East Moor was opened in 1942 and was originally a
4 Group facility and first hosted
No. 158 Squadron RAF which moved from
RAF Driffield on 6 June 1942. The squadron flew the
Handley Page Halifax Mk. II with detachments at
RAF Beaulieu and
RAF Manston before moving to
RAF Rufforth on 6 November 1942.
Royal Canadian Air Force use The first squadron was
No. 429 Squadron RCAF which formed at the airfield on 7 November 1942 initially only flying the
Vickers Wellington Mk.III until January 1943 when the Wellington Mk. X was added. The squadron left on 13 August 1943 going to
RAF Leeming where the unit re-equipped with Halifaxes. On 19 September 1943 the next squadron arrived being
432 Squadron which initially used the
Avro Lancaster Mk.II before being re-equipped with the Halifax Mk. III in February 1944 and the Mk. VII Halifax in July 1944. The squadron disbanded on 15 May 1945 at the airfield. The last Canadian squadron to use the airfield was
415 Squadron which flew the Halifax III from 26 July 1944. The unit inherited the additional Mk.VII versions during March 1945 but disbanded shortly after on 15 May 1945 at the airfield.
Royal Air Force use Not long after the last Canadian squadron disbanded the airfield was handed back to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first RAF unit to use the airfield was
No. 54 Operational Training Unit (OTU) which had moved in during November 1945 flying the
de Havilland Mosquito. By May 1946
No. 288 Squadron RAF joined with their
Supermarine Spitfire IX's and their
Vultee Vengeance Mk. IV's with a detachment at
RAF Acklington. The squadron disbanded on 15 June 1946. No. 54 OTU stayed until June 1946 when the unit moved to
RAF Leeming but a detachment stayed until 15 November 1946. ==Units and aircraft==