RAF Lissett
| Royal Air Force Station Lissett
|
|
|---|---|
| Located Near Bridlington, Yorkshire, England | |
 Shown within United Kingdom East Riding of Yorkshire
|
|
| Type | Airfield |
| Coordinates | N54 00.19 W00 16.23 Coordinates: 54°00′18″N 00°16′17″W / 54.005°N 0.27139°W |
| Built | 1942 |
| Construction materials |
Concrete |
| In use | 1943–1947 |
| Current condition |
Closed |
| Occupants | No. 4 Group, RAF Bomber Command |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
RAF Lissett was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located just to the south of Bridlington, Yorkshire, England. It was named after the nearby village of Lissett.
Contents |
[edit] History
Originally required as satellite airfield for RAF Catfoss the land was requisitioned in 1940. Although constrained by three roads and the Gransmoor Drain the builders constructed a standard three-runway bomber airfield. It had two hangars and 36 dispersals and three concrete runways.
Lissett opened in February 1943 and No. 158 Squadron arrived from RAF Rufforth to be the resident squadron on the 28 February. 158 Sqn was a heavy bomber squadron equipped with the four-engined Handley Page Halifax. The squadron flew the first operational mission on the night of 11/12 March 1943 when ten aircraft were flown to Stuggart, one failed to return. The squadron carried out operations up to the end of the war from Lissett. At the end of war in May 1945 the squadron was transferred to Transport Command as it prepared to undertook a transport role and the squadron was re-equipped with the Short Stirling before it departed to RAF Stradishall in August 1945.
Apart from a few weeks in early 1944 when 1484 Flight were in residence the station unusually was a one unit station. After the departure of 158 Squadron the station was relegated to a care and maintenance status but by the end of the year the airfield was abandoned and the technical areas used for storage.
In December 2008 a 30 MW wind farm housing 12 turbines each 125 metres (410 ft) high was constructed across the western end of the airfield.[1] A memorial sculpture to 158 Squadron in the form of seven airmen has been erected to the memory of the 851 airmen who did not return from operations at the airfield.
[edit] RAF units and aircraft
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 158 Squadron RAF | 1944–1945 | Handley Page Halifax | I | Four-engined heavy bomber |
| No. 1484 Flight RAF | 1944 | Boulton Paul Defiant Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Miles Martinet |
I | January and February 1944, target towing and gunnery training |
- No. 14 Maintenance Unit sub-site (1945–1947)
- No. 91 Maintenance Unit sub-site (1945–1947)
[edit] References
- ^ "Lissett Airfield Wind Farm" (PDF). Novera Energy plc. 4 December 2008. http://www.noveraenergy.com/pdfs/F255739E95_Presentation.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
- ^ Jefford 1985, page 158
- ^ Sturtivant 2007, page 124
- ^ Delve 2006, page 185
- Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1 85310 053 6.
- Delve, Ken (2006). The Military Airfields of Britain - Northern England. The Crowood Press. ISBN 1 86126 809 2.
- Sturivant, Ray (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air-Britain. ISBN 0-85130 365 X.
