| Summary : Structures consisting of a grass strip, control tower, observation post, hard standings, trackways and barbed wire are visible on Second World War aerial photographs. Initially interpreted as an actual airfield this site is far more likely to be a bombing decoy. From 1940 this site at Skipsea is referenced as serving as a 'K-type' day decoy to deflect enemy bombing from Royal Air Force Linton by operating as a dummy airfield equipped with replica Whitley bombers. It later became a 'Q-type' night decoy to deflect bombing from Royal Air Force Driffield, until Driffield became inoperable due to bomb damage. Ten dummy Whitley bombers were transferred from Skipsea to Driffield to conceal it's abandonment. After Driffield fell out of use, Skipsea became a decoy for Royal Air Force Catfoss. It operated as a 'K-type' decoy for Catfoss from August 1941 until 11th June 1942 when it was closed in the absence of any further air attacks. By the 1970s the Skipsea site fell to agricultural use and no features of the bombing decoy survive.Further bombing decoy sites for Royal Air Force Linton were located at Bossall and Wigginton, further decoys for Royal Air Force Driffield were located at Skerne and Kilham, and further decoys for Royal Air Force Catfoss were located at Dunnington and Beeford. |
More information : A 20th Century airfield consisting of a grass strip, control tower, observation post, hard standings, trackways and barbed wire is visible as structures on air photographs, centred at TA 1833 5354.
The control tower and observation post are visible at TA 1879 5339 and TA 1869 5366 respectively. The airfield does not appears to have had a runway. A grass strip was used for landing and taking off. In the late phase of the war part of the site was used as a training site (see UIB 1445937). These features date to World War II. Due to coastal erosion part of the monument no longer survives in situ. (1)
Although originally identified as a 20th Century airfield, it is much more likely that this was in fact a bombing decoy located at Skipsea, which served as a dummy airfield for RAF Driffield, RAF Linton and RAF Catfoss during the Second World War. See sources 3-6 below. (2)
A second World War bombing decoy located at Skipsea (TA 183 537). A 'K-type' decoy built to deflect enemy day bombing from RAF Linton from 13-MAR-1940 to 19-JUN-1940. Later used as a 'K-type' decoy for RAF Catfoss from 01-AUG-1941 to 11-JUN-1942, and as a 'Q-type' on 01-AUG-1941. Further bombing decoys for RAF Linton located at Bossall (TA 727 613) and Wigginton (TA 552 615). Further bombing decoys for RAF Catfoss loacted at Dunnington (TA144 528) and Beeford (TA 124 524). (3)
A bombing decoy for RAF Linton and RAF Catfoss. By 1977 the site is used for agriculture and no features of the decoy survive as determined by aerial photography. NGR concords with that given in source 3. (4)
A bombing decoy for RAF Catfoss and RAF Driffield. Operated as a 'K-type' decoy for Driffield, equipped with dummy Whitley bombers, which were later transferred to Driffield to conceal the fact that the airfield had been abandoned due to bomb damage. Later became a 'K-type' and 'Q-type' decoy for Catfoss until 11-JUN-1942 when the decoy was closed due to an absence of any further attacks. (5)
Aerial photograph referenced in source 4. (6)
World War 2 airfield constructed in 1940, and originally attached to RAF Driffield, consisting of a grass strip, control tower, observation post, hard standings, trackways and barbed wire, visible as structures on Aerial Photographs, centred at TA 1833 5354. The control tower and observation post are visible at TA 1879 5339 and TA 1869 5366 respectively. By the end of 1941 it had become a bombing decoy for RAF Catfoss, with dummy aircraft. It was abandoned in June 1942 and is no longer extant. (7) |