RAF Thornaby
RAF Thornaby
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Thornaby-on-Tees | ||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1929 | ||||||||||||||||||
| In use | 1929-1958 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 60 ft / 18 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°32′00″N 01°18′00″W / 54.53333°N 1.30000°WCoordinates: 54°32′00″N 01°18′00″W / 54.53333°N 1.30000°W | ||||||||||||||||||
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 RAF Thornaby
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| Location | North Yorkshire, England |
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| Opened | 1959 |
| Closed | 1960 |
Royal Air Force Thornaby or more simply RAF Thornaby is a former Royal Air Force Station located at the Teesside town and former Borough of Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England.
The aerodrome was officially opened on 29 September 1929, although flying in Thornaby dates back to 1912 when Gustav Hamel used the Vale Farm for a flying display. Subsequently the Royal Flying Corps used the same fields as a staging post between Catterick and Marske aerodromes between 1914 and 1918.
The first squadron to occupy the new airfield were No. 608, who were formed here as No. 608 County of York (North Riding) squadron on 17 March 1930, under the command of Flying Instructor, Squadron Leader William Howard-Davies, and operating Westland Wapitis and Avro 504Ns. No 608 squadron were the first of the three Yorkshire based auxiliary flying units to be formed, the others being 609 (West Riding) squadron at RAF Yeadon and 616 (South Yorkshire) squadron at RAF Doncaster.
Between March 1936 and July 1937 Thornaby was No. 9 Flying Training School RAF, the stations first regular Royal Air Force unit, the Squadron Commander was C.H. Elliot-Smith with Squadron Leader David D'Arcy Alexander Greig (1900-1986) as CFI who had been a pilot with the RAF's High Speed Flight and took part in the 1929 Schneider Trophy. On 14 January 1937 No. 608 were re-equipped with Hawker Demon two seat interceptors and transferred into No. 12 (Fighter) Group RAF. Thornaby became an RAF station proper when a station headquarters was established on 1 June 1937 under the command of Wing Commander John Leacroft MC (1888-1971).
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