Melbourne
MELBOURNE: Military aerodrome later private airfield, (see also MELROSE FARM)
Note: These two pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
It appears that part of runway 06/24 was used for Drag Racing for several years.
Note: Picture by the author.
Military users: RAF Bomber Command 4 Group
10 & 77 Sqdns (Handley Page Halifaxs)
Gliding: Listed as operating in 1975 (Military or civil?)
Location: NW of Seaton Ross village, 11nm SE of York
Period of operation: 1940 to 1945
Runways in WW2: 01/19 1234x46 hard 06/24 1737x46 hard
14/32 1280x46 hard
NOTES: Some fifty or sixty years on, the brutal truths about the sacrifices the aircrews of Bomber Command were subjected to are now finally emerging. Those in power at the end of WW2 were utterly determined to suppress the entire campaign in which so many thousands of lives were pretty much thrown away due, to some extent, high level incompetence, lack of training, and a raft of other issues which didn’t bode well for those in charge. There has never been a full investigation concerning how those in charge of Bomber Command conducted their affairs - and probably for a very good reason - as it would reveal some very uncomfortable truths. It might well seem incredible but until the 21st century, apart from no campaign medals being awarded, it was only recently that a monument to the bombing campaign was erected. A quite extraordinary quite state of affairs.
As pointed out elsewhere, having learnt so much about the RAF bombing campaign, I would now, generally speaking, support all of it. It was certainly a product ‘of it’s time’ and we shouldn’t hide behind the shield of hindsight. This said the shameful aspects were obviously keenly felt and deliberately suppressed both within the RAF ‘High Command’ and presumably also at government level when the war ended. This was an appalling disservice to those involved, who year after year clambered into their bombers to prosecute the war into Germany by the only means available.
Plus, often forgotten today, once the bombing campaign had reached the stage where it was devastating German cities on a regular basis, the Nazi command commenced unleashing terror weapons against civilians in the UK - first the V.1 'flying bomb' and later the V.2. It is therefore very easy to appreciate that every single bomb dropped on Germany, (they had invented the 'Blitz' after all), was totally justified. It now seems such a shame the Allies hadn't the ability to drop thousands of tons more bombs on Germany in order to hasten the end of the war, which, was on the cards in 1943 after the raid on Hamburg.
This said, the RAF under their C-in-C 'Butcher' Harris, did not appreciate, that as bombing accuracy improved, wiping out the synthetic oil production plants would have brought the end of the war several months closer. It was the USAAF General Spatz, who identified this weak spot. And indeed, it is on record that many in the German high command, couldn't understand why this wasn't a main priority for Allied bomber forces.
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