425 in May and 426 in June respectively, which allowed for the runway to be upgraded. The RCAF kept Dishforth as the training arm for its bomber squadrons and when the upgrade was complete in November 1943, No. 1664 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) was allocated to the base. In November 1944, the base was transferred into No. 7 Group, which had a responsibility for all the HCU stations. With hostilities in Europe at an end, the base was transferred again to RAF Transport Command, and continued with its training role. In November 1945, No. 1332 (Transport) Heavy Conversion Unit arrived from RAF Riccall, taking over training for long-haul transport routes and taking the aircraft form the existing HCUs at Dishforth. Post war Dishforth continued in the training role for transport aircraft after the war, and in 1956, No. 215 Sqn reformed at Dishforth with Scottish Aviation Pioneer aircraft, later disbanding at Dishforth in September 1958 to become No. 230 Sqn. In 1954, the base was initially approved for use in the PGM-17 Thor missile programme, but it never became one of the operational stations. In early 1962, No. 242 OCU was moved to Thorney Island and the base was put under a care and maintenance programme. Various aircraft from Leeming and Linton-on-Ouse used the airfield as a Relief Landing Ground (RLG), and the buildings were converted for use by the local police forces. In 1992, the base was handed over to the Army Air Corps as Dishforth Airfield. Badge and motto The station badge features a white pack horse representing the transport nature of the base (post World War II), the horse is modelled on the White Horse of Kilburn, a nearby geographical feature in the Hambleton Hills. The station motto was Par Oneri (). Incidents 13 September 1955—Hastings TG584 lost control attempting to overshoot at RAF Dishforth and crashed; five died. Notable personnel Percy Charles Pickard, commanding officer of No. 51 Sqn during 1942 Tim Piper Desmond J. Scott, post-war commanding officer of RAF Dishforth James Brian Tait, commanded the air transport portion of Operation Colossus from RAF Dishforth Based units References Citations Bibliography External links RAF station badge for Dishforth on the RAF Heraldry Trust website Dishforth Dishforth Airports in England Buildings and structures in North Yorkshire Military history of North Yorkshire