Visited here on the way up too Scotland for a week for my birthday. I pulled up on the road and walked over to the remains of the base. It’s mainly the technical site you can get too. Getting in was nice and easy. The place is totally trashed though, but amongst the vandalism you can find some nice bits with some natural decay and nice colours. I always enjoy military sites, so I enjoyed the wander around. It’s actually nice to walk around a large site that has a lot of buildings and hunting through them to find different parts. Lots of accommodation blocks, what looks like what could be a mess hall.
The airbase originally started life just before the end off World War One and known as RAF Eastburn, under the newly formed RAF arm of the armed forces. The base consisted of an assortment off brick and wood buildings. This closed in 1920 and a new one was built in 1935. It was used to train pilots in bombers, it became the home of two bomber squadrons in 1938. When war broke out in 1939 the first mission was dropping propaganda leaflets over Europe on the second day of the war. Six million alone were dropped over Warsaw in march 1940.
Sadly in august of 1940 the Germans retaliated by bombing the airbase. Despite radar picking up lots off JU88 bombers approaching and sending up fighters to intercept about fifty got through. 169 bombs were dropped killing 13 people and damaging lots off infrastructure including all five hangars. The damage to thebase was so severe it had to close until early 1941. The base increased its squadrons based there including a Canadian one, these started the bombing campaign in Europe. It closed in 1943 new runways made we’d with concrete were installed. Once reopened it took part in the liberation of Europe.
Afrerthe war ended and with the rise of the Cold War the base remained very active in training with navigation. And with the advent of jet planes it then started training on these planes. The training off pilots moved to Lincolnshire in 1955. But in 1957 the government announced that 60 ballistic missiles would be placed strategically around the country. These bacme known as Thor bases. Driffield was to get three American made Douglas Thor missiles measuring 18 metres long. These were decommissioned though in 1963.
The base finally closed as an RAF base in 1970s, it was then taken over by the army. It was renamed Alaheim barracks and was used for driver trading. This was transferred to another RAF base in Leaconfield and the rear took control again in 1992. With the Cold War coming to an end it closed finally in 1996. A small proportion of the base still exsists for training cadets. Also as a satellite to the transport training ground at Leconfield. The council have been wanting to build houses on the site for quite a few years. This is looking closer and closer now with plans for 350 new homes on the site.
Starting off with accommodation blocks. These were the most trashed with the mess hall. I looked in a few though.
Standard bright colours you get in the toilet blocks in RAF accommodation blocks.
There is some nice graffiti dotted about the site.
Moving on to the mess hall. Not sure if this the airnans restaurant or NAFFI. What looks like an officers mess is still in use at the rear of this building.
Moving away from these buildings we have rows upon rows of houses around. I can say I have never explored RAF house as these are normally sold off quickly. So was nice to see some for myself. If you fight through some overgrowth you get to some in better condition.
Continued…
The airbase originally started life just before the end off World War One and known as RAF Eastburn, under the newly formed RAF arm of the armed forces. The base consisted of an assortment off brick and wood buildings. This closed in 1920 and a new one was built in 1935. It was used to train pilots in bombers, it became the home of two bomber squadrons in 1938. When war broke out in 1939 the first mission was dropping propaganda leaflets over Europe on the second day of the war. Six million alone were dropped over Warsaw in march 1940.
Sadly in august of 1940 the Germans retaliated by bombing the airbase. Despite radar picking up lots off JU88 bombers approaching and sending up fighters to intercept about fifty got through. 169 bombs were dropped killing 13 people and damaging lots off infrastructure including all five hangars. The damage to thebase was so severe it had to close until early 1941. The base increased its squadrons based there including a Canadian one, these started the bombing campaign in Europe. It closed in 1943 new runways made we’d with concrete were installed. Once reopened it took part in the liberation of Europe.
Afrerthe war ended and with the rise of the Cold War the base remained very active in training with navigation. And with the advent of jet planes it then started training on these planes. The training off pilots moved to Lincolnshire in 1955. But in 1957 the government announced that 60 ballistic missiles would be placed strategically around the country. These bacme known as Thor bases. Driffield was to get three American made Douglas Thor missiles measuring 18 metres long. These were decommissioned though in 1963.
The base finally closed as an RAF base in 1970s, it was then taken over by the army. It was renamed Alaheim barracks and was used for driver trading. This was transferred to another RAF base in Leaconfield and the rear took control again in 1992. With the Cold War coming to an end it closed finally in 1996. A small proportion of the base still exsists for training cadets. Also as a satellite to the transport training ground at Leconfield. The council have been wanting to build houses on the site for quite a few years. This is looking closer and closer now with plans for 350 new homes on the site.
Starting off with accommodation blocks. These were the most trashed with the mess hall. I looked in a few though.
Standard bright colours you get in the toilet blocks in RAF accommodation blocks.
There is some nice graffiti dotted about the site.
Moving on to the mess hall. Not sure if this the airnans restaurant or NAFFI. What looks like an officers mess is still in use at the rear of this building.
Moving away from these buildings we have rows upon rows of houses around. I can say I have never explored RAF house as these are normally sold off quickly. So was nice to see some for myself. If you fight through some overgrowth you get to some in better condition.
Continued…
