RAF Leconfield

RAF Leconfield was a Royal Air Force station in Leconfield (near Beverley), East Riding of Yorkshire, England

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Leconfield opened in December 1936 as part of RAF Bomber Command. Handley Page Heyford bombers were flown from there from 1937. On the night of the 3 September 1939, the first night of the war, ten Whitely bombers from Leconfield became the first British aircraft to penetrate German air space, dropping propaganda leaflets over Germany. In October 1939 it was taken over by Fighter Command and the Spitfires of 72 squadron arrived from Church Fenton. During the Battle of Britain, the station was a temporary home to many other squadrons of Fighter Command which made short stays here to rest and re-group. During this period there was also a decoy airfield at nearby Routh.

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In the fifties Leconfield was a 'dispersal base' for the RAF V-bomber force. Bristol Sycamore helicopters of 275 Squadron arrived there in 1957. At one point it was the home of the Fighter Weapons School.

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In the 1970s it developed a reputation for having a haunted control tower.

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Leconfield is now in the hands of the British Army as the Defence School of Transport, Europe's largest driver training establishment.

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Although the flying operations are not now the main role of Leconfield, two Sea King helicopters of 'E' Flight, 202 Sqn are based here in the Search and Rescue role.

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Royal Air Force: The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces....

Leconfield: Leconfield is a small village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, on the A614, approximately 2 miles North of Beverley....

Beverley: Beverley is a market town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Kingston-upon-Hull, east of Market Weighton and west of Hornsea....

RAF Leconfield related Images and Photos (experimental)

RAF Spitfire ME109 Dog Fight