THE announcement of the forthcoming closure of RAF Linton-on-Ouse is extremely distressing to me.

My father volunteered and joined the Royal Canadian Airforce when he was 18 years of age.

He was shipped to England and spent most of the Second World War at Linton. He was LAC Allan Holgate and was a brilliant mechanic. He worked on the Lancaster bombers for a short while until they were sent down south and replaced with his beloved Halifax bombers.

He could repair anything; there was nothing he didn’t know about the Halifax. My father wanted to be a pilot but this was refused because of his mechanical skills.

It will be the third anniversary of dad’s death on August 22. I was kindly given permission to spread dad’s ashes on the dispersal area at RAF Linton, where he told me he loved to be, despite freezing out there in winter.

I knew he would think it a great place for his final resting place so words cannot express the sadness I feel about the closure of the airfield.

Maureen Dowson,

Park Avenue,

Sherburn-In-Elmet

Let’s turn Linton into an airport for county

I write regarding the proposed closure of RAF Linton- on-Ouse (“RAF base to close by 2020”, July 25).

This is the perfect time for us to have our own North Yorkshire Airport before everything goes to ruin.The conning tower, hangars, maintenance building and even the RAF accommodation could be used as a hotel.With a bit of knowhow even the main railway line could have its own station for access to the airport.

Keith Jones,

Whernside Avenue, York