Elvington tower was 'eye and ears' of bombing operations against Nazis

The tower at the Yorkshire Air Museum – formerly RAF Elvington – has been described as the 'the eyes and ears' of wartime bombing operations against Nazi Germany, and is one of the last of its kind still standing.

But the years have taken their toll.

In November 2022, air museum bosses launched a £100k appeal to restore the tower. They said its windows were cracked, and the internal rendering needed replacing to preserve it for the future.

Fast-forward 16 months, and that initial £100k target has now been met – but air museum bosses say it is no longer enough.

The wartime control tower at the Yorkshire Air Museum today (Image: YORKSHIRE AIR MUSEUM)

Workers restoring the outside of the building found fresh problems.

“It was discovered that the scale of work was even greater than had been first thought, with large areas of water ingress wreaking damage over the years,” said the Museum’s Chair of Trustees, Rachel Semlyen MBE.

“We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed so generously. But we do need to press on with the appeal, in order to give us the means to complete the restoration.”

The tower - at the centre of a museum which doubles as the Allied Air Force Memorial - serves as a unique monument to the young men of bomber command.

It was from this very building that the RAF Elvington bomber pilots who flew hazardous missions against Nazi Germany received their instructions for take off and landing from wireless operators.

From the tower’s roof the WAAFs recorded the cloud base and weather conditions. Blackboards inside, meanwhile, recorded the safe return or otherwise of the crews.

This wartime photo is captioned: 'A little 'tea party' before ops to Berlin, 15th February, 1944 (Image: Yorkshire Air Museum)

Almost half the crews never did return. On just one night - January 28, 1944 - four crews, a total of 28 men, did not come back. All had been photographed with mugs of tea before setting off.

The initial target of £100k for the tower’s restoration has been met partly thanks to a recent legacy and donations from two charitable trusts: the Patricia and Donald Shepherd Charitable Trust and the Noel Goddard Terry Charitable Trust.

The crew of Halifax HR 723 KN-M at Elvington with their aircraft in November 1943. Left to right: Paddy Jackson; Gerry Angel; Cecil Manson (pilot); John Diffley; Clifford Smith; Jack Whiteley; Jim Shirley (Image: . Picture: Gerald Myers)

That restoration work is already underway: the roof and external rendering have been repaired, and the metal window frames have been restored.

It was during this work that the further ‘unexpected structural problems’ were discovered.

Now, as part of the renewed fundraising appeal, some sections of the tower’s original window frames are being offered for sale.

A section of the control tower's original window, which has been boxed up with a wartime photo and is on sale as part of the fundraising (Image: Yorkshire Air Museum)

“A few of the sections are boxed and come with an image of the 1942 building,” a spokesperson for the air museum said.

“These can be bought from the museum shop for a suggested donation of £50. Other, unboxed pieces are £15 each.”

The new fundraising appeal has been supported by Anthony Terry, chairman of the Noel Goddard Terry Charitable Trust.

Mr Terry said: “My father’s younger brother, Kenneth, was a Squadron Leader in the RAF, sadly killed in 1944.

“I expect my (he) would have been familiar with Elvington and may even have flown from there himself.”

Donations to the Yorkshire Air Museum’s Save Our Tower appeal can be made online at yorkshireairmuseum.org or in person at the museum.