RAF Melbourne

RAF Melbourne
Aerial view (2014)
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Seaton Ross
Coordinates	53°52′04″N 000°50′19″W
Map
RAF Melbourne Location in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 00/00 0 0 Concrete 00/00 0 0 Concrete 00/00 0 0 Concrete

RAF Melbourne was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located 5 miles to the south-west of Pocklington, Yorkshire, England. The nearest village is Seaton Ross.

History

East Common just outside the village of Seaton Ross was requisitioned for use as a grass airfield in November 1940. In late 1940 the airfield was used by Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys of 10 Squadron as a relief landing ground for RAF Leeming. The airfield soon closed for re-development as a standard Bomber Command airfield with three concrete runways and three hangars.

Handley Page Halifax aircraft landing at RAF Melbourne during World War II

The first user of the re-built airfield was again 10 Squadron but by this time operating the Handley Page Halifax four-engined heavy bomber, little time was wasted before the aircraft were used on operational sorties from Melbourne. The squadron continued with operation until March 1945 and lost 109 aircraft on operations.

Melbourne was one of seventeen sites equipped with FIDO fog dispersant system. This made the airfield a popular diversion for other squadrons returning from operations to Yorkshire in extreme bad weather conditions.

In May 1945 the airfield was transferred to RAF Transport Command and 575 Squadron moved in with the Douglas Dakota. The squadron only stayed for a few months operating transport flight to and from continental Europe. With the departure of the Dakota a number of specialised Flights used the airfield for six months but by the middle of 1946 the airfield was no longer used for flying.

RAF units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
No. 10 Squadron RAF	1942–1945	Handley Page Halifax	II converted to III from 1944	Four-engined heavy bomber.
No. 575 Squadron RAF	1946	Douglas Dakota		Twin-engined transport.
No. 1510 Flight RAF	1945–1946	Airspeed Oxford		Blind approach training flight
No. 1552 Flight RAF	1945–1946	Airspeed Oxford Avro Anson		Blind approach training flight
No. 1553 Flight RAF	1945	Airspeed Oxford		Blind approach training flight
No. 1554 Flight RAF	1945	Airspeed Oxford		Blind approach training flight

• No. 4 Group Communication Flight (1945–1946)
• No. 91 Maintenance Unit (1949–1954)

Current use

The airfield is now home to York Raceway running drag racing throughout the summer. The farm on the North Eastern side of the site still uses the main East/West runway for his single prop aeroplane.

References

• Delve, Ken (2006). The Military Airfields of Britain - Northern England. The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-809-2.
• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Sturivant, Ray (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air-Britain. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links

• RAF Melbourne
• York Raceway