RAF Thorne

Thorne, GB 🇬🇧 Closed Airport

ICAO

GB-1231

IATA

-

Elevation

16 ft

Region

GB-ENG

Local Time

Loading...

Loading...

Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 53.6222° N, -0.928056° E

Continent: EU

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: EGCP EGCP

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

External Links

Nearby Points of Interest

Current Weather Conditions

Loading weather data...

Loading weather data...


Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 25, 2025
Closure Date

Flying operations ceased shortly after World War II, around 1946. The station was then placed on care and maintenance and used for storage before being officially closed and sold off in the 1960s and 1970s.

Reason for Closure

The closure was a result of the widespread post-World War II military drawdown. As a temporary wartime airfield, it was deemed surplus to the requirements of the downsized Royal Air Force, which consolidated its operations at more permanent and strategically located bases.

Current Status

The former airfield site has been completely redeveloped. The most prominent feature is HMP & YOI Moorland, a large prison complex that occupies a significant portion of the original site. The remaining area is used for industrial estates and some agricultural land. While faint outlines of the former runways and taxiways can be seen in some undeveloped patches from the air, there are no remaining aviation facilities.

Historical Significance

RAF Thorne was a significant Royal Air Force station during World War II. Opened in 1940, it initially served under No. 12 Group of Fighter Command, tasked with defending the industrial heartlands of South Yorkshire. It was later transferred to Bomber Command and then to Flying Training Command. The airfield is particularly notable for its association with Polish forces; it was home to several Polish squadrons, including the No. 307 'Lwów Eagle-Owls' Polish Night Fighter Squadron, operating Beaufighters and Mosquitoes. It also served as a training base for the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade before their involvement in Operation Market Garden. After the war, its role diminished significantly, being used primarily for storage and maintenance units before its eventual closure.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Thorne as an airport. The extensive redevelopment of the site, particularly the construction of a major prison and industrial parks, makes any future aviation use infeasible.

Nearby Airports

Sandtoft Airfield
EGCF
Doncaster, South Yorkshire, GB
Small Airport
~8 km away
RAF Lindholme
GB-1253
Doncaster, GB
Closed Airport
~8 km away
Finningley Village Airstrip
GB-0289
Finningley, GB
Small Airport
~13 km away
Bridge Cottage Airstrip
GB-0719
Great Heck, GB
Small Airport
~13 km away
Askern Airfield
GB-0427
NoneGB
Small Airport
~14 km away
Howden Airstrip
GB-1059
Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, GB
Small Airport
~14 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

User Comments

No comments for this airport yet.

Leave a comment