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The first known flying took place in 1912 from Vale Farm with a flying display sponsored by the Daily Mail.
The Royal Flying Corps. flew planes from Vale Farm during W.W.1.
In the 1920 's the Air Ministry purchased Thornaby Hall, Thornaby Grange,Thornaby Lodge and Vale Farms to convert to an airfield.
The 608(North Riding) Auxiliary Air Force light bomber squadron was formed on 17 th. March 1930.The first regular R.A.F. unit to stay at Thornaby was 9FTS.with Hawker Hart Trainers which arrived during March 1937.
608 Sdn. converted to a fighter sdn. on 14 th. Jan 1937.
At the outbreak of WW2 Thornaby was to be used as a main bomber airfield.
By 3rd. Sept. 1939 the airfield went from one corrugated airplane shed and a grass field to a substantial complex of concrete runways and hangars to accomodate the thousands of airmen who would soon be using the site.
Spitfires and Blenheims were on hand to protect Coastal Command aircraft and the Aerodrome from intruders.
The Aerodrome was bombed a number of times during the war.
Testament to the skill and bravery of the aircrew based at Thornaby is indicated by the awards of 5 DFMs and 8 DFCs.
The aerodrome memorial was dedicated on the 8th of May 1997, many personnel who had served at Thornaby attended the ceremony.
Another very emotive witness to Thornaby`s flying history is 608 squadrons silver and glass ware which included a model mosquito and a 1937 model hawker-hart which was placed in the safe keeping of Middlesborough town council on 20 Oct 58 witnessed by Alderman A E Dickenson, Mayor and Mr C E Parr, town clerk of Middlesborough. They are held for safe keeping until the day the squadron is reformed.
The squadron colours are housed in York Minster.
Motto: "Omnibus unguiis" (" With all talons").
Badge: A falcon's leg, erased, belied and fessed. The falcon's leg was chosen to indicate the squadron's readiness to go into the air at any time and attack tooth and nail.
Authority: King George VI, July 1937.
No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron was formed at Thornaby-onTees, Yorkshire, on 17th March 1930, as an Auxiliary Air Force light-bomber squadron, its first operational aircraft (not received until the summer) being the Westland Wapiti. In January 1937, it was converted to the fighter role and re-equipped with Hawker Demons, and, a few months before the outbreak of war, underwent further changes and became a general-reconnaissance squadron. For nearly two years its main task was convoy escort with Anson, Botha and Blenheim aircraft. In mid-1941 it was re-equipped with Hudsons and was subsequently allotted more offensive tasks, including attacks on land targets on the Norwegian and Danish coasts. On 17th May 1942, it took part in an attack on the German cruiser Prinz Eugen.
In the closing months of 1942 the squadron moved to North Africa. Its role continued to be general reconnaissance and as the campaign progressed it moved on to Sicily and Italy.
The squadron was disbanded on 31st July 1944, but on the following day it re-formed at Downham Market in England as part of No 8 (PFF) Group's Light Night Striking Force. It was equipped with Mosquitos - Mk XXs initially - and between 5/6th August 1944 and 2nd/3rd May 1945, flew 1,726 operational sorties against key German industrial centres and ports, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Hanover, Essen, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Hamburg, Emden and Kiel.
Bomber Command WWII Bases: Re-formed 1.8.44 as a light bomber Sqn at * Downham Market : Aug 1944 onwards
Bomber Command WWII Aircraft: * de Havilland Mosquito B.XX, B.XXV, B.XVI : Aug 1944 onwards
Code Letters: * "6T"
First Operational Mission in WWII: * 5/6th August 1944 : 1 Mosquito bombed Wanne-Eickel.
Last Operational Mission in WWII: * 2nd/3rd May 1945 : 15 Mosquitos, operating in two waves (of 7 & 8 respectively), bombed Kiel. Another Mosquito, despatched in first wave, aborted.
New Heritage Trail
From the Teesnet archive.
Publication Date: 04-Nov-99
ALL eyes looked to the skies as Teesside’s latest heritage trail was officially opened.
Old soldiers stood alongside uniformed air force personnel as the hangar doors opened on Thornaby Heritage Aerodrome Trail. The six trails take in areas of special interest linked to the aerodrome site which was once home to thousands of airmen, women and civilians who served there.
More than 30 plaques identify significant areas along the 20 miles of walks taking in the town centre and surrounding countryside.
Its hoped young people will use the trails to learn more about the area, said local historian and project leader David Brown.
Among those who gathered for the opening was retired flight lieutenant John Pollock from Stockton.
The 77-year-old was among the ground crew stationed at the aerodrome for ten years with Auxiliary Air Force 608 Squadron.
While walking the first leg of the central trail from Thornaby Aerodrome Memorial to Thornaby Snooker Club - the former NAAFI -
Mr Pollock pointed out the old married quarters at Thornaby Road, which still display the date of construction - 1933.
Some of the more sobering signs on the trails include the war graves at Thornaby Cemetery.
Both the Luftwaafe and army personnel are buried side by side there, said former Thornaby Mayor Noel Kirton.
Scattered around the whole of the area are the sites of aircraft crashes and bombing raids.
One such site is Quarry Farm which is said to have witnessed one of the worst tragedies in the area when it was hit by a bomb in December 1941. (Since this report was published more has been discovered and the disaster was actually a plane crash. Taken from the Incidents Log. "A ball of fire seemed to fall out of the sky over Eaglescliffe watched by the newly arrived number 5 intake of no.6 Coastal Command Operational Training Unit on 18th December 1941 when the worst accident at Thornaby occurred. Hudson V9032 of the training unit stalled on take off and crashed into Quarry Farm at Ingleby Barwick, 5 miles from the aerodrome.
Three airmen, f/sgt Graves (pilot) p/o Vab Heerdan (observer) and W/op/ag Hogg were killed midst the inferno and lie buried at Thornaby.
Two children in the farm house miraculously escaped but Ray Garbutt, his wife and their other 2 children were killed.
The pilot`s fiancée, also from South Africa offered to adopt the two boys."
Funding for the trails and leaflets was provided by various groups including Remembering Thornaby, the Ropner Trust and Stockton Borough Council.
There was also a personal contribution from Susan Brown in memory of her father Thomas Kenny who was stationed at the base.
Leaflets mapping out the trails are available from Thornaby Central Library.
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