Hutton Cranswick
HUTTON CRANSWICK: Military aerodrome later private airfield
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth © and was based on a drawing in Military Airfields in the British Isles 1939 to 1945 (Omnibus Edition), by Steve Willis and Barry Holliss. This book is often regarded as being the 'bible' for WW2 operational airfields. However, this location is incorrect. I think this is the only example of a mistake being made in this excellent reference book?
In October 2023 I was kindly contacted by Jules Hathaway in Scotlan, who has served in the RAF. He points out that RAF HUTTON CRANSWICK was situated just south of the location I had provided. And indeed, as the site view above shows, there are faint traces still to be seen in very dry conditions.
Military users: RAF Fighter Command 12 Group
302, 306, 308, 315 & 316 (Polish) Sqdns (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
412 (RCAF) Squadron (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
Note: It appears that 412 Squadron flew a detachment of their Spitfire Mk.IX from BIGGIN HILL in KENT to stay from the 5th to the 20th January 1944. But why? This obviously would not assist the war effort in any meaningful way (?), so who ordered it and what agenda were they working to?
Needless to say the very idea that many senior people in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were in fact sympathetic to the Nazi regime, and throughout the war sought to sabotage the British war effort, still does not receive much support, even today. But the evidence grows ever more convincing year by year. For example, why exactly did a Captain of a Royal Navy cruiser position his ship beneath the return route for bombers from the D-Day invasion, and order his crew to shoot them down!
Also, just look at the RAF bombing of Germany, in which the routes for raids were so often designed to inflict maximum casualties on RAF aircrews. And indeed, even when the RAF Met. flights reported totally unsuitable conditions such as clear skies, the raids were still ordered to go ahead resulting in massive losses. Draw your own conclusions.
70 Group
291 AACU Sqdn [Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit] (Miles Martinets and Vought Vengeances)
Operated by: 1980s & 1990s: Miller Aerial Spraying Ltd
Location: W of A164, 4nm SSW of Driffield
Period of operation: Military: 1942 to 1946 Civil: 1980s & 1990s only?
Runways: WW2: 09/27 1445x46 hard 04/22 1204x46 hard
16/34 1066x46 hard
1990: 11/29 370x15 grass
NOTES: Some time ago I made this comment: "It could well be of course that Miller Aerial Spraying were operating from a site nearby but not on the old WW2 aerodrome. Does anybody know?"
In January 2021, Mr Graham Frost, who is a great friend of this 'Guide', gave me the answer - plus these two grainy pictures taken with an Instamatic in 1980 at dusk. The runway was a farm track near the A146, and there was a hangar - as the first picture proves.
Paul Doyle
This comment was written on: 2020-03-02 17:03:50This was the base known as Sutton Craddock in the book '633 Squadron' by Frederick Forsythe.
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