Menthorpe Gate - North Yorkshire
![Menthorpe Gate Landing Ground and RAF Breighton Menthorpe Gate Landing Ground and RAF Breighton](../assets/images/autogen/Menthorpe-Gate-Landing-Ground-and-RAF-Breighton.jpg)
Menthorpe Gate Landing Ground outlined in blue. The location of the old railway station, now closed, is shown by a red triangle with the track of the old railway line running bottom left to top right. The site of the old RAF Breighton airfield is clearly visible on the right with the village of Bubwith at the top. The River Derwent runs mid top to mid bottom
This site was opened in January 1917 for 33 ( Home Defence ) Squadron flying BE2s, FE2s and later Bristol Fighter FE2Bs. The 3rd Class Night and 2nd Class Day Landing Ground was known as Menthorpe Gate from the nearby railway station a short distance to the south and was located on the eastern side of the North Duffield to Market Weighton road and just to the north of the NER railway line from Selby to Market Weighton. 67 acres were requisitioned which provided an operating area of 750 x 700 yards. From August 1917 Menthorpe Gate was also used by 76 Home Defence Squadron flying BE2s and later Bristol Fighter FE2Bs
The site was closed in June 1919 but in WW2 a decoy site was set up on the old Landing Ground for the nearby RAF Breighton airfield which was built immediately opposite, approx 1 mile distant and east of the River Derwent
![Menthorpe Gate Railway Station and Level Crossing Menthorpe Gate Railway Station and Level Crossing](../assets/images/autogen/Menthorpe-Gate-Railway-Station-and-Level-Crossing.jpg)
Menthorpe Gate station pictured mid 60s
![Site of Menthorpe Gate airfield Site of Menthorpe Gate airfield](../assets/images/autogen/Site-of-Menthorpe-Gate-airfield.jpg)
View from the road of the old Menthorpe Gate Landing ground.
![Bristol Fighter F2 Bristol Fighter F2](../assets/images/autogen/Bristol-Fighter-F2.jpg)
FE2B
Compiled by David Fell with photos from my archive.
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