The airfield was originally opened as a satellite of
RAF Church Fenton before
No. 601 Squadron RAF arrived from
RAF Duxford with
Bell Airacobras staying between January and April 1942 before being re-equipped with
Supermarine Spitfire VB's and moving to
RAF Digby. Acaster Malbis was then used by No. 21 Group Flying Training Command as a relief landing ground for
Airspeed Oxfords of
No. 15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF ((P)AFU) from
RAF Leconfield, with these leaving in January 1943. Then surprising during 1943 the airfield was re-built to the specifications of a heavy bomber station with hard runways and spectacle dispersals being built under the control of
No. 4 Group RAF of
Bomber Command, however the station did not receive any aircraft before being transferred to
No. 7 (Training) Group Bomber Command. During 1944 the airfield was used by
Handley Page Halifaxes of 1652 and 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit. Also in 1944 the airfield was used by
Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys of
1341 Special Duties Flight on radio and signal counter-measures work. No operational flying units were based at the airfield but No. 4 Group Aircrew School (later
No. 4 Aircrew School RAF) did arrive in the winter of 1944 but they moved out in October 1945 before the airfield was closed to flying during February 1946. The airfield played host to three different maintenance units of
RAF Maintenance Command with the first being
No. 91 Maintenance Unit RAF (MU) which arrived during 1944 before leaving on 15 December 1947 which was replaced by a sub-site of the same unit until 31 March 1948. During this
No. 80 MU moved in on 21 January 1947 using Acaster Malbis until 12 December 1947. The last maintenance unit was a sub site of
No. 93 MU which arrived on 1 April 1957 and left on 1 August 1957. ==Current use==