Catalogue description Squadron/Airborne Forces Memorabilia

Aircrew logbooks and papers; air gunners' log books, photographs and papers; notes and signals, notes written by POWs in captivity; letters and photographs relating to the exploits and history of the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons and Airborne Forces units.

Yorkshire Air Museum

Forces Association

• Royal Air Force
• 77 Squadron
• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Elvington, York
• Defence
• Second World War, 1939-1945
• Aircraft

Yorkshire Air Museum is at Elvington, on the site of the wartime bomber base in No 4 Group. It was originally designated as a grass airfield but was completely rebuilt with the addition of three hardened runways and re-opened in October 1942, with the arrival of 77 Squadron RAF, as a sub-station to RAF Pocklington. Grouped together with RAF Melbourne, these three airfields became known as '42 Base'. In 1944 77 Squadron moved on to Full Sutton station and later that year the French No 346 Squadron and No 347 (Tunisie) Squadron were based at Elvington, leaving in October 1945. In 1952 the base formed part of the expansion programme of the US Strategic Air Command, but was vacated in 1958. Training and testing was carried out on the base until it was finally closed. The Museum was opened to the public in 1986. Its displays include aircraft, engines, aircraft ancillary equipment, tools, radios, parachutes, dinghies, helmets; badges and medals; uniforms and flying suits; aviation books; air gunners' turrets and radios.

Some of these items are on loan from Forces Associations