During the Second World War, Yorkshire was home to around 40 airfields, many in the flat areas of the Vale of York. Thousands of airmen died flying from the Yorkshire airfields, many lost on training flights, because of weather conditions or aircraft malfunction. In recent decades memorials have been placed at some of these crash sites, and also close to former airfields.
Tholthorpe, near Alne, was home to another World War Two airfield used by Canadian airmen. As at East Moor, agriculture continues alongside sections of crumbling runways and some peripheral remains of airfield accommodation.
Tholthorpe's memorial, made of Canadian granite, was placed in 1986 on the village green. The plaque states that the memorial is dedicated to those who served at the airfield and - like the memorial at Sutton on the Forest - it is also 'to the many citizens of this community who supported them'.
One of the Halifax bombers from Tholthorpe crashed at nearby Alne, and damaged the church, as recorded in a framed memorial on the wall there. See St Mary's, Alne, also on this site.
Tholthorpe is within cycling distance of York, and much of the route follows the National Cycle Network route 65. The route I took to Tholthorpe is recorded on the OS Explore pages - see York to Tholthorpe, via Alne - on OS Explore. For an account of part of the journey, and photographs, see Cycling: to Alne.
For background information on Tholthorpe and other local airfields:
Yorkshire Airfields in the Second World War
For associated books on Amazon, try this link: Yorkshire airfield history
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My book Chocolate and Chicory: York and beyond, by bicycle includes more information on the role of local airfields in the Second World War, and includes mapped routes to the airfields at Acaster Malbis, East Moor and Rufforth. More info >
