)
No 9420 Servicing Echelon (12 Dec 1943 - 9 Sept 1944)
Detachment - 78 Sqn (July 1944).
Q - Queenie.
RAF Tholthorpe.
Details
RAF Tholthorpe.
Early vertical 1940/41--------------------- May 1943 --------------------------- Late 1943--IBCC Digital Archive
Details
Building started early 1940 with a grass airfield1942 'A' type bomber station with three runways, two T2 hangars, one B1 hangar, a technical site, several dispersed accommodation sites and an original bomb store plus later 'D' type bomb store.
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley pre war bomber.
Crew lorry collecting from operations.
Erks the men that kept the Airforce in the air.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Site No.11
W.A.A.F. Site No.1
I was invited by a man that worked in this Chicken farm. (sorry cannot remember his name).
We then drove around the airfield. Its nice when this happens, he knew nothing of the airfield and what had been in the WAAF site. The chicken farm was a restricted area due to any contamination and I only visited the entrance area.
This is a plan of the communal and living sites. Most living sites are for men, Sites 11 & 12 are for W.A.A.F.'s. Site 3 is the old communal and site 4 the added new communal site. Site 14 is he Sewage site and Site No.2 admin.
This would have been
accommodation for RCAF:
Men 1501.
W.A.A.F. 233.
Sign on the gate.
WAAF site.
There were WAAF's in WW1 but in WW2 they were brought into the RAF in greater numbers to run the camps, drive, mechanics (air & vehicle), radar, ops room, etc, etc.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 ----------------------------------------------------------- AM Site Plan 891/45
BFC - British Concrete Federation.
N - Nissen.
TB - Temporary Brick.
AM Site Plan 891/45.
477 - High Level Water Tank 10000gal (Braithwaite).
BFC hut.
British Concrete Federation and Nissen hut barracks.
RAF Tholthorpe.
04 April 2018
Details
Site No.11
W.A.A.F. Site No.1
476 - Institute & Sergeants' Rec. Room - TB - 17602/41.
Plan.
WAAF's.
RAF Tholthorpe.
04 April 2018
Details
Site No.11
W.A.A.F. Site No.1
499 - M&E Plinth.
Plan.
M&E Plinth plan.
M&E Plinth.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 ------------------------------------- AM Site Plan 891/45.
Details
Site No.4 (Communal).
Now Reynards Farm and also across the road.
All that can be seen here are the roadways and the bases of a few huts.
206 - Dining Room - 9880/42.
216 - Cinema Projector Room - TB -2064/42.
217 - Gymnasium - TB - 2064/42.
218 - Chancel Annexe - TB - 2064/42 .
221 - Officers Mess - TB - 16589/40.
225 - C. O;'s Quarters - TB
- 9023/41.
229 - Sergeants Mess (500) - TB - 2612/42.
Factory on the site.
The yellow arrows are the blocks and the white arrow was the squash court and now converted into a house. I did not take a picture of it Yellow squares more dispersed sites.
Memorial on the green to 420, 431, 434 & 425 San’s Royal Canadian Air Force.
Royal Canadian Air Force.
Canadian crew.
420Sqn RCAF arrived here December 12, 1943 after converting to Halifax III's and stayed until the end of the war.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Memorial on the green to 420, 431, 434 & 425 Sqn's Royal Canadian Air Force.
RAF Tholthorpe.
Google ---------------------------------------- AM Site Plan 890/45
Details
Airfield Site.
The layout today.
1 - Picket Post - N -12404/41.
2 - Works Service Hut - N - 7395/41.
3 - Gas Chamber - 12411/41.
4 - Free Gunnery Trainer - St - 7316/41.
5to8 -
Main Store - N - 5852/42.
9 - Technical Latrines RAF - TB - 9.26/41.
10 - MT Workshop & Ramp - St - 8140/43.
11 - Works Service Buildings - TB & N - Thol/105/44.
12 - R.U. Pyro Store - TB - 5488/42.
13to14 -
Main Workshops - N - 5851/42.
15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - N - 13730/41.
16 - Parachute Store - TB - 10825/42.
17 - Dingy Section - ? - 2901/43.
18 - Technical Latrine W.A.A.F. - TB - 9.26/41.
19 - Bulk Oil Installation 3500gal. - ? - 11270/40.
20 - A.M. Bombing Teacher - TB - 6301/42.
21 - Link Trainer Building 2 Trainers - TB - 4188/42.
22 - M&E Transformer Plinth - TB - Nil.
23 - Sergeants & Airmen’s Quarters - L - 13903/40.
24 - Sergeants & Airmen’s Latrines - TB - Nil.
25to26 - Sergeants & Airmen’s Quarters - L - 13903/40.
27 - MT Petrol Compound - Nil.
28 - Maintenance Staff Blocks - N - 12777/41.
29 - Technical Latrines RAF - TB - 9026/41.
30 - Armoury etc. - N - 9882/42.
31 - Fuel Compound - Nil.
32 - Fire Tender House - N - 12410/41.
33 - Guarde & Fire Party House - TB - 10311/42.
34 - Crew Locker & Drying Room - N -Nil.
35 - Latrine - TB - 9026/41.
36 - W.A.A.F./RAF Rest Room - S - 4701/43.
37 - Latrine - TB - 9026/41.
38 - MT Shed & yard - N - 12775/42.
39 - Bulk Petrol Installation (MT) 3500gal - 4720/42.
40 - MT Office - N - 12775/42.
42 - Sub Station - TB - 12648/40.
43 - Bulk Oil Installation 3500gal. - 11270/40.
44 - Gas Defence Centre - 48/40.
45 - Fire Pool - Nil.
46 - Sub Station - TB - 12648/40.
47 - M&E Transformer Plinth - TB - Nil.
48 - Fire Party Hut - 2965/42.
49 - N.F.E. Store - TB - 12411/41.
50 -
MT Expense - Nil.
S - Seco Hutting.
TB - Temporary Brick.
N - Nissen Hutting.
L - Laing Hutting.
St - Steel Building.
GP - Gun Position.
T - Timber.
Nil - no detail given.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
5to8 -
Main Store - N - 5852/42.
Pos. 30' Nissen span.
Main Store inside (Romney)..
Collecting stores..
Clothing.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
The centre hut is post war and built on the foundations of an older hut.
Main store held every item needed and possibly several that were not needed.
5to8 -
Main Store - N - 5852/42.
Store man.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
4 - Free Gunnery Trainer - St - 7316/41.
Blister hangar used not for aircraft but as a free gunnery trainer. This is where gunnery training would have taken place with mock up turrets. They became very sophisticated in a pre computer age.
Inside a Free Trainer at an American airfield showing how this one may have looked.
There is a good line drawing of a turret trainer in Paul Francis book 'British Military Airfield Architecture' page 151. It shows a concave screen which an image was directed on and a form of scaffolding tower with several levels, one with a dummy turret and another for a controller, there was also a power unit.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
20 - A.M. Bombing Teacher - TB - 6301/42.
Bomb aimer's and pilots could hone their skills by training on this synthetic trainer.
The pilot would fly a over a map projected onto the hut floor and the bomb aimer would take over as they neared their target.
AMLBT layout.
A Vickers Bygrave version.
Bomb aimer.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
View from the 20 - A.M. Bombing Teacher - TB - 6301/42.
Bomb trainer.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
16 - Parachute Store - TB - 10825/42.
This is where all parachutes would pass through for checking, drying, re packing and storing.
Plan of a parachute store 10825/42
Parachute store interior.
Parachutes in racks.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
15 - Gas Respirator Store & Workshop - N - 13730/41.
Poison gas was still a worry to the Allies. Later when the threat receded the stores were used for medical stores.
Gas capes.
Testing his gas mask.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
13to14 -
Main Workshops - N - 5851/42.
Pos. 30' Nissen.
WAAF's working in a an RAF workshops.
Parts of wooden aircraft.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Airfield Site.
13to14 -
Main Workshops - N - 5851/42.
11 April 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------- 04 April 2018
\
Details
81 - Control Tower - TB - 343/43.
The name Watch Office changed in the mid 40's to control tower. This was due to two reasons, one - only a watch was kept on an airfield and their pilots could land and take off at almost at their own discretion. Two - by 1942 onwards many more aircraft were being used at one time and a form of control was needed to make for a safe and smoother running of the airfield. So the Control Tower was named & designed and placed in a position where it could see ALL the airfield.
RAF Acaster Malbis showing how the control tower could see the airfield.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
81 - Control Tower - TB - 343/43.
Airfield plan with the control tower marked.
Plan down.
Plan up.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 --------------------------------------------------- IBCC PMilesRJ16010032
Details
81 - Control Tower - TB - 343/43.
This is a contemporary photo taken at Tholthorpes tower.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
50ft perimeter track.
An 'A' class airfield as this one became, had a perimeter track 50ft wide connecting all the runways of 150f wide, with 36 heavy bomber aircraft dispersals.
The circular perimeter track was the original airfield and later the runways were added and the main one was extended.
Early 'A' class had around 36 circular dispersals, these were very effective in keeping the aircraft dispersed around the perimeter and also a good firm base for the plane to sit. But God forbid you drop a wheel off the concrete onto the mud or grass and it was a heck of a job to get it back on firm ground.
The second type of dispersal that came into use after 1942 was the Scissor or Spectacle type. The circular pans damaged aircraft doing a tight 360deg turn, whereas with the spectacle they could drive in and continue out without turning. Tholthorpe had at least four (possibly more) spectacle and the rest circular.
Halifax on its dispersal. There would be a ground crew hut and latrines with several dispersals per hut where the ground crews of those aircraft, could rest keep warm and store things and also use the toilet.
RAF Tholthorpe.
AM Site Plan 890/45 ----------------------------------------------------- IBCC
With the technical site in the S/E side and S the old bomb store, S/W the later bomb store. N/W a B1 repair hangar. N/E another T2 hangar and later Sceptical dispersals.
The original airfield layout.
Whitley bomber on an old grass runway.
Stage two was to upgrade the perimeter and add three runways.
Halifax taxiing.
And stage three to increase it to 'A' Class standards.
Halifax low level at RAF Elvington , probably a just finished his last sortie.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
60 - Lubricant & Inflammable Store - TB - 12406/41.
Temporary Brick hut behind the old watch office and just inside the airfield site.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
49 - N.F.E. Store - TB - 12411/41.
Night flying equipment stores held all the goose neck flairs, beacons and any other equipment used for night landings and take off’s. An airfield may not have had lighting or if they did and the electricity failed the oil lamps could be placed out. Fine on a small airfield but as here a very long runway of over a mile to put out all the lamps.
Goose neck flairs, paraffin filled heavy (like watering cans) with a wick in the spout, then lit by a match it would burn for quite q long time.
Goose neck flair at work.
Chance light a sort of searchlight that could be deployed at the end of a runway and the light pointed down its length. Just another aid to help a pilot land in the dark.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
49 - N.F.E. Store - TB - 12411/41.
Note the concrete door stops to hold the doors open and also to stop some Erk on a tractor bumping in to the door and damaging it. They thought of everything.
Goose neck flair at work.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 --------------------------------------------------------- 04April 2018
Details
55 - Crash Crew Sleeping (Old Watch Office) - Nil.
Hidden in the trees is the original Watch Office for Bomber Satellite Stations.
04 April 2018 the trees have been removed now but what is going to happen I have no idea.
Plan.
Early Watch Office for Bomber Satellite Stations.
RAF Tholthorpe.
04 April 2018 --------------------------------------------------------- 11 April 2009
55 - Crash Crew Sleeping (Old Watch Office) - Nil.
A protected operations room you can see that by the window showing up the thicker walls. This is where pilots and crews of the Whiteys would have collected before take off on the next raid.
PBX room. (Private Branch Exchange) the internal telephone system in the camp.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
55 - Crash Crew Sleeping (Old Watch Office) - Nil.
Control Room.
Looking around the control room. The left two windows face west, right hand two south. Its odd that there are two windows in the three walls facing away from the airfield and one window & a door overlooking the airfield ?
First floor plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
55 - Crash Crew Sleeping (Old Watch Office) - Nil.
I carefully climbed to the top.
Note the bracket on the lower wall R/H side.
Plan of the roof top. The triangular structure was a "Large 'runway in use' marker boards" to show which runway was in use.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
55 - Crash Crew Sleeping (Old Watch Office) - Nil.
The triangular building on the roof for the large runway in use markers.
Triangular tower for the boards.
The lugs to hold the boards on.
Grafton Underwood with its boards up.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
55 - Crash Crew Sleeping (Old Watch Office) - Nil.
View NW over the airfield
.A wooden hut & the Floodlight Trailer and Tractor Shed 1296/40.
Allerton Park, Knaresbough was HQ of No.6 Group RCAF. 6 Group aircraft flew 40800 operational sorties.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
53 - Floodlight Trailer & Tractor Shed - TB - 12411/41.
This was a drive through shed so there was no need to disconnect a trailer.
Floodlight/Chance light.
Floodlight/Chance light.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
53 - Floodlight Trailer & Tractor Shed - TB - 12411/41.
A very high roof?
Chance light, generator and tractor (lorry here).
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
52 -
Armoury etc - N - 9882/42.
Built in Temporary Brick (half brick) which was a cheaper and quicker construction than the pre war designs. The windows were standard Crittall steel windows and can still be bought today. The method of building with piers along the sides where trusses lay on for strength goes back to WW1 designs of military hutting and can be seen at RAF Duxford around the hangars.
Armourer.
Browning 303.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
52 -
Armoury etc - N - 9882/42.
A group of dedicated men would clean the guns after a raid and make sure that they were ready for the next one.
Whitley rear turret.
Armourers at work.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Blast shelter [2360-41] a very quick and easy to build and also easy to dive into if necessary.
Plan.
A better view of how it would look without all the undergrowth.
Air raid warning.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
The original (pre 1942) main airfield site with all the buildings grouped around the original watch office.
De briefing and a hot cup of tea.
Crew arriving at their plane.
One of the ways crews were delivered to their planes.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Perimeter track & airfield.
A Halifax running around a perimeter track of 50' wide.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Perimeter track leading to the site of the first T2 hangar.
View from above with the T2 superimposed on the area.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------ AM Site Plan 890/45
Details
118 - Aircraft Shed T2(23bay) - 3653/42.
118 - Aircraft Shed T2(23bay) - St - 3653/42.
119/120 - Dispersed Huts - Nil. (which we know is a British Concrete Federation hut).
121 - M&E Plinth Transformer Plinth - TB - Nil.
Bomb Store:
132 - Fuzed & Spare Bomb Store - N - 4780/42.
133 - Fuzing Point (Heavy) - N - 18963/40.
134
- Fuzing Point (Light) - N - 18964/40.
135 - Picket Post - N - Nil.
136 - FF & SM Store
- N - 2169/40.
137 - SAA Store - TB - 16075/40.
138 - Component Store - TB -
19436/40.
138to144 - SBC Stores - N - 1929/43.
145to147 - Heavy Incendiary Bomb Stores - N - 5416/40.
148
- Incendiary Bomb Stores - N - 4734/40.
149 -
Incendiary Bomb Stores - N - 4734/40.
150 -
Incendiary & Pyro Store - TB - 13436/40.
Plan.
Building a T2
T2 Hangar.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
119 - Dispersed Huts - 561BC - Nil.
British Concrete Federation hut.
Stanton Air-raid shelter.
A hut consisting of a frame of reinforced concrete posts into which panels could be slotted. Designed by the British Concrete Federation (BCF) during WWII.
Plan.
Stanton shelter inside.
Inside a BCF hut at RAF Snailwell.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Early bomb store. This is the entrance to a small bomb store
Plan..
RAF Tholthorpe.
Bing/AM Site Plan 890/45
Details
Earlier bomb store.
One of the protected entrances.
20ton HE open storage.
Store.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
138 - Component Store - TB -
19436/40.
From above.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
138 - Component Store - TB -
19436/40.
I have had to cobble together three photos to make this up.
The component store with the entrance showing up on the left.
Component store
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
150 -
Incendiary & Pyro Store - TB - 13436/40.
Incendiary and pyrotechnic store for flairs, markers & incendiary bombs.
Air photo.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
150 -
Incendiary & Pyro Store - TB - 13436/40.
This shows the earth wall around the outside and brick walls between each store to keep them separate in case of fire/explosion.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
150 -
Incendiary & Pyro Store - TB - 13436/40.
Check out the size of the I beams in the roof.
A Lancaster dropping incendiaries.
Incendiary bomb.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
View across the bomb store.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Seagull trenches were an early open pillbox defence to protect the bomb storage area I think.
Tholthorpe Home Guard. Initially local Home Guard units were used to guard airfields, but as the army increased in size, the county regiments (in training) were used and later the RAF Regiment took over.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Seagull trench
Made of standard red brick and reinforced concrete roof.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Seagull trench covered the small bomb store area.
A brick tile used to cover electrical cables. There are several in the woodland.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Seagull trench.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------- AM Site Plan 890/45
Details
153 - Fuzing Point (Ultra Heavy) - N - 7900/42.
In February 1924 after all the tests had been carried out, it was decided to go ahead with the designs of General Purpose Bombs. The idea of the General Purpose Bomb was that it should be easy to produce in large numbers and give a good percentage of efficiency against every type of target, obviously unlike a specialist bomb it would never give 100% effect against any target. It was decided to have both tail and nose fuzing to prevent break up of the bomb on a hard target and allow penetration of softer targets. Unfortunately this meant that the bomb would have practically no anti-personnel effect on soft targets in the open - this lead to the development of smaller fragmentation bombs such as the 20lbF bomb.
Bomb Store:
151 - Picket Post - Handcraft - Nil.
152 - Component Store - N - 4733/42
153 - Fuzing Point (Ultra Heavy) - N - 7900/42.
154 -
Fuzing Point (Heavy light) - N - 4778/42.
155to158 -
Bomb Stores - 3164/42.
UH Fuzzing Point inside view.
Bomb trains waiting to leave the bomb store area after fuzzing to go out to the aircraft.
Air photo of the 'D' type full heavy bomber bomb store.
RAF Tholthorpe.
04 April 2018
Details
153 - Fuzing Point (Ultra Heavy) - N - 7900/42.
Bomb store track to the fuzing point 153 - Fuzing Point (Ultra Heavy), behind is 154 -
Fuzing Point (Heavy light) - N - 4778/42, this one has been removed.
Plan.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
04 April 2018
Details
153 - Fuzing Point (Ultra Heavy) - N - 7900/42.
Bomb Pistols (e.g., No. 28): Simple firing pins that initiated the main charge upon impact; they contained no explosive themselves.
Fuze No. 42 (Mark IV): Featured a time-delay capsule, used on flares and cluster munitions, and even adapted for the Upkeep bouncing bomb.
The direction viewed.
Ultra Heavy fuzing point..
It took time.
RAF Tholthorpe.
Details
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------- AM Site Plan 890/45
Details
This is incorrect on the plan, it should be a
B1 MAP Hangar.
MAP - Ministry of Aircraft Production.
Nil - number or details unknown on site plan.
104 - AAE Stores - N- Nil.
105to106 -
Dispersed Huts - Nil.
107 - M&E Transformer Plinth - TB - Nil.
108 - Aircraft Shed T2(23bay) - St - 3653/42. (Unsure here as the actual hangar is a B1 MAP shed).
109 - Dispersed Hut - Nil.
Wing repairs
Civilian workers.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
108 - Aircraft Shed T2(23bay) - St - 3653/42. (Unsure here as the actual hangar is a B1 MAP shed).
Hand made clay water pipes lying around.
Halifax damage.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 ----------------------------------------------------- 11 April 2009
Details
Airfield looking south.
Remains of a dispersal.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Nice to see the control tower in use again even if it is a house.
Inside a working tower.
RAF Tholthorpe.
From Facebook page R.C.A.F. 6th Bomber Command of WWii
Details
.Some more details on the Halifax bomber and engine variants. For those interested in the history of this bomber here is a link to a great 17 Min video by Brad Montgomery. A very interesting video.
Halifax early models..
Halifax later models.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Aircraft tie down.
Bomber aircraft are quite heavy, but a wind can quickly enable them to fly when just stood on an open airfield. So great lumps of concrete were set into the dispersals with a large steel bar inserted. A cable/strop would be attached to the aircraft and held down.
Circular aircraft dispersal (frying pan or just pan) had several of these set into their concrete base and planes could be tied firmly down in high winds.
A light aircraft tie downs..
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
The RED runway on the plan.
Plan.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------- AM Site Plan 890/45
Details
97 - Aircraft Shed T2(23bay) - St - 3653/42.
Made by the Tees-side Bridge and Engineering Co.
87 - Dispersal Hut - Nil.
88 - Bulk Petrol Installation 72000gal. - 9846/41.
89 - Picket Post - N - 12777/41.
90 - Bulk Oil Installation 3000gal. - Nil.
91 - Armoury & Maintenance Hut - N - 12777/41.
92 - Technical Latrine RAF - TB - 9026/41.
93 - Sentry Box & Barrier - Timber - Nil.
94 - Maintenance Hut - N - 12777/41.
95 -
Maintenance Staff Block - N - 12777/41.
96 - Technical Latrine W.A.A.F. - TB - 9026/41.
97 - Aircraft Shed - T2(23bay) - St - 3653/42.
99 - Dispersal Hut - Nil.
100 MG Range & Cannon Range (25yd, four point)
- TB - 147/41.
101 - A.A.E Stores - N - - Nil.
Three pictures of how it may have looked at 93 - Sentry Box & Barrier - Timber - Nil..
100 MG Range & Cannon Range (25yd, four point)
- TB - 147/41.
88 - Bulk Petrol Installation 72000gal. - 9846/41.
RAF Tholthorpe.
11 April 2009
Details
Back to the New Inn showing the details of aerodrome up on the hill and the good food I had there.
Norway (coming soon!)
France
Great Britain
