RAF Sutton on Hull

File:A kite balloon tethered to the balloon barge NORMAN WADE on the River Humber, at No. 17 Balloon Centre at Sutton-on-Hull in Yorkshire, January 1943. CH8663.jpg

Construction of the base started in late 1938 and by early 1939, it was ready to be occupied with official opening coming on 28 June 1939. The base was renamed RAF Sutton on Hull in October 1942 when No. 17 Balloon Centre was disbanded.{{cite web|title=The Second World War Years – 1942|url=http://17balloons.co.uk/pages/page-11.html|website=Hull's own Air Force Station|access-date=8 June 2016}}

The operational aspect of the Balloon Centre consisted of three Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) Squadrons; No's 942, 943 & 944 (East Riding) Balloon Squadrons. Each Squadron consisted of five flights with nine balloons.{{cite news |title=1,000 recruits wanted for Hull balloon barrage |work=Hull Daily Mail |date=21 January 1939 |page=1|issue=16,608|issn=1741-3419}} Each balloon was crewed by a Corporal, ten Airmen of the RAuxAF and one regular Royal Air Force Balloon operator.{{cite web|title=17 Balloon Centre, RAF Balloon Command RAF, Sutton-on-Hull|url=http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/ballooncommand/17ballooncentre.htm|website=RAF Lincolnshire info|access-date=3 June 2016}} The base was commanded by No. 33 Group (part of Balloon Command) which was headquartered in Sheffield. The three squadrons collectively were allotted 72 balloons between them.{{sfn|Robertson|1978|p=106}}

During the war, some of the Squadrons became staffed by the Women's Auxiliary Air Force whilst in 1944, No's 942 and 943 Squadrons amalgamated into 942/3 Squadron. Later in the same year, No. 944 squadron was disbanded and No 942/3 squadron was moved south to London as part of the Anti-Diver Barrage against the V1 Flying Bombs.{{cite web|title=The Second World War Years – 1944|url=http://17balloons.co.uk/pages/page-13.html|website=Hull's own Air Force Station|access-date=8 June 2016}}

All of Balloon Command became redundant towards the end of 1944 with the cessation of barrages{{cite book|last1=Pitchfork|first1=Graham|title=The Royal Air Force Day By Day|date=2008|publisher=History Press|location=Stroud|isbn=978-0-7509-4309-3|page=190}} and in February 1945, Balloon Command was officially disbanded.

In August 1943, the Royal Air Force School of Fire Fighting and Rescue inaugurated training at RAF Sutton on Hull.{{cite web|title=The Second World War Years – 1943|url=http://www.17balloons.co.uk/pages/page-12.html|website=Hull's own Air Force Station|access-date=9 June 2016}}{{cite book|last1=Pitchfork|first1=Graham|title=The Royal Air Force Day By Day|date=2008|publisher=History Press|location=Stroud|isbn=978-0-7509-4309-3|page=262}} Training continued throughout the war and afterwards with the school being awarded its own badge in December 1953. In 1955, the trade came under the umbrella of the RAF Regiment (Trade Group 22) and as a result, four years later the school was moved to Royal Air Force Catterick where the RAF Regiment training and HQ were located.{{cite book|last1=Proctor|first1=Ian|title=The Royal Air Force in the Cold War, 1950–1970|date=2014|publisher=Pen & Sword|location=Barnsley|isbn=9781473844551|page=161|chapter=Recruitment & Training}}

RAF Sutton on Hull was also the location of No. 3505 Fighter Control Unit between 1947 and 1961. The FCU was awarded its own badge in 1951 which is the White Rose of York with four equal sparks of lightning emanating from behind the rose. The motto of the unit was Intercipere et delere which translates as [to] Intercept and Destroy.{{cite news|title=RAF Pageantry in Hull|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19510920/125/0004|access-date=4 June 2016|work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer|date=20 September 1951|page=4}} {{subscription required}} The FCU's were created to work with the RAuxAF Fighter Squadrons, but as these were disbanded in 1957, so too were the FCU's wound up.

Besides the three main units operating from RAF Sutton on Hull, various lodger units were allocated there over the course of its operational history. These were;{{cite web|title=RAF Sutton on Hull|url=http://www.hullandeastridingatwar.co.uk/index.php/erairfieldss/rafsuttononhull|website=Hull & East Riding at war|access-date=3 June 2016|date=6 October 2013}}

• Radio and Wireless mechanics training.
• Starfish units – These units were employed to set fires and light up beacons in order to attract bombs away from real targets.
• RAF School of Aircraft Recognition – courses lasted 16 days and were available to all branches of the armed services and the US Army Air Force.
• No 21 Embarkation Unit – personnel from this unit oversaw shipping of military equipment into and out of the Humber Ports.
• RAF Safety Equipment Workers School
• No 62 RAF Reserve Centre – in operation only between March 1947 until May 1948.
• No 3 RAF Movements Unit – this unit dealt with RAF personnel arriving and departing through Hull Docks.
• No 152 (City of Hull) Air Training Corps Squadron – used RAF Sutton on Hull from 1946 until 1961. After 1961, they still used the Station Parade Square for drill whilst accommodated in the City of Hull. They returned in 1962 and operated out of the former guardroom until 1969. No 152 (City of Hull) Squadron is still in existence today.{{cite web|title=Where we are – Central and East Yorkshire Wing|url=http://www.aircadetsnorth.org/squadrons-cey-wing.html|website=Air Cadets North|access-date=3 June 2016}}

In 1947, one of the buildings on the camp was broken into and various items were discovered to be missing. Due to the harmful nature of the missing items (phosphorus grenades, tear gas generators and chloropicrin),{{cite news|title=Deadly acid and grenades warning|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19461105/012/0001|access-date=4 June 2016|work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer|issue=((30,953))|date=5 November 1946|page=1}} {{subscription required}} the local police actually took to the streets with loudhailers warning of the inherent danger of the missing items and appealing for their return.{{cite news|title=Grenades warning in East Riding|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19461105/030/0003|access-date=4 June 2016|work=Hull Daily Mail|date=5 November 1946|page=3}} {{subscription required}}

After the School of Fire Fighting was relocated, the site was finally closed and most of the estate was sold off to Hull Corporation in 1961, however, some of the housing was kept as military families quarters for those working at RAF Holmpton.{{cite news |title=Medal and letter from the Queen |work=Hull Daily Mail |issue=25,480 |date=27 September 1967 |page=6|issn=1741-3419}}

Only No 3505 FCU and the RAF School of Fire Fighting were issued with approved badges. RAF Sutton on Hull just displayed whichever command or group that it resided under at that time.{{cite web|title=Post war era and station closure|url=http://17balloons.co.uk/pages/page-22.html|website=Hull's own Air Force Station|access-date=8 June 2016}}

The site of the Balloon Centre is now part of the Bransholme estate.{{cite news|title=10 TOP secret places in Hull and East Yorkshire (pictures)|url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/10-secret-places-Hull-East-Yorkshire-pictures/story-26096346-detail/story.html|access-date=3 June 2016|work=Hull Daily Mail|date=28 February 2015}} The Bransholme estate is believed to be the largest Council estate in Yorkshire.{{cite book|last1=O'Neill|first1=Susanna|title=The Hull Book of Days|date=2014|publisher=The History Press|location=Stroud|isbn=978-07509-5172-2|page=121}} The main gates to the base were re-hung at Hull East Park and renovated in 1999 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the site being opened.

• Basil Bunting, worked at RAF Sutton on Hull during 1940 as part of No. 942 Squadron Balloon Command.{{cite book |last1=Burton |first1=Richard |title=A strong song tows us : the life of Basil Bunting |date=2013 |publisher=Infinite Ideas |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-935212-50-8 |page=269}}
• Ted Hughes – Hughes served as a ground wireless mechanic at RAF Patrington between 1949 and 1952, but was billeted at RAF Sutton on Hull.{{cite news |last1=Bristow |first1=Simon |title=Poet's National Service to be remembered at RAF reunion |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=1 March 2013 |page=8|issn=0963-1496}}{{cite book |last1=Hughes |first1=Ted |title=Letters of Ted Hughes |date=2007 |publisher=Faber & Faber |location=London |isbn=9780571262946 |page=8}}

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• {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Robertson|1978}}|reference=Robertson, Bruce. The RAF; a pictorial history. London, UK: Robert Hale, 1978. {{ISBN|0 7091 6607 9}}.}}

• [http://www.bbrclub.org/ Balloon Barrage Reunion Club website]
• [http://www.rafweb.org/Badges/Signal_Units.htm Web site with various badges including 3505 FCU – (not official site)]
• [http://northpointshoppingcentre.co.uk/bransholme-50/raf-sutton-on-hull Various images on the Northpoint Shopping Centre website]

{{Royal Air Force}}

{{RAF stations in Yorkshire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton on Hull, RAF}}

Category:Military units and formations established in 1938

Category:Buildings and structures in the East Riding of Yorkshire

Sutton on Hull

Category:Military history of the East Riding of Yorkshire

Category:1940s in the East Riding of Yorkshire