LECONFIELD
An early expansion scheme aerodrome in the East Riding, Leconfield was laid out on an area of level meadowland, between the LNER line from Beverley to Great Driffield in the east and the A614 road to the same locations in the west. Construction began in 1935 to the common design of the period, the permanent barrack, administrative and technical buildings being located in close proximity on the west side of the flying field adjacent to Leconfield village. Four Type C hangars fronted the bombing circle with a fifth to the rear at the southern end. The station was ready for occupation in December 1936 and received its first resident unit, No. 166 Squadron, early the following month. A second squadron, No. 97, arrived in February, both having previously been located at Boscombe Down equipped with Heyfords. The station was under the control of No. 3 Group until No. 4 Group was established in the area on June 29, Leconfield becoming one of its five original stations. In June 1938, both squadrons were relegated from first-line status for use as an air observers school. When this work was taken over elsewhere by a training unit, Nos. 97 and 166 became the so-called Pool Squadrons of No. 4 Group. As such they had a low priority for re-equipment and, though some Whitleys were received in the summer of 1939, there were still several of the lumbering Heyford biplanes on hand when war was declared.
Both pool squadrons were moved to Abingdon in September when Leconfield was taken over by Fighter Command's No. 13 Group, which required an airfield where good defensive cover could be provided for the Humber area. Two Spitfire squadrons arrived in October and during the next two months 18 different fighter squadrons were rotated at Leconfield for varying periods, the station often being used as a rest base for units exhausted by operations in the south.
The airfield was returned to Bomber Command at the end of 1941, preparation work to lay concrete runways having been put in hand during the spring of that year. In October and December 1941, two Halifax conversion flights were formed at Leconfield, both moving to Marston Moor at the end of the year so that runway construction was not impeded. The runways laid were the main O1-19 at 1,300 yards, apparently later extended to 1,520 yards, and the subsidiaries OS-23 and 14-32 both at 1,300 yards. Thirty-six pan type hardstandings, many on long access tracks into surrounding fields, were dotted all around the perimeter track. However, no sooner was this work complete than the runways were further extended for heavy bomber operation. The main ended up at 2,000 yards, and both secondaries 1,400 yards having been extended at the southern ends. Runway OS-23 had to be terminated at the 14-32 runway and not the perimeter track in order that sufficient height could be gained to clear the elevated Hull to Scarborough railway line. The perimeter track was extended to meet the ends of the runways, and a new bomb store established in fields to the south-west.
In common with many other existing RAF stations, which had to be closed to flying while runways were laid, Leconfield's camp was still occupied. During this period it was used as school premises for No. 15 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit and to assemble and house personnel of the new Canadian No. 6 Group that was being established in north Yorkshire. At peak, the camp could provide accommodation for 2,270 males and 290 females.
The station re-opened for flying in December 1942, No. 4 Group re-asserting control and moving in Nos. 196 and 466 Squadrons from Driffield. Both were Wellington equipped and had been recently formed. No. 466, an Australian-manned unit, undertook its first operation from Leconfield on January 13, 1942 when six aircraft were despatched to lay mines off the Frisian Islands, and No. 196 on the night of February 4/5 when eight Wellingtons bombed Lorient. No. 4 Group was gradually re-equipping as an all-Halifax formation and to this end the Wellingtons were phased out. In July 1943, No. 196 Squadron ceased operations and was moved south to Witchford in No. 3 Group to be rebuilt as a Stirling unit. During operations from Leconfield, it had undertaken 86 operations, 41 being to lay mines, and lost 13 Wellingtons in the process. No. 466 Squadron converted to Halifaxes in the late summer of 1943 having lost 25 Wellingtons in 89 raids.
To establish a second Halifax squadron at Leconfield, early in January 1944 No. 640 Squadron was formed at the station, its operational nucleus being the `C' Flight of No. 158 Squadron at Lissett. The new squadron's first raid was to Berlin on the night January 20/21, this and one more raid being flown from Lissett before the flight echelon transferred to Leconfield. In early June No. 466 Squadron was transferred to Driffield (which had just been re-opened after rebuilding) where it was proposed to use No. 466 m forming an additional Australian-manned Halifax squadron.
With Snaith about to close as a bomber station, No. 51 Squadron was moved to Leconfield on April 20, 1945, and it flew its last operation of the war five days later, as did No. 640 Squadron. No. 51 Squadron then became a transport squadron, Leconfield being transferred to Transport Command on May 7, 1945 with No. 640 Squadron disbanding on the same date. Total Bomber Command aircraft losses from Leconfield during the war were 1.43, 57 being Wellingtons and 83 Halifaxes. The Halifaxes had soon departed, No. 51 Squadron re-equipping with Stirling transports, which possessed more cavernous interiors. In August the squadron was moved south to Stradishall.
After the war, Leconfield first took on a training role with the Central Gunnery School established there late in 1945 and remained until the autumn of 1957 having been renamed the Fighter Weapons School. The main runway was then extended to 3,000 yards and from June 1959 for the next six years Leconfield became a fighter station hosting Hunters, Javelins and Lightnings. In January 1977 the station passed to the Army being renamed Normandy Barracks. The Army School of Mechanical Transport, later Defence School of Transport, was the principal occupant. The RAF still have a presence on the airfield with `E' Flight of No. 202 Squadron - an air-sea rescue helicopter unit with Sea Kings.
