Main image: Members of 460 Squadron RAAF © IWM (CH 5354)
When you drive through the secluded rural surroundings of Breighton village you can’t begin to imagine how it must have looked during the Second World War, for situated to the east of the minor road between Bubwith and Breighton is what remains of RAF Breighton, a large military bomber base. Hundreds of brave allied bomber crews departed nightly from Breighton, and similar bases located nearby at RAF Melbourne and RAF Holme upon Spalding Moor among others, to take the war back to Nazi Germany – sadly, with many unable to return.
The current airfield is situated on what was a small section of peri-track and the original technical site in the south west corner of the original bomber base. To the north of our current grass runway you can still see an original ‘T2’ specification hangar. This was once used to accommodate the big Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster bombers whilst the engineers and fitters repaired and serviced them. There were originally three of these huge buildings at Breighton but only one now remains and that is used for storage rather than fixing aeroplanes.
If you are fortunate enough to take a flight over our airfield you can still see the distinctive original runway layout. Because of space constraints all RAF Breighton’s wartime runways shared the same intersection resulting in a star-like configuration as opposed to the more usual triangle layout making Breighton instantly recognisable. To the south east side of the original airfield you might just be able to make out the bomb stores (“bomb-dump”). To the west of where the original runways cross, right in front of the current airfield, you can see some of the post war infrastructure built in the 1950’s to house Thor intermediary ballistic missiles (IRBM), Britain’s early nuclear deterrent code-named Project Emily.
Construction work began on the original air base back in 1941 and it was officially opened in January 1942 as part of No. 1 Group, Bomber Command. The first occupants were an Australian Bomber Squadron, 460 Sqd RAAF, flying Vickers Wellington bombers. Later that year, they re-equipped with the mighty Avro Lancaster and its pre-cursor, the Avro Manchester. The Squadron fought bravely and with distinction from Breighton until May 1943 when they moved south to RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire. We often receive Australian visitors who’s relatives served with 460 Squadron RAAF during the war.
In June 1943 the airfield was transferred to 4 Group Bomber Command and became home to No 78 Squadron RAF equipped with Handley Page Halifax Bombers. Operations began almost immediately, the Squadron taking part in many of the major bombing raids including the attack on the top secret rocket base at Peenemünder. The Squadron also bombed gun emplacements on the French coast in support of the Allied landings on the eve of D-day in June 1944.
In May 1945 RAF Breighton switched from Bomber Command to Transport Command with 78 Squadron flying Halifax VIs and, latterly, Douglas Dakotas. In September 1945 the Squadron moved to Egypt and RAF Breighton was placed on Care and Maintenance. During those dark years 78 Squadron had dropped approximately 17,000 tons of bombs and destroyed 31 enemy aircraft. They lost 182 aircraft during the 6,017 bombing and 320 mine laying sorties flown. There is a memorial to 78 Squadron in Bubwith churchyard as well as an airfield memorial to both 460 Squadron RAAF and 78 Squadron RAF adjacent the Real Aeroplane Club crewroom.
A comprehensive record of all RAF Breighton’s wartime losses, from both 460 Squadron RAAF and 78 Squadron RAF, is on display at the airfield.
In 1959 RAF Breighton was brought out of mothballs and transformed to become part of Britain’s nuclear deterrent armed with US built Thor intermediate-range ballistic missiles with the formation of 240 Squadron. Assigned to defend and protect these weapons was 112 (Fighter) Squadron armed with 32 Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles, the launchpads of which are still visible from the air close to the runway intersection. As there was no permanent accommodation at Breighton personnel were billeted at RAF Church Fenton (singles) and in RAF Married Quarters in Acomb, York. RAF Breighton was one of a cluster of sites in Yorkshire to house this most deadly nuclear deterrent along with RAF Driffield, RAF Carnaby, RAF Catfoss and RAF Full Sutton.
The airfield was finally vacated by the RAF in the mid 1960’s.
