HISTORIANS, war buffs and airplane enthusiasts will soon have the chance to look around a local RAF’s base museum.

As part of the celebrations to mark the 90th anniversary of Number 1 Flying Training School, which for the majority of its existence has been based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, the base’s Memorial Room will be opened to the public.

People will have the chance to a glimpse of its history as a wartime bomber base and subsequent role teaching RAF fast jet pilots.

RAF Linton-on-Ouse was one of Yorkshire’s most important wartime bases. Squadrons there began the war by dropping propaganda leaflets over Germany and later took part in the bomber raids.

Flying legend Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC was the commanding officer of 76 Squadron, which is part of 1 FTS at Linton today.

The memorial room exists to commemorate the 2,009 airmen from Linton and its satellite airfields at East Moor and Tholthorpe, who were killed while serving with Bomber Command during the first part of the war and with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943.

Founded by the late Bill Steel, the room offers a snapshot of photographs, stories and artefacts from the wartime era, as well as mementoes and pictures which tell the story of 1 FTS from its formative years in 1919 when it was based at Netheravon, Wiltshire, to the present day at Linton.

Wing Commander (retd) Alan Mawby, the curator of the collection, said: “The memorial room gives an insight into life here during both the dark days of the Second World War and the history of the world’s oldest flying training school.”

The memorial room will be open to members of the public on a pre-booked basis at 2pm and 3.30pm on one Sunday each month from March 29 to October.

Normally it will be the last Sunday of the month.

For further information or to book a visit, phone Passes and Permits at RAF Linton-on-Ouse on 01347 847660.