The Wartime Memories Project

- RAF Carnaby during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

RAF Carnaby



   RAF Carnaby was an emergency landing ground, situated 2 miles SW of Bridlington. Opening in March 1944 Carnaby was an emergency landing ground for Bomber Command to enable crippled bombers a safe place to land near the coast. Unlike most RAF airfield there was a single runway, five times the width of a standard runway and 9,000 feet long, lying east-west to enable bombers crossing the coast an easier landing. Over 1400 bombers made an emergency landing at Carnaby.

It was one of fifteen airfields operating the fog dispersal system known as FIDO (Fog Investigation Dispersal Organisation). The system consisted of two rows of burning petrol one on each side of the runway, the heat from this fire raised teh air temperature above the runways, cutting a hole in the fog and provided crews with a brightly lit strip indicating the position iof the runway. Using FIDO for one hour required 250,000 gallons of fuel at a cost of £42,500.

RAF Carnaby closed in 1946, reopening as a Thor intermediate ballistic missile in 1959.



 

 History of RAF Carnaby

30th October 1944 Damaged on landing attempt

31st December 1944  Successful ops to Norway

20th February 1945 SOE and SAS Operations

23rd February 1945 Wireless Investigation aircraft lost

9th Apr 1945 Halifax Lost


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Those known to have served at

RAF Carnaby

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List



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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.



Want to know more about RAF Carnaby?


There are:6 items tagged RAF Carnaby available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


Cpl. Peter John "Sam" Weller

My father Peter Weller served as a Direction guidance operator at RAF Conningsby from May 1942 - March 1944 and RAF Carnaby from March 1944 - March 1946. This involved him working from a small hut at the end of the runway. This hut was manned by three men on an eight hour shift system. While at Conningsby they had the use of bicycles owned by station and Peter would on occasion cycle to Boston with a friend for an evening out, a round trip of 26 miles!

Mary O'Dell



Lawrence Smith RAF Carnaby

Lawrence Smith served at RAF Carnaby during WWII.

Victoria Heathcote







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    The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.

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