RAF Lissett - Admin Site

RAF Lissett, near Bridlington, North Yorkshire, opened in February 1943, less than, two miles from the North Sea, made if the closest airbase to Northern Europe.
Seven domestic sites for a maximum 1,442 males and 351 females were dispersed in farmland around the area.
No. 158 Squadron arrived from RAF Rufforth to be the resident squadron on the 28 February. 158 Sqn was a heavy bomber squadron equipped with the four-engined Handley Page Halifax. The squadron flew the first operational mission on the night of 11/12 March 1943 when ten aircraft were flown to Stuggart, one failed to return.
158 Squadron continued in occupation right up to the end of the war, flying some 250 raids from Lissett with 144 Halifaxes failing to return or destroyed in operational crashes.
One of its aircraft, LV907, NP-F, named Friday the l3th, completed 128 operation sorties, a record unsurpassed by any other Bomber Command Halifax.
The final operation from Lissett was flown on April 25, 1945.


In December 2008 a 30 MW wind farm housing 12 turbines each 125 metres (410 ft) high was constructed across the western end of the airfield.
A memorial sculpture to 158 Squadron in the form of seven airmen is in location along with information boards.
11 of the turbines is named after Halifax Bombers which flew from the airfield.
The twelfth turbine is named after 6 airmen who perished on the airfield on 2nd July 1943 when a 1000lb bomb exploded without warning.

Good work thanks for posting. That is a really nice touch naming the turbines to reflect the sites history.

I worked on the construction of the main control building for them turbines. I had no idea that they were named after bombers, never even knew that there was a base there

Friday the 13th is at the yorkshire air museum at Elvington, apparently the crew thought naming the aircraft after the unluckiest day of the year would make it lucky on every other day of the year, it seemed to work.

mexico75 said:

Friday the 13th is at the yorkshire air museum at Elvington, apparently the crew thought naming the aircraft after the unluckiest day of the year would make it lucky on every other day of the year, it seemed to work.

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Not the genuine article but a composite aircraft. The fuselage is from a Halifax B MK 2 HR792 but the wings are from a Hastings transport. Apparently it has different identities on its port and starboard sides. Another Halifax has been restored in Canada and one was pulled out of a lake in Norway and now resides in the RAF Museum at Hendon.

hydealfred said:

Not the genuine article but a composite aircraft. The fuselage is from a Halifax B MK 2 HR792 but the wings are from a Hastings transport. Apparently it has different identities on its port and starboard sides. Another Halifax has been restored in Canada and one was pulled out of a lake in Norway and now resides in the RAF Museum at Hendon.

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The Elvington Halifax wears 'Friday' markings on her port side, and the colours of an Elvington-based Free French squadron on the starboard.
As Hydealfred says the fuselage is HR792 (recovered from Stornoway where it was in use as a chicken coop)and the wings are Hastings. The nose, tail and undercarriage are new build with many original parts incorporated (such as tailwheel assembly from a crash site in France), the cockpit and fuselage interior is fully kitted out with correct period equipment/instruments, the engines came from the French Air Force, the turrets are crash-site recovered and restored items, and the fuselage section over the wings is I believe genuine also.