Elvington Airfield

Elvington’s 3000-metre runway is one of the longest in Britain. The airfield is used for aircraft displays, motor cycle racing, car track days, vehicle testing, sports car and police driver training, land yachting, land speed record attempts, and corporate events.

The first operation was to Lorient in France on February 4 and 5, 1943, with 11 Halifax bombers. Later several bombing or mine-laying missions a week were being performed. 77 Squadron had on strength 18 Merlin-engined Halifax Mk5 aircraft, and suffered an average loss rate of about four per cent, or even higher when the target was Berlin.