Carnaby (Bridlington)
| Also known as: | Carnaby Industrial Estate / Carnaby Raceway / RAF Bridlington / RAF Carnaby / RAF Station, Carnaby |
| County: | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Current Status: | Industry |
| Date: | 26 March 1944 - 1969; subsequent minor use |
| Current Use: | Disused |
| Used By: | RAF (main user) / Civil (minor use) |
| Landing Surface Types: | Paved |
| Aircraft Roles: | General aviation (minor use) / Missile (main role) / None (Emergency Landing Ground) / Trainer |
Carnaby was one of three special airfields created during World War Two as an Emergency Landing Ground for aircraft, especially heavy bombers. They quickly landed if they were either damaged through enemy action, suffered technical malfunctions or had to divert for weather reasons. Key to this idea was a huge runway in terms of both length and breadth. At 9,000 feet (not including grass extensions at either end) it was half as long again as a standard bomber runway, while the width of 750 feet was five times the norm. Apart from the runway, there were few other facilities available but this did not detract from the airfield’s significance; the runway was also equipped with the FIDO fog-clearing device.
Over the next year and a half, after first opening in March 1944, Carnaby enabled more than 1,500 aircraft to land safely, thereby saving thousands of lives in the process. The airfield was soon quickly run down but this was far from the end of its life. For a while, immediately after the war, the place, then known officially in RAF circles as Bridlington, became a Relief Landing Ground for various training units. No 203 Advanced Flying School went a stage further by being temporarily based there in the summer of 1950 owing to runway resurfacing at Driffield.
Later on in 1959 the airfield switched roles again to become one of Britain’s Thor intermediate range ballistic missile bases and served as home to No 150 Squadron. Somewhat unusually, these nuclear devices were joined the following year by defensive Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles of No 247 Squadron but the decreasing immediate global threat resulted in both of these units disbanding by the end of 1963.
By 1969 Carnaby had closed altogether, yet this was still not the end for this remarkable place as two local authorities purchased the site in 1972 for it to become an industrial estate. Motor sport lasted for a number of years too but the former activity gradually predominated to the extent that company premises cover most of the runway today; a distinctive dispersal loop on the south-west side has since disappeared. Even so, when driving along what is now Lancaster Road, it is still relatively easy to imagine the sheer scale of this place in its flying days.
The following organisations are either based at, use and/or have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 01/06/2024):
- 7 Vision Ltd
- A B Graphic International Ltd
- A Helm Fish Merchants Ltd
- Advanced Scaffolding
- AKM Enterprises Ltd
- B F Autos
- Bee Health Ltd
- Bernard Bell
- Bob Stabler & Sons
- Boogie Woogies Bridlington Ltd
- Bridlington Antique Pine & Furniture Restoration
- Bridlington Model Boat Society
- Bryan Fisk
- Burlington
- BW Industries Limited
- Carnaby Caravans
- Carnaby Gaming Machines Ltd
- Carnaby Parish Council
- Carnaby Tyres
- Casino Consultants UK Ltd
- CheapestCarz.com
- Chocolate & Pink
- City Electrical Factors Ltd
- Classic Drinks Ltd
- Cobus Coach Refurbishment Ltd
- Corniche Fine Arts Ltd
- Country Style Foods
- DAM Structures Ltd
- Dawn Meats - Dawn Carnaby
- Deli Supplies
- Detech Europe Ltd
- Direct Steel Services
- DM Autos Carnaby
- Durable Signs (UK) Ltd
- East Riding Training Services
- Ebbfix Ltd
- Elliott Modular Buildings
- Farmhouse Potato Bakers Ltd
- Framecraft Services
- Greenstik Materials Ltd
- Hall Bros (Bridlington) Ltd
- IC Systems
- Idacom Steel Buildings Ltd
- Ideal Building Systems Ltd
- Indian Palace
- Investair Ltd
- John Bull (Confectioners) Ltd
- John Hall Engineering Ltd
- Lancaster Garage
- M W Tractors
- Medusa Granite Ltd
- Melza Ltd
- Miller Graphics (UK) Ltd
- M-Tech Composites Ltd
- Oyston Motor Services
- Pop Art Products
- Program Management Resources
- Quality Catering Co
- Radical Shock Ltd
- Rainbow Catering Equipment
- Rawhide Accessories
- Salvage Centre
- Scan IT Services Ltd
- Ship To Shore
- SM Welding
- Sorted
- Specialist Textile Processing
- SteraTape
- St. Quintins Creamery
- T. Quality Ltd
- The Garage
- The Gear Box Factory Ltd
- The Real Candy Co Ltd
- Tiger Bulk Systems Ltd
- Tonks Removal Services
- Venture Seafood
- WG Retro
- Wilkinson Vehicle Solutions
- William Coates Cars
- Yorkshire Coast Caravans
Notable Past Associated Organisations:
- Auto 66 Club
Main unit(s) present:
- No 8 FTS
- No 150 Sqn
- No 203 AFS
- No 207 AFS
- No 247 Sqn
Photographs from the unveiling of the ABCT marker at Carnaby on 1 August 2014:
Flying Officer F H Greenhalgh, inspects the damage from when the propeller from the damaged port inner engine of his Handley Page Halifax smashed into his position during a raid on Duisburg, Germany, in the early morning of 14 October 1944. The pilot landed the damaged aircraft at Carnaby. © IWM (CE 161).
The Carnaby Industrial Estate is built along the length of the main runway of the airfield. This is a view looking east from the western most end. © Phil Williams and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Part of the runway still exists and now serves as a farm track here, with the industrial estate perimeter fence on the left. © JThomas and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The runway at Carnaby, January 2017. Courtesy of BUZZARD Exploration
Aerial footage of Carnaby, January 2017. Courtesy of BUZZARD Exploration
| Parent(s)/HQ Airfield(s): |