# Raf acaster malbis june 2012



## urban phantom (Jun 27, 2012)

This is the former acaster malbis air base today there is still a lot to see but its spread all over a large site and needs a lot of exploring we had half a day here and still missed a lot here is some history borrowed from the yorkshire airfields web site 

Acaster Malbis was something of a location disaster as airfields go, constructed far too close to the River Ouse the site was plagued by mists making operations almost impossible.
The airfield opened in 1942 as part of No12 Group, Fighter Command, as a satellite to RAF Church Fenton.
The first unit to arrive was No601 Airacobras, not a very popular aircraft with this unit.
Combinations of technical problems with the aircraft and the bad weather conditions resulted in many serious accidents.
Next to take over the airfield was No21 Group, Flying Training Command and the Airspeed Oxfords of No15 Advanced Flying Unit moved in. The misty conditions again proved a problem and slowly losses mounted. The airfield, again, deemed unsuitable for training purposes now.
In 1943 the airfield closed and despite the absolute unsuitability and losses encountered, the site was developed as a heavy bomber station as part of No4 Group Bomber Command. Concrete runways were constructed, hangars added and accommodation blocks built.
The airfield was only used by flying units for circuit training and eventually became a bomb storage depot.
The station finally closed in 1946




raf acaster malbis 032 by urban phantom, on Flickr

watch tower this used to be house and is now in a poor state 




raf acaster malbis 042 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 043 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 044 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 046 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 038 by urban phantom, on Flickr

the other site is the former accommodation site now sadly also in a poor state having been used for a pig 
farm 




raf acaster malbis 014 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 001 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 003 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 009 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 026 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 021 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 013 by urban phantom, on Flickr





raf acaster malbis 012 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf acaster malbis 005 by urban phantom, on Flickr


Thanks for looking all comments welcome


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## flyboys90 (Jun 27, 2012)

That was great !thanks for sharing.


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## shane.c (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks for posting, good pics,


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## urban phantom (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks chaps


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## RichCooper (Jun 27, 2012)

Nice report mate yell out if you revisit I'll tag along


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## urban phantom (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks mate i would like to re visit at some point we missed the BHQ and lots of buildings in the bomb store il PM next time we camp in yorkshire


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## RichCooper (Jun 27, 2012)

urban phantom said:


> Thanks mate i would like to re visit at some point we missed the BHQ and lots of buildings in the bomb store il PM next time we camp in yorkshire


OK i'll be up for that theres pillboxes there as well


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## urban phantom (Jun 28, 2012)

Thats the one thay call the lost pill box i didnt see that il look forward to that mate


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## Foz77 (Jun 28, 2012)

Nice b&w pics, especially like that window shot. Don't know why I love these "austerity" buildings so much - maybe it's the simplicity and functionality of them...

Anyways, great report


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## Wakey Lad (Jun 28, 2012)

I did this place earlier in the year - Big fooook off owl scared me to death lol! Cracking report!


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## urban phantom (Jun 29, 2012)

Foz77 said:


> Nice b&w pics, especially like that window shot. Don't know why I love these "austerity" buildings so much - maybe it's the simplicity and functionality of them...
> 
> Anyways, great report



Thanks mate im with you on that on there is somthing magical about these sites


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## urban phantom (Jun 29, 2012)

Wakey Lad said:


> I did this place earlier in the year - Big fooook off owl scared me to death lol! Cracking report!



Thanks mate did you look in the woods next to the acc site there seemed to be a lot in there including an empty house i need to return for more


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## TeeJF (Jun 29, 2012)

For an abandoned airfield there's a lot of stuff still standing. I thought it went before the dozer blade quite quickly!


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## urban phantom (Jun 29, 2012)

this one has lost a lot but due to it been bad for flooding thay gave up and left it some of the runways have been recently torn up thou


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## Dropbear (Jul 15, 2012)

I went to Acaster Malbis myself a couple of years ago, but only as a walk with my daughter to show her what a wartime airfield looked like and to reminisce about my childhood playing on RAF York before it was mostly demolished to build Clifton moor retail park.Your pictures are great and have inspired me to drive back out and take a few photos myself.I was informed by a local that the watch tower was a home conversion project but abandoned due to lack of funds.Found this map in a book useful for my walk,hope it helps.


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## steve2109 (Jul 15, 2012)

Superb, love the pics and the B&W conversion gives it atmosphere


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## urban phantom (Jul 15, 2012)

Dropbear said:


> I went to Acaster Malbis myself a couple of years ago, but only as a walk with my daughter to show her what a wartime airfield looked like and to reminisce about my childhood playing on RAF York before it was mostly demolished to build Clifton moor retail park.Your pictures are great and have inspired me to drive back out and take a few photos myself.I was informed by a local that the watch tower was a home conversion project but abandoned due to lack of funds.Found this map in a book useful for my walk,hope it helps.



Thank you very mutch thats a big help its overgrown its hard to see were you are in places and thanks for kind feed back looking forward to seeing your pics if you need any info drop me a PM i wont return this year to acaster sadly it will next summer now


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## urban phantom (Jul 15, 2012)

steve2109 said:


> Superb, love the pics and the B&W conversion gives it atmosphere



Thanks mate i love black and white pics but ive been told thay dont show the decay very well so im going to start mixing them a bit


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## Wakey Lad (Jul 15, 2012)

Went here in Feb, bloody owl scared the shit outta me lol! Cracking report, love this place


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## Sshhhh... (Jul 15, 2012)

Looks like an interesting splore, thanks


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## chris (Jul 15, 2012)

Wakey Lad said:


> Went here in Feb, bloody owl scared the shit outta me lol! Cracking report, love this place



Was it a barn owl? A couple of times I've had them suddenly appear and fly past with inches to spare


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## urban phantom (Jul 16, 2012)

Wakey Lad said:


> Went here in Feb, bloody owl scared the shit outta me lol! Cracking report, love this place



Thanks mate


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## Mars Lander (Jul 16, 2012)

The black and white speaks volumes works great, might have to check this one out, loks better than RAF Croft


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## urban phantom (Jul 16, 2012)

AltDayOut said:


> The black and white speaks volumes works great, might have to check this one out, loks better than RAF Croft



thanks mate its worth the trip plenty to see


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## kehumff (Jul 16, 2012)

Very interesting and great pics


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## urban phantom (Jul 16, 2012)

kehumff said:


> Very interesting and great pics



Thanks mate


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## prettyvacant71 (Jul 23, 2012)

b/w does the trick! Very nice mate.


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## urban phantom (Jul 23, 2012)

prettyvacant71 said:


> b/w does the trick! Very nice mate.



many thanks


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## Tiv123 (Jul 23, 2012)

*Airfields*

If you like Acaster you may like East Moor near sutton on forest, few buildings left but if you look hard you can find old hardstandings and aircraft tie down points. Or for a more complete airfield try Tholthorpe or Wombleton, all north of York


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## urban phantom (Jul 23, 2012)

Tiv123 said:


> If you like Acaster you may like East Moor near sutton on forest, few buildings left but if you look hard you can find old hardstandings and aircraft tie down points. Or for a more complete airfield try Tholthorpe or Wombleton, all north of York



Thanks for that we have been to wobleton but not the other ones east more is a cat a prison can you still get near it ???


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## Tiv123 (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi, you are thinking of full sutton thats a cat a prison, between wilberfoss and stamford bridge there is an industrial estate though that was part of the airfield (still a flying club there), east moor is near Strensil, hesd north out of village towards Sutton its not too far maybe 3 miles, there are parts of the domestic site left too which were used as chicken coops. Its a strangely eerie place. for some reason not much there but reeks history


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## urban phantom (Jul 23, 2012)

Tiv123 said:


> Hi, you are thinking of full sutton thats a cat a prison, between wilberfoss and stamford bridge there is an industrial estate though that was part of the airfield (still a flying club there), east moor is near Strensil, hesd north out of village towards Sutton its not too far maybe 3 miles, there are parts of the domestic site left too which were used as chicken coops. Its a strangely eerie place. for some reason not much there but reeks history



that sounds good il look at that thanks


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