RAF Scorton

54.3992, -1.6306 — view on OpenStreetMap ↗

About

RAF Scorton opened in North Yorkshire in 1939 as a fighter and night-fighter station near Catterick. Its squadrons flew Supermarine Spitfires and Bristol Beaufighters, and in 1944 it was used by the United States Army Air Forces, whose 422nd and 425th Night Fighter Squadrons flew Northrop P-61 Black Widows from it against the V-1 flying bombs. Flying ended in 1952, and much of the airfield has since been lost to sand and gravel extraction, now under a lake and quarry.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including RAF Scorton — Wikipedia and Scorton — Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Photographs

Squadron Leader H J L Hallowes, CO of No. 122 Squadron, with his Supermarine Spitfire Mk V at Scorton in Yorkshire, December 1941. Acting Squadron Leader H J L Hallowes, sitting on the wing of his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB "City of Bombay" at Scorton, Yorkshire, upon assuming the command of No. 122 Squadron RAF. A veteran of the Battle of Britain, Hallowes had shot down at least 19 enemy aircraft by November 1940, while flying with No. 43 Squadron RAF. He added to his victories with 122 Squadron, and also commanded Nos. 222 and 504 Squadrons RAF before the end of the war, by which time his score was over 21.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer, Watkins J R (Mr) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Squadron_Leader_H_J_L_Hallowes,_CO_of_No._122_Squadron,_with_his_Supermarine_Spitfire_Mk_V_at_Scorton_in_Yorkshire,_December_1941._CH4275.jpgView source & full licence →
Aerial photograph of Scorton airfield looking north west, Scorton village is bottom right, 26 June 1941. Photograph taken on sortie number RAF/4F/UK653. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Scorton_-_26_Jun_1941.jpgView source & full licence →
Aerial photograph of Scorton airfield looking north west, Scorton village is bottom right, 26 June 1941. Photograph taken on sortie number RAF/4F/UK653. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Scorton_-_26_Jun_1941_Airphoto.jpgView source & full licence →
Aerial photograph of Scorton airfield looking south, the River Swale runs vertically, the technical site is to the upper left of the airfield, 18 September 1944. Photograph taken by No. 18 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/DY/18. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Scorton_-_18_Sep_1944.jpgView source & full licence →
P-61 in 1944 in support of D-Day (Courtesy: USAF)
ⓘ licence & creditUSAAF / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:425th_Night_Fighter_Squadron_P-61_Black_Widow_42-5569_with_D-Day_invasion_stripes.jpgView source & full licence →

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